By Shannon Anderson, author of  Y Is for Yet: A Growth Mindset Alphabet

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” —Duke Ellington

To say the spread of Covid-19 and the resulting consequences caused problems would be an understatement. From health scares to educational woes to financial disasters, the past year has been extremely challenging.

Amidst all of the terrible tragedies, however, this experience has also had some effects that offer hope and happiness. Here is a peek on the bright side of living in a pandemic and making adjustments that have positive outcomes.

A Cause for Pause

In a world where many people were so busy they were dizzy, the shut-down of businesses and events caused everyone to pause. Lots of people have had a chance to catch their breath and get their heads “above water” now that they aren’t hustling and bustling about to keep up.

Forced Family Time

The orders to stay home forced families to do just that. Less time traveling and going to events means more time eating meals together, playing board games, and communicating. Families have had more time to connect.

Creativity Comeback

When you have more time and an uncluttered mind, sometimes your creative juices start to bubble. From more music and art creation to more video production and writing, people have found ways to express themselves and entertain others more than before.

Innovation by Design

We have had to learn to be problem-solvers during these unprecedented times. From figuring out how to turn distilleries into hand-sanitizer factories to turning material into millions of masks, people are getting innovative with solutions to the current challenges.

Technological Advances

There is no doubt that technology programming had to be developed and adopted at warp speed over the last year. People are not only discovering ways to improve technology as a means to communicate, conduct business, and educate, but are also more willing to learn how to use it, out of necessity.

Essential Worker Appreciation

With many sports arenas and theaters closed, the new people on center stage got some deserved recognition. From those working at grocery stores to medical professionals, people taking on risks to help others with their basic needs are getting much more appreciation.

Social and Emotional Health Focus

A direct result of trauma is mental stress. Many people who are not living with family are suffering from loneliness; so many people have lost loved ones and jobs. An awareness of so much suffering has caused a push for more self-care and help for the hurting. There has been more emphasis on mindfulness, meditation, and counseling. It’s becoming readily available for those who need it.

School Is Cool

Parents and kids realized more than ever how much they valued the opportunity to go to school. Kids learning online are looking forward to going back to school and parents trying to teach from home are seeing how much teachers do on a daily basis. Although this has been a challenge for teachers, they are being heralded as heroes.

Celebrating Safely

Another way people have had to get creative and innovative is in how they celebrate special events. From birthdays to graduations, to weddings, these parties have had to take new forms. Thanks to live-streaming, in some cases, more people than ever are able to witness these special occasions.

Compassion and Kindness

Part of what makes us human is our capacity to love others and assume moral responsibilities. Caring for those at the highest risk of contracting Covid-19 is a priority. Special shopping hours, delivery services, and acts of kindness abound for these people who cannot get out in the crowds. Prioritizing these people for vaccinations wasn’t even a second thought.

Although living in a pandemic sure isn’t what anyone would wish for, it has brought some unexpected goodness into this world. Through all of the frustrations and disappointments, there was and still is happiness and hope. Many things that were taken for granted before are now cherished just a little bit more. When our “normal” lives were interrupted, it caused us to remember what actually is most important–our health and our loved ones.

Shannon Anderson has taught for 25 years, from first grade through college level. Her career highlight was being named one of the Top 10 Teachers who inspired the Today Show. Shannon is also the author of many children’s books and a national speaker. She was named the JC Runyon Person of the Year for her work helping kids with social and emotional issues through her writing and speaking. To find out more, you can visit: shannoisteaching.com.

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