Are We Going to Come Out of This Pandemic Better or Worse?

I have some tools that will help us all to come out better.

The pandemic goes on and on. And on. It’s almost like a Minnesota winter. It’s too long. Isolation is too hard. I’ve read all the self help articles I can possibly read. I actually use the advice I find, but I need more if I’m going to make it.

There are at least five things that are helping me get through this and to come out of it okay, if not better for having been through it. Think of these as tools we can use every day. We don’t have to wait long to feel better.

1. Knowing History

I know many people are turned off by any mention of the word history. “It’s boring.” “It’s over.” Well, presented right, history is not boring. It can intrigue us and inspire us. It is full of fantastic stories. It can teach us how to deal with our own lives.

And someone else will remind us of the quote by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Maybe we should know about those bad parts of history so that we know when we see it starting to repeat. Maybe we should know about the good in our collective history, so that we work to have that good happening more often.

The twist on that quote is that those who don’t know the past don’t have any handle on dealing with the present. We have all heard people say, “2020 was the worst year!”

No. It wasn’t the worst year.

How about 1939 in Germany? 1942 in London? The list could go on and on, and if you know history, you could add to this short list.

2020 was just one year. 2021 is just one year. As part of our collective history, it will be remembered. But worse has happened. Others have lived through much, much worse.

And others are living through much worse right now. As I struggle with isolation, I know others are struggling to feed their children.

2. Gratitude

If you work at being grateful (and it’s not hard) you get hooked on it. Most gratitude advice tells us to list three things we are grateful for every day. That works.

If I would spend time on a real list of what I am grateful for, it would start with “I opened my eyes” and continue through my day with more than a thousand examples, including:

I have water to make coffee.

I have coffee.

I have a banana.

I have my friend.

I have a place to walk.

I can walk.

I can smell the coffee.

I just got a hug.

The trash gets picked up on Friday.

When you start being grateful, and really thinking about it, then you get it. You get the feeling that comes with gratitude. That feeling is hard to describe, but it is definite. It happens. It will happen to you. It can help you through an hour or a day or a pandemic.

3. Accomplishment

Some people are using the pandemic to write a book, or run a company, or learn a new language.

Some of us struggle to get dressed every day. That might be the best we can do today, and it IS an accomplishment.

Pay attention to what you do and you will notice that you are accomplishing something every day, even if it is just getting through the day.

If you want to feel the ‘accomplishment’ high, just try to notice what you do. Sometimes that is enough. Other times you can go a few steps farther.

Some days you can push yourself and other days you need to leave yourself alone.

Breathe deeply and often, so that you know what you are doing and what you are not doing. Better choices come with more oxygen and better nutrition.

My five accomplishments today: I am writing. I called my aunt to cheer her up. I made coffee. I went for a walk. I am grateful that I’m able to do what I did.

4. Helping

Helping is a big accomplishment and will get us all on a more even keel. That means we will benefit from helping. This is another thing, like gratitude, that has a personal reward that you don’t “get” until you get it.

As with accomplishments, helping can be big or little. When you do it, you get the feeling from whatever you do.

Big help: send $1000 to a charity, volunteer every day, be a caregiver, or help clean a neighbor’s apartment.

Big help: donate groceries, teach a five year old about germs or share your coffee.

Re-imagine your helping to be reverse: When you need cheering up, cheer someone else up. When you need someone to talk to, listen to a friend who needs someone to talk to.

5. Planning

This is one strategy I’m just starting to try.

We have all missed out on some things during the pandemic. These are big and little disappointments and actual losses. From important events, like weddings and funerals, to daily routines that have been changed or eliminated, many things have been lost.

To counteract the feelings of loss, I’m starting to plan. We don’t know exactly when some things are going to be possible, but that’s not stopping me from planning them. And planning them big.

I’m going to celebrate the important birthdays we had to miss. My son and daughter-in-law each turned 50 on their missed birthdays. I turned 75 on my missed birthday. The plan is to celebrate big time when we can: lots of good food, gifts, music and decorations. Tons of decorations.

I’m planning to take trips when it’s safe. Not big trips, but the small day trips that I like. I have several places in mind.

It’s spring, so I’m doing the usual planning of what I can do when the weather permits. I will go hiking. I will be gardening. I will be seeing friends. I will be starting new routines.

I’m even planning for the setbacks that may be ahead and how I might handle those setbacks if they happen.

Planning can be practical or fanciful. Make it up. It’s a plan, not a commitment. You can even plan to keep doing some of the things you liked about the pandemic restrictions. Whatever. Have some fun with it.

Be Ready

Be ready for any setbacks and be ready to come out of this present situation and celebrate.

I will be ready, because I know history — my own and some of the world. I will be ready because I will be grateful and I will remember some of my accomplishments and the helping that I did and that I received.