COVID-19 One Year Later: How You Can Reflect on the Tough Year February 18, 2021

It’s a bit mind-boggling to consider everything we’ve experienced in the past year, as we approach the one-year mark of our lives being completely turned upside down by COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic and how it forced us to change our behaviors, interactions, and thought processes will likely stay with us for the rest of our lives.

There were moments during the pandemic that I had to tell myself to focus on reflection – it was really easy to grow frustrated with being home all the time, and there were days that I was more worried about my social life than the big picture. In those moments, I forced myself to reassess. I had to remind myself that this pandemic will impact our economy for a long time – entire industries were shut down and millions of people lost their jobs. I had to remind myself that people were losing their loved ones to this virus and that the healthcare industry will never be the same. Anytime I found myself thinking about ‘me,’ I had to remind myself to think about ‘we.’ Reflection has been a heavy practice for all of us this past year, and it may have been overwhelming at times. For me, I wanted to share how I’m choosing to reflect as we arrive at the one-year mark – these stories will be with us for the rest of our lives, so I want to be sure that I can process all of those thoughts while we’re still experiencing it.

1. Flexible work situation

I made it a point to express gratitude that not only was I able to keep my job during the pandemic, but I was able to do it from the safety of my own. I didn’t have to commute to go to work, and I didn’t have to expose myself of risk. I was fortunate enough that I could perform my work tasks successfully, and this change wasn’t a direct disruption to my daily life or the quality of my life. Anytime I found myself complaining about working from home, I again recentered my focus to gratitude that I had a job and could do it safely and productively from home.

2. Technology saved us

It was technology that allowed me to perform my work successfully from home. With easy internet connection, innovative devices, and products that helped our teams connect, I recognize that this is what allowed me to perform my work successfully. This very technology allowed me to stay in touch with my loved ones – I had Zoom parties with my friends that were in the city with me, which made me feel connected with them, even if I couldn’t see them in person. I used FaceTime to chat with my family in other states since seeing them over the holidays wasn’t a possibility. While it will never be the same as being in the same room as them, I recognize how this has been a huge game-changer for staying in touch and “seeing” everyone. Additionally, thanks to delivery services, I was able to order groceries, home necessities, and even meals straight to my door, which made my changes of contact even lower. I’m thankful that we have this kind of technology and innovation during this pandemic.

3. We all reassessed together

There is not one person in this world that has not been impacted by this pandemic in some way. There have been very few events or instances that have affected our world as a whole, and as terrible as this experience has been, it’s one that we can all experience together. It helped us reassess how we speak to one another, how we talk to one another, and how we consider others’ circumstances. I have friends and coworkers that have lost loved ones, others that have had to homeschool their kids while still working, and others that have slipped into depressions because of the intensity of living solo in combination with social distancing. As a result, we’ve all become hyper-aware of human impact – we’re giving back and supporting each other. We’re asking our friends and coworkers how they’re holding up. We’re expressing human gratitude a little more.

Any time I find myself slipping into negativity or complaints, I remind myself of the luck I have and my health. I check in with my loved ones, and I ask what I can do that can help. It’ll be some time before we reach recovery, so I suggest that we continue to come together as one, and reflect as often as we can.