We are living through crazy and scary times. This Coronavirus pandemic is a unique time in history both because of the virus itself and because of our response to it. People are reacting with fear…some with fear of the virus and illness and some with fear of our freedoms and liberties that have been limited. During this time is it possible to see some good? I believe it is. I believe we can balance fear by seeing good and that choosing to see good can help us come out the other side as better people.
The “stay at home and shelter in place” experience is different for everyone. We all have unique work (or lack thereof) scenarios, home life situations, ages and independence levels of children, family dynamics and time needs. We are all sacrificing on some level and some situations are truly hard.
For my family the physical impact has been minimal. We are experiencing a temporary job loss for my husband, who will be collecting unemployment until his work opens back up again. I am working from home and my two teenage children have transitioned pretty seamlessly to online school. We had to cancel a beloved family vacation and, in addition, we truly miss seeing extended family and friends.
Of course, we are impacted emotionally just like everyone else. We have fears and anxieties, confusion and boredom. We are feeling some loneliness and constrained by restriction. Our schedules are uncertain and planning ahead seems ambiguous.
With all these changes and feelings is there any good to be seen? I admit it can be hard to find good things in times of trial (read more here). However, I believe that recognizing and focusing on the good around us is what will not only help us get through, but help us grow to be better people.
Seeing the Good Right Now
I know I may be in the minority here, but if I’m honest, there are some parts of this pandemic experience that I’ll miss when life goes back to “normal”. I was talking with my kids the other day about how much I’ve enjoyed our regular family dinners, game nights and movie sessions. Even working from home is kind of nice knowing that my children are also home in their rooms doing their school work.
We’ve taken more walks, talked more and finished some projects around the house. I now have my daughter’s company for errands that used to be boring and have turned into something we enjoy together.
In general, I feel like everyone is a little more relaxed and at ease since our lives don’t revolve around a schedule. We’re getting more sleep and even taking up a few new hobbies. There are opportunities we have that would otherwise not happen with our regular schedules in place.
I think the most significant positive thing I’ve noticed is a greater appreciation for the things we took for granted. Sometimes it takes removing things from our lives in order for us to fully appreciate them! For instance, I took for granted that I was able to have access to anything I wanted from the store. Now that I have seen shelves bare and isles missing bread, toilet paper and hand cleaner, I appreciate our grocery stores and our product availability. I took for granted things like job security, traveling, seeing friends and gathering with family.
Each of these things I will appreciate with a renewed gratitude when this season passes. Even my children who grumbled about school and packed schedules now realize how much they miss being face-to-face with their friends. We all took some things for granted.
Balance Fear by Seeing Good
We all go through times of uncertainty and fear. During these times we can easily get bogged down with anxiety and worry. Right now, especially, there is a constant news cycle of fear-inducing headlines. We are bombarded with the up-to-date status of the virus, numbers of new cases, new closings, restrictions and worst-case scenarios. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed by fear.
Choosing to see the good in our situation does not take the truly fearful things away, but it does provide perspective and help us keep our fears balanced. We put importance on balancing our diet and balancing our time, so we should also recognize the significance of balancing our minds.
Looking for and choosing to see the good helps to balance the fear we are feeling right now. This doesn’t mean that we should ignore the reality of what is going on around us. Nor does it belittle the severity of the headlines. However, there is also a lot of good happening around us as a result of this situation and choosing to see the good provides perspective. We can off-set the weight of fear by choosing to see the good.
Seeing the Good Can Help Us Grow
At the end of this pandemic, or any trial, I hope that I will have grown and changed. We will all be changed in some way or another after any trial. There are good things happening in my life as a result of our current situation and I hope you can see the positive things happening around you as well. This scenario is unique and probably (hopefully!) won’t happen again. Instead of drifting through this time feeling fear, I want to take full advantage of this time and try to use it in the best way possible. I want to appreciate the good.
Challenge for this week:
Spend some time reflecting on some positive outcomes of this time. Try to think of things that have changed for the better or that you will miss when this current situation is over. Notice your level of fear and anxiety when you dwell on the good things.