People around the world have had to adapt to a new entity over the past several months. Things that we took for granted were rendered scarce to come by – going on vacations, meeting friends and families for get-togethers, and even children have been cooped up indoors for a long time. It was difficult to adapt at first, wearing masks and using sanitizers, plus social distancing; all these seemed to invade our structured lives. But there was no other way than to adapt, to prevent the spread of the disease, and to embrace the changes.
Millions were also under strict lockdown, unable to venture out, unless absolutely necessary. The sudden, drastic changes affected many, but slowly we have evolved and devised methods to help sustain a life indoors. Here we talk about a few significant changes that portray how we’ve dealt with staying indoors and how these changes have helped maintain some amount of normalcy in our lives during this period.
People from different age groups have been affected differently and have embraced various strategies.
Very young and school-going children have missed out on mingling with kids of the same age, going to school, and the general social interaction. This kind of interaction with other kids and people has a huge impact on building a child’s social skills. Slightly older children have missed a year out of having practical experience in schools and colleges, which play an important role in their decision making and ability to face situations. Studying in a classroom has its own advantages, and very young kids who would have otherwise joined school had to miss out on it. Moreover, when children are allowed to thrive in the outdoors, they do develop better immunity as well.
Kids can be easily taught to embrace the changes and they respond to them very well. With their education in mind, schools and nurseries all over the world have resorted to online learning. Teachers have had to rework their teaching methods and try to engage children through the screens. They are tough tasks, but with help from parents and guardians, the academics aspect has been taken care of to an extent.
Coming to the social aspect, events like annual day functions and sports events have had to take a backseat, and events that can be conducted indoors have been tried to make children understand the importance of competition, creativity, and sportsmanship.
Adults, on the other hand, have dealt with other problems like using virtual platforms to work and socializing.
How has the pandemic changed adult lives?
- We value family time a lot more than before and look forward to spending time with family, away from work and deadlines. We are more connected to those at home, and we’re more concerned about those we can’t meet. Due to the travel restrictions and being careful around vulnerable family members, those long phone calls have changed to video calls. Technology has really become a savior in keeping the world connected during these difficult times.
- We have resorted to taking better care of health and immunity. The pandemic has taught us that health is of utmost importance and more people are choosing to adopt healthier lifestyles by watching diet and exercising. People are more aware of being healthy and the negative implications of getting sick. Also, the important role of healthcare and wellness has been brought into the limelight. Companies and employers are concerned about the health of their employees, and several companies have drawn up wellness programs to cater to these needs. This has introduced a better work culture and encouraged immense changes in how we perceive health as a whole. People are searching for ways to boost immunity as well
- Our personal wellbeing has taken a front seat. Here, mental health and time to pursue activities outside of work takes importance. Right from cooking to learning a new language or instrument, self-care occupies a relevant space in people’s lives. The importance of taking a break, or writing down thoughts into a journal are some other forms of self-care that are being practiced during this new normal period.
The current situation may not be favorable for many and almost everyone around the globe has had to change from their routine. We can definitely say that there have been a few positives about this pandemic and it has taught us to embrace the changes and make different activities a part of normalcy. How long these changes would remain, only time will tell.
