Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through America, shutting down schools, restaurants, malls and most public places. As the virus spread, people had to adapt to “pandemic life” categorized by working from home, masks and social distancing.
We are aware that this was a time of high anxiety, a time of loss and a time of grief for many. If you ask students now, many want to forget the age of COVID, however, looking back at our personal experiences five years later, it is important to reflect and learn from our time living the “pandemic life.”
Amidst the chaos, the average person spent their day-to-day life with more free time than ever before. As a result, their boredom forced them into exploring new hobbies, activities and projects. As joining Zoom calls replaced walking to class, and after-school sports were shut down, it became increasingly harder to find opportunities to move one’s body. To keep health in check, exercise became a go-to way to spend time in 2020.
Whether it was socially-distanced bike rides with friends, treadmill runs or lifting free weights from the comfort of their home, exercise became a pandemic staple. Senior Drew Pravlik said, “During COVID I found my love for weightlifting and working out. I found it very therapeutic during a time where everyone was stressed and bored staying at home. My love for working out has stayed with me today and continues to bring me enjoyment.”
Living in an uncomfortable, isolated environment, people sought ways to alleviate their anxiety. For many, this came in the form of a furry friend; nearly one in five American households adopted a pet during the pandemic, according to washingtonpost.com. Additionally, many found television shows to be an ideal stress reliever. Shows like Outer Banks, All-American, Ted Lasso and Tiger King helped fill the time and serve as conversation topics with friends and family (over Facetime, of course).
When they weren’t exercising or watching a show, creative sides blossomed as some people undertook new skills and projects. For some, knitting, sewing and stitching became a new hobby and creative outlet. Senior Phoebe Shapiro said, “During quarantine my love for [sewing] grew. With all the free time, I figured out that going into a job with sewing and fashion could be something I could actually do.”
Unfortunately, not everyone is like Shapiro and Pravlik. Many people have since lost their creativity and aspirations to try something new. Reflecting on our experience with the pandemic, we realize that these were the things that got us through. But why?
It’s because we weren’t afraid to do the things we wanted to do; we had time on our hands. We learned new things that we love and the importance of quality time with loved ones. But as people have moved back to normalcy, many have let their school and work prevent them from continuing such activities beyond the pandemic. We know that everybody wants to forget the pandemic, but it is important that we make time to do the things that we love with the people we love, and explore new activities whenever possible, just like we did in 2020.
It is important to remember that each interaction was a gift. A hug during that time was far from simple; it meant so much more. Treat every hug, every new experience and every face-to-face conversation like a gift, just as we did five years ago.