Crisis has a way of stripping back what doesn’t matter and revealing to us what does. Yes, we need to mourn our losses but we also have to learn how to live in this new reality. We all have options for how we choose to react: We can either be angry about what we’ve lost, or we can appreciate what we have more deeply.
This crisis forces us to see our lives from a different perspective. If we use this situation to look at how we spend our time, reassess our consumption habits and how we choose to live and work, it can be a valuable lesson in what we can do without - and what we gain.
This time has also freed many of us to spend a portion of our days the way we’d like to. Not always, and not for everyone (many of us are working more than we would otherwise, plus having to homeschool our kids). But removing the driving, the traffic, the time devoted to social events and going to the gym — most of us do have more time, and more choice with how we fill it.
My silver linings are enjoying more family togetherness, and seeing nature’s rebound. My husband works long hours and frequently travels for his job. While he is still working unbelievably long hours, at least we are able to enjoy more meals together as a family and time in the evenings as a couple.
And I noticed the other week how clear the sky looked. Later that day, I learned it was not just my perception but that the decreased travel is having a positive effect on air quality. The news is filled with positive stories about the natural world emerging into the areas humans have vacated. Perhaps, we will begin to find some clarity in the slower rhythm of less hectic schedules, and reconnect with the world around us.
I wonder if, at the end of this, will we see a permanent shift in how we spend our time?
Will we make different choices with how we consume?
Will we work, buy, and live life in a simpler, more streamlined way?
Whatever the outcome, I hope we all cherish this time with our loved ones and find ways to not just survive, but thrive.