As we go through the throes of Covid-19 and all the mess that it brings, it is easy to just focus on the dark days and the bumpy road that still lies ahead. We will be seeing more and more things that we have never before. We are in the middle of a historic event. It is really easy to fall into a heavy depression and only focus on the negatives… that being said, there are also some great positives that have emerged which can permanently change our daily lives for the better, if we let them. When the dust settles and we resume some sort of normalcy, these are some of them I hope we hold onto as a community.
1. Won't you be my neighbour? The good will and neighbourly acts towards each other have to be one of the best things to come out of this chaotic time. I see and hear of people checking in on their neighbours, friends, and family more often than prior to this Covid-19 mess. Buying from local mom and pop shops, picking up much needed groceries for an elderly neighbour, even sending an E-mail to make sure others are alright. This was not common before (but should have been) so hopefully the sense of compassion for one another remains.
2. W.F.H. (Work from home). It's a highly coveted job perk that many industries claimed was impossible or impractical. After the initial growing pains, it appears that a lot of industries CAN handle and even thrive with employees logging in from a home office. Hopefully this remains an option for both employees and empoyers, even if it's not full time. This will allow for people to have a better work/life balance, more time with family and friends, more time to work on their passion projects; which is when amazing things happen. New inventions, new ways of doing things, better ways of doing things. Hopefully working from home (even part time) remains for those that have the ability.
3. Less Traffic. Perhaps due to people working from home? It probably has at least a little something to do with it. Fewer cars on the road will in turn will create less pollution and make for a more pleasant journey to get from city to city. One my clients even reported making it from North Vancouver to Delta in 40mins. on a weekday. Hopefully with more people working from home fewer cars will be on the road.
4. Get Outside. People are getting outdoors and doing things (although not in groups right now ok?!) It's good to see people leaving the screens and couches behind for a bit and getting outside and enjoying our beautiful home. Hopefully, when Covid19 gets under control people will keep enjoying the outdoors because our license plates say "Beautiful British Columbia" for a reason!
5. Wash. Your. Hands. Super basic and really needs to keep happening. This sounds insane, but this has exposed how many people were not washing their hands properly, it at all. Which is nuts. I truly hope that washing hands remains!
There are many other small wins that are out there for us to enjoy after we survive this virus. (what are some of yours? Feel free to post below!), we need to keep pressing through and keep the eye on the glimmer at the end of the tunnel. Stay strong, help each other, and support one another.
We are all in this together.