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Lessons Learned During COVID-19
Without a doubt, adapting to this new Covid environment has been a struggle for many
people over the past few months. Learning new ways of learning and not being able to interact
with friends and family has had a huge impact on our overall well-being. Having to adjust to this
new lifestyle has been very difficult. This new routine has left many people feeling down and
isolated. Although, we are living through history right now, future generations of children will
learn about this from us. How we chose to think about it, is up to us.
Personally, I tend to be an optimistic person. I will not view this pandemic time as a negative
time in our history. Yes, we have all been isolated and unable to speak face to face with friends
and family. This, no doubt, has been difficult. However, looking back on this time, I will
remember it as the time I tried new things. For example, I learned how to sew, and I spent some
of my time sewing skirts! I was also able to take some existing outfits (that I had not worn in a
while) and modify them with my newly learned sewing skills. This was not something that I
would have done if quarantine didn’t happen. I really enjoyed doing this, I gained some new
wardrobe items and I learned that I am a very creative person.
Like most people, I have also spent time with my family. In some of our down time I was able
to do new and familiar childhood things with them. For example, we played board games and
watched movies together. We also went for long walks with our dog. Having this time with my
family has made me appreciate them even more. I recognize that not everyone has this. This
made me reflect on my relationships with my family members and I realized how strong our
relationships are. I am grateful that I get along so well with my brothers and I was able to help
around the house: I learned how to cook, do my own laundry and clean! I am recognizing that I
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prefer to bake over cooking and I have found this too is very relaxing. Spending this time with
my family and learning new skills around the house has made me realize how grateful I am for
what I have.
Seeing my friends face to face was not an option, so we zoom called all the time! We were
able to set aside time each week where we all came on line at the same time to watch TV or to do
our homework together. For my highschool studies, I have been able to embrace the online
learning that Covid has created. I have actually enjoyed working at my own pace and completing
tests and assignments in this new world. I realize that I can stay organized and on top of my
homework and creating weekly to do lists has helped me. Having to socialize and do school
work online was a challenge for me at first, but I adjusted to it after some time. This made me
reflect on my school as a priority and I understood that in order to do well in my grade 11 year I
would have to modify my learning to be more independent and organized. If I do not
understand, I needed to ask questions to my teacher or reach out to my friends. In return, I was
able to help my friends to learn as well as we connected online.
Aside from trying new things, I also learned a lot about myself through this pandemic. I
learned that I don’t need to be in the company of my peers to feel joy. I found joy by doing
things on my own! I realized that before Covid, I was relying on other people to make me happy,
and after these months I have become much more independent. I learned that it was good to
spend time with family, and that keeping healthy relationships is very important. I learned about
the importance of maintaining physical health. I began to workout almost every day and eat
healthier which made me feel much better about myself.
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These past few months have been a rollercoaster! The future is inevitable, and there is no
information on when this pandemic will be over. We must continue to keep a positive attitude! I
wished to make an inspirational video to reflect back on this time. I choose to positively
remember COVID 2020 and what I learned during the pandemic. Perhaps I can share the video
with my friends. Perhaps, one day, I will share it with my children or grandchildren. Mostly, to
remind myself of what this pandemic time has meant to me and what we can do to keep going
and do what makes us happy. Whether this be through learning something new, reading,
drawing, writing, going for walks, or being with family, do everything you can to keep a positive
mindset! Stay strong, we will get through this!