Posted On November 26, 2020 By In Lifestyle

How the Pandemic Inspires Us to Focus on Our Health

 
 

There are so many different factors that determine how we’ll lead our lives and what kind of precautions we’ll take to stay healthy and safe. In normal circumstances, we often take our wellbeing for granted, and so many different perks of modern living, such as going out to restaurants, concerts, or visiting our families abroad. As soon as the pandemic has started changing the dynamics of how we live, work, and socialize, we’ve realized certain simple truths about our own decisions and choices.

Suddenly, a simple act of washing hands is main news on prime-time television and articles are published to explain to people why basic hygiene is the best weapon against the pandemic. Our social media newsfeeds are overflooded with news about the potential vaccines and health-boosting tips, and we get a glimpse into how medical workers fight the pandemic, only to jeopardize their own health. 

In such dire circumstances, the pandemic has become a lesson for the long haul. It’s teaching us on the importance of our health, and it inspires us to go that extra mile every day, and it does that in so many different ways.

Mental health awareness

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The focus has initially been mostly on increasing patient hospitalization and the growing numbers of people getting sick. As months have been passing by, the world has also observed that our mental health is plummeting as a result of all the stress, the lack of socialization, and the practical implications of the pandemic. 

Perhaps we’ve had mental health awareness month so far, but in the future, we may look back on 2020 as the year of mental health awareness, and not just of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people struggling with anxiety, depression, burnout, and various other mental health disorders has led to our greater appreciation of the simplest pleasures in life, as well as relaxation techniques that we turn to in the greatest need.

The spotlight on healthcare workers

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Now that our access to basic healthcare and medical assistance is severely reduced due to the pandemic, we finally realize just how crucial medical professionals are for the functioning of any society and for our own wellbeing. In addition to appreciating their selfless dedication and service, we have a glimpse into their lives and the sacrifices they make every day to keep everyone safe and well. 

Since the need for certified emergency care staff with advanced cardiac life support training is growing, we also know what that means for them, whose work overtime due to the rising numbers of those infected. In addition to working so hard, more nurses are taking up online ACLS courses to obtain the needed knowledge for the growing number of patients in their care. They go above and beyond every day, and we are finally beginning to understand what that means for our own health and the entire society. 

Basic hygiene as our main defense

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The guided videos and infographics showing that we should wash our hands for no shorter than 20 seconds have flooded the internet. However, how many people do you know that actually count those seconds, or that they’ve done that prior to the pandemic? Also, many people don’t wash their hands correctly, failing to cover all those nooks and crannies essential for health and hygiene. 

Ever since we’ve started realizing just how such an essential habit can impact our health, more people have become mindful of the time and the manner in which they wash their hands. Now we understand the process we’ve seen so many times on shows and in movies, when a surgeon washes their hands so vigorously and for a long time – in fact, we pay more attention to how others behave with their hygiene, too. 

Motivation for working out

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Despite the closing down of fitness centers and gyms and the ban on social gatherings, the workout culture in the world seems to have blossomed in the past few months. Thanks to the pandemic, people are motivated to train harder and stay true to their fitness goals, since they are now closely linked to their mental wellbeing and they are vital to staying resilient.

Even though people are working from home and their social interactions are limited, more people are turning to guided home workouts and exercise playlists to ensure their immune systems are stronger. The news of a British doctor running 22 miles with a mask to prove that it doesn’t affect your health has also inspired people to take their workouts outside, with the right precautions in mind. 

Refining nutrition 

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Suddenly, people are becoming more interested in learning how zinc boosts immunity or how they can consume more vitamin C in their diet. The importance of a strong immune system is something we often neglect in favor of fast food and takeout menus, simply because of the convenience of it all. Now that our health is at stake and there’s a risk of developing a viral infection followed by severe pneumonia, we recognize the importance of prevention through nutrition.

During the pandemic, more people have also turned to supplementation to make sure they are consuming enough of different minerals and vitamins essential for health. However, hopefully, we’ll look to our plates and try to eat wholesome meals more often in order to ensure greater resilience.

Yes, all of these lessons could have come in their own due time without the COVID-19 pandemic. With the situation as it is, we can only make the most of it and try our best to flatten the curve, slow the spread of the virus, and above all, invest in our wellbeing. Hopefully, this trend will last well after the pandemic ends, so that this becomes a lesson to embrace for the duration of our lives. 

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Sophia Smith is beauty and lifestyle blogger, graphic designer and a food enthusiast. She is very passionate about eco-friendly and green topics, sustainable fashion, eco beauty, and conscious business. Sophia's other hobbies centre around her love for yoga, wellness rituals and living in balance with nature. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic beauty products and sustainability to self-care and mental health.