Dear network, this article is to explain about my journey during this pandemic and hope this will allow you to look at the positive side of 2020!
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in the span of a year. It soon became a global health disaster, then a social and an economic crisis “mostly for SMEs”, beginning with what looked like a normal public health problem in a specific place. Most of the people around the world went through tough times during this period, and certain number of businesses went through bankruptcy. Universities around the world are feeling the impact from the absence of International Students and had to adapt to online classes. Conferences will be paused, and international collaborations and sabbaticals now look very different to previous years. So many of us shifted to working from home to minimize travelling on public transport and gathering in groups at the office. Zoom meetings even became our new normal. For the last 8 months I have even on board new clients that I never met face to face and people are getting consulted with new ways of performing business. ‘I would never had considered this before!
How my life was during pandemic?
There are many things that I have experienced and gained in light of the pandemic. First off, I would say that there has been a great improvement in my business efficiency by saving so much time as I don’t need to travel, do face to face meeting as everything can be done online which is really surprising for most of the businesses. In this, I would say that we should never give up on anything easily, always be open to changes and always look for self- development if you really want to achieve something.
The environment: this pandemic helped the environment to bounce back. As you can notice, there has been a vital environmental change, for instance, there is a drastic decrease of sewage and industrial effluents in river. Apart from that, the noise pollution level at most places has reduced up to 70%. Wild life also gets a chance to reclaim their land! And nobody seems to realize this positive effect of what is seen as disaster.
Personal development: So what does personal development in the middle of a pandemic look like? And how do you think someone can get something worthwhile out of 2020? Well if you ask me, I would personally say that I have learned many things such as picking up new skills and also improved my well-being by practicing meditation, home workout, self-development readings.
Losing weight is a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gyms were closed for months and now have limited capacity. I have a very own friend of mine who lost 20kg with home workout and a good diet. He has been exercising three times a week and eating a healthier diet, throughout the pandemic which was a strong challenge.
So, no excuses! After all is up to you if you want to spend your time pm Netflix while eating popcorn!
Social media and pandemic.
Social distancing made us feel unconnected, but technology changed that. Social media such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter became a “must” to all Gen Z, mainly during this lockdown. Streaming services, connected televisions and mobile devices all recorded spikes during the pandemic. Indeed, technology companies such as Zoom, Google Meets, and also Microsoft Teams has hike up in the stock market. Did you notice the multitude of Dalgona coffee mentions throughout your socials during the past few days? Whether you're on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, Dalgona coffee is everywhere and there's a reason for that! It appears that, as news begin to spread to every corner of the globe, more and more people are adding Dalgona coffee to their lists of things to do while staying at home. Dalgona coffee became what it is today due to the need to find solutions to norms that are now affected by coronavirus such as the closing of dining establishments and the call to practice social distancing, which was a great thing.
On the other side, there are many sacrifices that I have made along the year 2020. Obviously a lot of people lost loved one. Not allowed to travel, I am not able to visit my family members in France and that was pretty sad as the only way I get to see them is through WhatsApp video calls. I would definitely agree as this is one of the best way on how to curb the virus that has been spreading all over the world. We should always be careful by avoiding crowded places and also always follow the SOP that has been given by the government in all countries. I would like to take this time to also convey my deep condolences to the death of Covid-19 victims.
In short, I would like to say that although this epidemic has impacted or even change most of our lives, I personally feel that 2020 was a positive year to me in the fact of me having a chance to improve my business, to have a good quality time for myself as well as my personal growth, being on call with my family members on a Christmas and even having a virtual dinner with them which was really something unusual yet a great thing to do!
Don’t look at the glass half empty but look at it half full!
“During the messy middle of COVID- 19 pandemic, we get to decide if we remain the same or we evolve!”