5 Positive Things You Can Take Away from Quarantine
Do you have to be busy all the time in order to be considered successful and productive?
Are Friday nights best spent in a movie theater?
Is weekly family dinner necessary for deeper connection with your children or spouse?
Or, does “staying busy” and over-functioning as a professional, parent, friend and/or partner actually lead to burnout and less-mindful living?
Are Friday nights really best spent around a bonfire in the backyard?
And, are family dinners with your favorite curb-side takeout quickly becoming a favorite weekly tradition?
Quarantine and the COVID-19 pandemic have radically changed lifestyles, impacted financial stability, challenged mental well-being and forced many out of their comfort zones. The past 3 months have been some of the hardest for the entire world. How could there possibly be any good that stems from this season?
Perhaps this is where the opportunity for a perspective shift exists. Despite COVID-19’s devastating impact on families and individuals everywhere, it’s important for us to take a look at the whole picture – all of the pieces that fit into this season’s puzzle. Where is the good? Is there anything to be gained?
We think there is, and here’s what it looks like:
1. Quarantine has given us the gift of slowing down.
Not having to hurry to the office in the morning while also shuffling kids off to school has created more free time; and spending Saturday afternoons at the park has reintroduced us to our appreciation for the simple beauty in our neighborhoods. With a less hurried lifestyle, we’ve started to navigate our days more mindfully.
2. We now understand that we are truly never alone.
As the entire world faces COVID-19 together, we’re reminded that we’re never alone in our suffering or pain – no matter how small. When we are experiencing grief, anxiety, depression, heartbreak or uncertainty, we can be comforted in the fact that there is always someone out there who understands. We are all human, and we are all susceptible to tough emotions.
3. More time spent at home has opened our eyes to our habits.
More time spent at home with ourselves, our partner and/or our families has highlighted some of our bad habits, poor ways of communicating and mindless tendencies. We have been forced to face these things and deal with them – beautiful challenges that will result in deeper connection with our children, more kindness, less selfishness and better partnership.
4. We’ve all taken a good, long look at our diets.
Do we need to keep Diet Coke around the house? Is takeout 4 times a week really necessary? Quarantine has challenged our eating habits and encouraged us to take a deeper look at our activity levels. More time indoors = more time to reflect on our consumption and daily movement. How have you noticed change?
5. We have a greater appreciation for our health.
What a privilege and gift to wake up feeling healthy and happy, right? Staying well and safe during this entire season has helped us greater appreciate overall well-being and our access to helpful wellness resources. Without our health, we are missing so much. May we all continue to feel grateful for our physical well-being after the pandemic.
We’d love if you shared your takeaways from quarantine with us. Comment below or email info@nesthealthconnections.com to be featured. Our hope is that this blog post can serve as a reminder about the beauty that exists in even the darkest circumstances.
Nest Health Connections
Nest Health Connections is a corporate wellness company revolutionizing health and happiness in the workplace. We create holistic customized wellness programs for employers and their employees.