My Gratitude and Ingratitude for the Pandemic

Our lizard brains are hardwired to notice the negative because of our survival instincts. During the pandemic, many have struggled as we experience more worry for our personal health and the health of our loved ones. We know those who have lingering effects from COVID-19 and those who have passed away from it. Many argue what measures will truly slow the spread. After months of social distancing, many of us have reached our burnout point. Domestic violence, murders, joblessness, and suicides have increased around the world. Despite all the suffering and negativity, we need to engage our executive brain in positive thinking for our mental and physical health.

Thanksgiving time presented us with the opportunity to heal our spiritual wounds. For the week prior to Thanksgiving, I joined friends and family in the #GiveThanks challenge online. Many of us gave thanks for one another. Through this exercise, I reconnected with hometown friends on a Zoom call. This call lifted me because I felt the love of my friends despite the distance between us. Additionally, many of my friends and family enjoyed this experience because we grew closer together.

One friend reported that she slept through the night for the first time in years after the seven-day challenge. Research has shown similar benefits with the exercise of writing three good things before bed. These benefits include improved sleep, more happiness, less conflict at work, and better work/life balance. I have listed three good things in my journal off and on for the past four years. When I have been consistent with this, I have felt more at peace.

Last September, I listed several good things that helped me through the first six months of the pandemic. These good things continue to help me, despite my January burnout. I hope to reengage myself and others in an exercise of listing the good things.

Here are some of the positives from the past year:

1. We realize how meaningful physical affection and gathering together is. Thus, we look forward to when we have greater opportunities to gather.
2. We appreciate technology more. Technology has kept many working, connected, and learning.
3. Businesses and organizations recognize that more jobs can be done from home. Work from home options create greater flexibility for childcare and home locations. We have less pollution thanks to working from home.
4. We appreciate the efficiency of gathering at the workplace.
5. Many united in a worldwide fast to alleviate the effects of COVID-19.
6. We connect virtually more with those who live far away. For example, my siblings, parents, and I have weekly Zoom gatherings. My husband’s family does too.
7. We have serious discussions about the meaning of liberty.
8. We appreciate simplicity more.
9. Schooling has become more flexible with online options.
10. We recognize the need to be healthy.
11. We now express our creativity with masks.
12. We have created a vaccine in a record amount of time.
13. We appreciate our medical community.

Despite all these positive things, I do report one major bad thing: bats. I hate bats who spread their cold to humans. Bats need to practice social distancing and wear masks.

On a serious note, the year-long pandemic has been a trial for the entire world, yet it has brought growth too. Utahans sometimes share this idea that trials are a blessing. However, a group of women I associate with repurposed this idea: the growth from trials is a blessing. So in conclusion, I give thanks for our growth and increased resilience over the past year.

And curse you COVID-19.

How has the worldwide pandemic helped you grow? What negatives do you see that we can overcome?

This article has been adapted from my previously published article on Medium and my personal blog, Musings of a Crazy Redhead.