30 Ways the Pandemic Has Changed Us for the Better

Sickness, death, unemployment, economic recession, financial meltdown, and the difficulty to get a good cup of coffee. There are undeniably some terrible things that the coronavirus has brought with it. But there are a bunch of positive things as well for which the pandemic is responsible, and it’s important that we be aware of them as we move forward to a post-CV world.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the ways that the pandemic has changed us, and for the better.

1. We’ve been reminded of what is and what isn’t important.
2. We’ve learned that we don’t need as much stuff as we thought.
3. We’ve remembered that there’s no place like home.
4. We’ve deepened our ties with loved ones.
5. We’ve gotten a lot better at the technological tools we have at our disposal.
6. We’ve saved a lot of money on gas and subway fares.
7. We’ve avoided traffic jams.
8. We’ve reduced our carbon footprint.
9. We’ve lowered the crime rate.
10. We’ve walked and biked around the neighborhood and met (or at least saw) some people we had no idea lived near us.
11. We’ve been shown that the planet is a single, indelibly intertwined community.
12. We’ve celebrated the gift of good health.
13. We’ve reconnected with people we’ve hardly even thought about in years.
14. We’ve realized that we can do a lot more from home than we ever thought possible.
15. We’ve concluded that we should be better prepared for future crises.
16. We’ve watched a lot of really good TV and read some great books.
17. We’ve gotten a lot of work done, having little else to do.
18. We’ve cleaned up the house, finally.
19. We’ve had long, deep conversations that we never seemed to have time for.
20. We’ve reconsidered our priorities in life.
21. We’ve gained a new appreciation for the simple ability to be with other people.
22. We’ve come to understand the preciousness of the freedoms that we normally enjoy.
23. We’ve called a much-need time-out to our get-as-much-work-done-in-as-little-time-as-possible lifestyle.
24. We’ve not had to endure the dehumanizing experience that is airplane travel.
25. We’ve found that missing jigsaw puzzle piece that went missing sometime during the Clinton administration.
26. We’ve acknowledged that toilet paper is without question our most essential service.
27. We’ve suspended our obsession with the upcoming presidential election.
28. We’ve become a lot more mindful.
29. We’ve rediscovered the wonder that is homemade oatmeal cookies.
30. We’ve recognized that the world can exist without professional sports.