6 Pandemic Adaptations Worth Keeping by Lisa Walker

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. - Socrates

Click here to learn more about Escape Hatch 2 Wellness Guest Contributor, Lisa Walker

When COVID-19 struck our planet, we all had to learn how to live our lives differently than we ever had before. This came with major challenges, but it also led to some pretty great shifts in how we viewed our lives. We have learned how to discover calm in chaos; we have discovered how to keep ourselves well in times of crisis; and we have come to recognize the power of coming together for the sake of community. 

Escape Hatch 2 Wellness is dedicated to helping people discover the most effective tools for living the life they deserve. As much turmoil as this pandemic has caused, it has also brought surprisingly useful tools for living a full, healthy life.

Here’s a look at six COVID-19 adaptations we should hold on to: 

Valuing Our Homes 

If you’re going to be stuck at home, that home may as well be beautiful. That’s the attitude that launched a thousand “Quarantine DIY’s, revitalizing our homes and our perspectives all at once. We’ve had to repair our relationship with our surroundings in order to ensure our homes have a positive, mentally-nourishing energy. With luck, we’ll continue to keep this level of pride in our spaces, even when we can leave stress-free. 

Supporting the Local Economy

When the pandemic put local businesses at risk, we stepped up. We started picking local restaurants over chains, visiting indie bookstores rather than big box, and put our money where our communities were. This is a beautiful way to keep our communities going strong, and we should keep with it. You might even consider opening your own local business to fill in gaps - if your neighborhood doesn’t have a coffee shop, for example, maybe that’s your opportunity to create something. 

Fostering Connections Despite Distance

No longer able to meet in person, we have discovered a world of ways to connect with people virtually. Even once the danger has passed, these distance communication skills we’ve developed will serve us well. As long as we have a sufficiently strong internet connection, we’ll be able to hop onto an online game and play with friends who live across the country, or get on a video call with a loved one who can’t make it to a special day. We’ll always know how to be apart, together. 

Embracing Nature 

Back in the spring, self-isolation began for many families, and cabin fever followed close behind. We quickly realized that we had to prioritize time outdoors in order to keep ourselves sane. So we discovered local parks, found the best places to hike, and make our backyards into private oases. This connection to the outdoors will serve us well for the rest of our lives. 

Discovering Joyful Movement 

The other antidote to cabin fever? Exercise! And something about exercise suddenly becoming so important helped us figure out how to actually like it. ABC7 notes roller skate sales went through the roof. Months passed where you couldn’t find a bike to buy. We took yoga classes outside and we watched dance classes on our computers and we moved and we liked it. Now we get to move into our futures with exercises we do as a gift to ourselves, not a punishment. 

Reframing Our Relationship to Food 

For the last several decades, we’ve become increasingly dependent on food made by somebody else. Although this is convenient, it robs us of the connection with how our food is made. Cooking is good for your brain, and it helps you develop a healthier, more positive relationship with the food you eat. The pandemic - and subsequent shutdowns and economic instability - put home cooking back on our minds. We’re saving money, eating healthier, and becoming more mindful of what we’re eating. 

Finally, we should never forget how powerful we can be when we work together. Communities all over the country have spent months battling an enemy we can’t see, trusting that everyone will do the work to win.

The fight may not be over yet, but we’ve learned a valuable lesson: We are stronger together.  

Looking for a change? Turn to Escape Hatch 2 Wellness to learn how to live your best life.