The year 2020 was for many people a disaster. Many people lost their income and a large part of the year restaurants and cafes could not open their doors to the public. Kids changed to home schooling and university students had no choice than to study online. You could not travel unless it was essential. Several countries closed their borders, and many citizens were on waiting lists to return to their home country.
We stopped hugging and kissing, started wearing masks and dozens of people got ill. For some having Covid was a breeze while others are still fighting the aftereffects. The year 2020 – a year that many wish to forget and instead set our hopes for future years to come.
The year 2021 was not proving to be much better. Where I live, we were still wearing masks and cafes and restaurants seemed to be eternally shut. Non-essential shops closed, re-opened and were forced to close again. Certain parts of big shops were a no-go area.
The year 2020 seemed to go on……
We thought the pandemic was more or less over, but the little corona critter is a champion at mutating. More contagious corona strains were waiting to spread as soon as borders loosened their restrictions. Some countries kept their borders closed but in Europe it seemed that travel, albeit under certain conditions started to become easier.
It was understandable as for instance South European countries were close to bankrupt. They needed tourist income, and the hospitality industry all over needed a huge boost. Certain age groups have been vaccinated while others were still waiting. Test labs were churning out the PCR test results as many countries required that as a condition of entry.
The fact that travel would be easier was an attractive thing but also very worrying. The next mutation of the virus was only one flight away from entering Europe.
It must be very hard to be a leader nowadays because whatever they decided to do, it could be the wrong decision. The bottom line is that many people had had enough and were ignoring the restrictive rules more and more. Yet the danger of corona spreading further is not a thing of the past.
It is also interesting to see how Europa suddenly has become a continent with individual countries again. Every country seems to have different rules and criteria. Restaurants were open in one country while others are still in lockdown. In France, even in 2022, you still have to wear a mask when entering medical practices and hospitals.
How to adapt your lifestyle
Despite all what happened in the year 2020 and seemed to continue to some degree in the years after, you had the option to make the most of it. When you couldn’t sit on a terrace, you could always have a picnic outside instead. If there was a curfew, you could do things during the day. When the travel limit was 10 km, you could find a nice hike within that distance.
There is something to say about seeing the positive sight whether you agree or not…..
During 2020, we all learned to adapt and to live under different conditions even if we did not like it. Although many people managed to handle this forced lifestyle relatively adequately there are countless of people who suffered. Especially the elderly, but also young people and students who feel they have lost a few years of their lives. I also know of a few people whose relationships started showing cracks during lockdown.
In fact with a bit of imagination and following the rules, we even managed to fit in a few housesits!
Yet in the big scheme of things, the covid pandemic is by many seen as a thing of the past. However the little critter is still out there and only time will tell what is the impact…
Let me know your thoughts, insights and hunches.
Love
Marijke
So true, Marijke, we must frame our thoughts in a positive way, focusing on what we can do, not what we can’t do! This is the only way to find inner peace.
You hit the nail right on its head and yet many people seem find it hard to do this!
I think change is always hard…we get into a routine and when we are told we can’t do something, it’s a hardship. Yet finding the good in everything is truly much better for us.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
We got and maybe still get some good lessons during the pandemic. Thank you for your comment, Jodie.
It does indeed feel like 2020 is dragging on! Great post Marijke, the message I’m taking is that we are not going back to normal soon, we have to build our resilience, practice gratitude and, even though it’s incredibly annoying, keep being COVID safe.
Thank you Yasmin! To be honest I hope we are not going back to normal. I honestly feel that the pandemic is nature talking to us and that we need to make changes to how we treat our world.
Great article! It’s been so important to remain flexible and creative during all of this.
You are right. I feel so blessed to be able to have the right mindset to deal with the consequences of the pandemic.
It’s so frightening-what we’ve gone through and what could be next, but we have to try and remain positive. I was blessed that we all remained healthy and two of my children even came home for extended periods. We never would have had this time with them so for me it was a wonderful treat. Honestly, some of the changes made during this time should remain in effect -we need to be cautious both with our world and with one another.
It must have been nice and also hard to have your kids at home. I agree with you that certain changes would be for the best if permanently.
2020 has definitely adjusted my priorities but it also gave me a new appreciation of what I hold so dearly in my life.
Finding the silver lining in 2020 was what I thought about every day.
That is so true and it was the same for me. It made us realise how to be happy with and make the most out of what we did have or could do. It was a year of reflection and seeing the positive. I like the silver lining!