The covid-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has triggered unprecedented global health measures.
Many countries have decreed quarantine in their territories, closure of airports, shops, companies. The effects on the economy have been enormous.
For the citizen, this translates not only into uncertainty, but also into confinement in their own homes.
This can be stressful for many, even more so for frequent and nomadic travelers.
In this article we share some thoughts on how positive it has brought to the coronavirus, as well as some tips on what to do while at home.
Reduction of pollution
The planet takes a breather
The drastic limitation of the circulation of air, sea and land vehicles, as well as the paralysis or reduction of the operation of many factories, has led in a few weeks to a global cleaning of the atmosphere.
All over the world, people comment on how bright the day and night skies are. From Venezuela, they tell us how the sky looks like a blue that is not usual in this era. Also, temperatures are cooler despite entering the hottest month.
Reports from China also comment on greater clarity of the skies.
In Venice the now clear waters of the canals allow you to see a large number of fish. For those of us who have been to Venice this is unusual.
We, since we lived in Montreal, had not seen such a large number of stars in the night sky. Quite a spectacle!
Decline of consumerism
The limitation on the purchase of non-essential products makes us think about what is really important when it comes to consuming.
With shops selling non-essential items closed, as well as limited circulation, many people are realizing that a lot of things they used to consume, they don’t really need them.
Many people are embracing minimalist philosophy and discovering the great truth in the motto “less is more”.
Awareness of better hygiene
Our mothers would always tell us “Wash your hands before you eat.” If we listened to them, it became a habit.
It is now a public health measure. The simple ceremony of washing hands properly has become the main defense against contagion.
Likewise, the greater awareness of personal hygiene in general, leads us to practice hygienic actions forgotten or never done conscientiously. This translates into greater overall well-being, greater health.
Healthier diet
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Valued health professionals
The general public is now becoming aware of the invaluable work done by doctors, nurses, nutritionists, psychologists, kinesiologists, physical trainers and all health professionals.
Even though their activity is vital, we feel that in many places they are undervalued. Now people are flocking to them for answers.
Many doctors and other health professionals have posted posts, videos… Even free consultations for the general public about how to deal with the virus and its consequences.
Solidarity
Crises bring out the best and the worst in people. As for the best, we are now more likely to think of the other. We are developing a greater social awareness and in the fact that we are all interrelated, connected.
As the elderly are more vulnerable, we see how neighbors help their older neighbors by shopping for groceries.
Our global consciousness is now stronger as well. We will no longer see “what happens in China” as something divorced from our daily lives.
We get closer
As physical contact is limited, we value contact with other people much more.
Latinos or raised under the Latino culture, we are very prone to physical contact. Now we miss that closeness, especially with family and friends who don’t live with us.
In both Latin and non-Latino countries, we see how people seek to contact family or friends with whom in many cases they have not been in communication for a while.
For us, the strengthening of family ties and friendship is one of the great lessons of these times.
Rise of remote work
The obligation to stay at home and, at the same time, to produce, has triggered an even greater boom in remote work. Those who worked in offices now do so from home.
And those who already worked remotely, now live a boom in their activities, through the organization of events, online seminars.
You don’t want to leave out networking,so now it’s done by “virtual meetings”. On the other hand many have developed their creative capacity to transmit their knowledge through social networks
Many take advantage of this situation to increase and further retain their audiences.
More awareness of our connection to the Earth
By knowing exotic and very different places and cultures, we had already been internalizing that intimate connection between man and the Earth.
But by witnessing how a humble, simple virus has put humanity on guard and crippled most of the economy, it has given us a first-hand lesson in how our behavior can have a decisive impact on the planet.
The viruses were certainly not man-made. But in our arrogance, we believe ourselves above the natural order. And it seems that the planet has drawn our attention to our place in the world.
Time to train and learn
With all the time you’ll spend at home, you’ll now be able to have free time to train by taking the wealth of free courses and resources that are now available online.
Learn what you always wanted to do and what you need to learn.
Already the old excuse of “lack of time” has become the last of your excuses.
A course that as travelers we would recommend is the English. English is “linga franca“, as Latin once was.
You would be surprised to know how many people only travel to Spanish-speaking countries for fear of having to defend themselves in a language they do not know.
There are free and useful resources such as Duolingo or Babel where you can study this language (and many others!) in a methodical and self-taught way.
If you already know English, why not learn the rudiments of the language of the country you plan to visit in the future?
Why not learn some Russian, Thai, Polish…? It’s great for immersing yourself in the culture of a country.
You can start by learning the most useful phrases when traveling. They will serve you to ask for directions, advice and the people of those countries will value your effort to learn their language.
Space to plan your next trip
You can plan your next trip. If you’re traveling on your own and not with an agency, one of the challenges is having enough time to do thorough research on your destination.
Now you can investigate and plan quite calmly and go designing “the trip of your dreams”
You can google pages such as https://www.likealocalguide.com,where you will find forums with locals who will guide you on your next visit to their country.
Conclusions
These are challenging and changing times.
There have been countless pandemics throughout history. What is different about this one is that we have never seen such a collective effort, such a union of the world in a single end for the public good.
Let us stop looking for culprits or wondering why this has happened, and let us start thinking about what we can learn from it all. We all have a lot to reflect on and strive for. Humanity is already indebted to nature and that is taking its toll on us, at a high price.
He knows no race or ideology It makes us think that we are all equal, there is no discrimination So in our view, this virus has become a great teacher.
It has forced us to pour into ourselves. Looking for answers internally when before we were looking for them outside.
In a few weeks, even the natural world looks different because of the collective actions humanity has taken.
These events are a strong but necessary pause to give us a better perspective on our place in the world.
It is up to us whether these transformations have been for the better, both in our relationship with the planet and with our own being.
Tell us what positive changes you’ve seen in your city?
What new habits have you acquired or intend to incorporate into your daily life?
Have you had any internal or reflecting changes?
