Just recently, the worldwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached one million. Even leading nations are struggling to do everything in their power to fight the disease which has been unkind to many in the past few months, and for those behind, the struggle is even more frustrating. A heartbreaking number of families all around the world lose loved ones without saying goodbye.
In the gut-wrenching climate, with most countries having their toughest battles still ahead of them, finding ways to heal one’s spirit is a must to keep bodies and minds healthy amidst the chaos. And while the world will mourn the loss of innocent lives and opportunities taken from them before their time, it is important to remember that after rainfall comes rejuvenation.
With that being said, here are some possible positive outcomes of life after COVID-19 to think about if your spirit needs a warm pick-me-up.
To start, many could start appreciating each other more than ever before. As bonds of friendship and affection are tested in a time where physical contact is out of reach, human relationships often deepen and our attachment to a friend or soulmate develops into companionship etched in stone. While some relationships may ultimately burn out, the ones stronger will get even more so. Friends will meet again, sweethearts will reunite; and the world will live in ecstatic harmony, even if just for a while.
Companies could start to embrace and encourage work from home. A large number of those yet undecided or precautious about implementing the new method have presumably started to see its benefits already, as job performance remains the same or improves, even in a workspace far away from control and command. This could potentially start a domino effect of benefits improving the lives of everyone on the planet: fewer office buildings could ultimately mean less construction and more conservation of nature. Fewer employees confined to a specific place of work will lower the carbon footprint as traveling is no longer necessary. Not to mention, cutting back on travel time adds more minutes of healthy sleep which essentially leads to happier employees.
The ultimate priority of healthcare could finally be recognized. As nations failed to invest in dealing with unprecedented measures on the basis that such situations are unlikely to happen or reach their territories, 2020 is the year of the long-overdue wake-up call. With measures of quarantine and lockdown being enforced to ensure the safety of citizens, it is clear that businesses and other sources of revenue are suffering. Without people, there is no business, and without business, the economy is at risk. Then who do we put first and focus on with all of our capability? The answer is clear as day.
Our days will be valued more. If the times we are living in today can teach us something, it is that life is not imperishable. On some levels, the fact that our days are numbered is not a defense of woe and anxiety; the immediacy of life helps keep us on our feet. Dreams that have been locked away, opportunities that were abandoned, stories and memories left unwritten due to fear of missteps are bound to get revisited after all is said and done. Fears of negative reaction and failure could shift to the backseat of our minds.
And while most of these scenarios are bound to happen, they are still surrounded by a cosmic cloud of contingency. Until the exploration of such fantasies is possible, the battle goes on ― not just against the alarming pandemic, but the overpowering volume of echoes inside of us that turned such realities into distant visions in the first place.
Written by: Nagy Béla-Zsolt
