Lessons I Learned During Pandemic

Who would have predicted that this would be the end of the world? Closed airports and borders, city lockdowns, and an increasing number of sick people make the COVID-19 pandemic a frightening one. As with the majority of the population, I've been quarantined at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. When I was at home, I realized a few things about myself and my current situation. After keeping a record of my thoughts for the past few months, I've come to the realization that this pandemic may have given people the opportunity to examine their lives and reflect on what they've done and what they want to do in the future. I examined various facets of my life, focusing on all the things I've put off doing because I wanted to wait until the 'perfect time.'. This post is supposed to serve as a reminder that you're not the only one who has felt this way while staying at home due to the epidemic, and that we will all emerge stronger from this experience.

First and foremost, I examined my to-do list. As a class project in ninth grade social studies, we were asked to create a "bucket list" of 100 things to do before we died. After receiving our assignments back, my teacher encouraged us to keep track of what we had accomplished and to do our best to complete it as we grew older. I threw my list away since I didn't understand its value at the time. After the epidemic, I realized how many things I had wanted to do but had always come up with an excuse for not doing them. All of my worries and concerns about achieving everything on my bucket list paled in comparison to what we're all facing right now. Taking a pen and paper, I began writing out everything I wanted to accomplish before I died. All of these things happened so quickly that I didn't even realize I'd written them down until the page was full. All my worries and anxieties about everyday annoyances pale in comparison to this pandemic, and I want to use my newfound confidence to lead a more happy life even after the pandemic has ended.

The second part of my self-reflection was my mental wellness. After staying home for many months, I realized that I missed coming to university, my daily commute and even my professor’s jokes in lecture. Even on exam days when my stress levels peaked, I took solace in knowing that I was completing things in my life and going forward. I reminded myself that nothing came easily and rough days were just a continual reminder that I was going there. After being home for so long, I rapidly became demotivated and scared that my academic habits and routines would fade, and I would struggle with school after this lengthy hiatus. Knowing that I was a person who prefers to cling to routines and a schedule, I ended up developing one where I integrated new things like running and writing. At first, I was doubtful about whether my new schedule would be useful. Having always had a planner mindset, I realized I had to establish daily plans in order to pacify my thoughts. After applying my new habits, I became busy with my day-to-day and started feeling lot better. The lesson I learnt here was that it was necessary to take actions to assist maintain my mental health robust. Knowing what helps reduce your stress and incorporating that into your life is crucial to help you get through this tough period.

I used my time alone to reflect on my life, and I hope to emerge from this experience with a much clearer sense of who I am and what I want to achieve. I'm grateful for the solitude. The world has been rocked by this pandemic, which no one could have predicted would occur this year. The world may be regaining its footing now, but I believe it is critical to take a step back to assess your own ambitions and achievements. Self-care and assisting others in this time of need are mutually reinforcing responsibilities. There are many things worth reflecting on outside my own mortality and daily routines, such as how fortunate we are to live in a country that helps its residents at every step of the way, how interconnected the globe really is, and how far societies still have to go in addressing socioeconomic inequities. In order for us to make a positive impact on the world, we must take care of ourselves and be optimistic about the future.

Thank you for reading ❤️