7 Positive Things to Come From This Pandemic

Hey all you cool cats and kittens,

I hope you are all keeping well (side note: If you don’t get the above intro you NEED to indulge yourself in the Netflix series, Tiger King).

I want to start this blog by acknowledging the fact that coronavirus is a horrific tragedy for our generation and the way that it is destroying families and taking lives is beyond awful. My thoughts are with all of the families who have been affected by Covid-19.

I would also like to pay tribute to all of the frontline NHS staff (including my mum who is a nurse) and the key workers that are keeping going and digging deep during this worrying time. I am, however, a firm believer that every cloud does have a silver lining – even if it is a very small one. I think we can find some positives that have come out of this…

1. Hobbies old and new

When we are stuck and home with more spare time on our hands, many of us are utilising this to indulge in our hobbies. Whether you’re finding something brand new that sparks an interest or you are re-discovering a former hobby now you have more time to dedicate to it, it’s the perfect opportunity to do something you love.

I’m not really a keen chef, but during this lockdown I’ve been baking up a storm – including chocolate egg brownies that tasted incredible (visual proof below – sorry you are unable to do the taste test).

2. Appreciation of freedom

“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” couldn’t be a more appropriate phrase right now. Before the wheels fell off the world we had holidays, family parties, nights out, shopping trips, bottomless brunches and above all else, the freedom to do as we pleased. And I (like most of us) kind of took these things as granted – of course I was thrilled every time I went abroad and excited for every bottomless brunch, but I didn’t cherish every single moment the same way that I look back so fondly on it now. Hopefully we have now learnt how lucky we are to have such privileged, enriched lives and we will appreciate them so much more when normality returns.

Keep calm and carry on: discover how I relax and unwind

3. Ability to adapt

What has really astounded me since this pandemic took hold and completely transformed our lives, is our overwhelming ability to adapt to challenges and changes. We are unable to go to work, so we have found ways to work from home, we are unable to go to the gym so we have found new ways to workout and we are unable to see our friends and family face-to-face so we have found other ways to stay in touch. It amazes me how quickly supermarkets have responded to the new social distancing rules, how our local pub has transformed into a shop and how so many other companies have found innovative ways to keep going.

Keep yourself busy with 69 things to do when you’re stuck indoors

4. Another level of clean

Having much more time at home has sparked a cleaning frenzy that Mrs Hinch would be oh-so proud of. I’ve been scrubbing my skirting boards, washing my windows and I’ve even cleaned out my washing machine filter (yes, that is a thing – and you should totally do it too). I think the fact that cleanliness and hygiene are things that been pushed in regards to fighting back against the virus has also made us all more conscious about being clean. Our houses are going to be SPARKLING!

5. Home sweet home

I’m currently renting a one-bed flat in London with my boyfriend and we both work full-time. We both commute around 45-minutes each way to work, meaning that actually we used to spend very little time at home. During the lockdown, we have been forced to stay at home wayyyyy more than usual and it has meant that we can actually appreciate our surroundings. Also, during our daily walks we have explored different streets nearby and observed more of our neighbourhood which has been lovely.

6. Respect for the environment

Hearing that pollution levels are considerably down has to be one of the positive things that has come from the coronavirus lockdown. Also, being restricted to only go outside for limited periods has made me really appreciate the great outdoors. Walking past blossoming trees and observing crisp blue skies has now become one of my favourite pastimes.

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7. Accidental savings

I understand that this can be a tough time financially for some people, but it’s probably fair to say that most people’s outgoings have considerably reduced during this time. Cocktail bars are closed, restaurants are closed…. PRIMARK IS CLOSED! So the main bulk of my money (after rent and bills) is going on food shopping, but that is pretty much it. Now is the perfect time to think about your future financial plan and use this pause on spending as a kickstarter for your savings.

I hope these positives have managed to remind you that there will be a rainbow after the rain.

Stay safe.

R x

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