Silver Linings – 6 Surprisingly Good Effects to Come out of the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a bit of a bummer, to put it mildly. There have been shortages of medical supplies, travel disruption, isolation, civil unrest, and don’t even get us started on the toilet roll stockpiling. 

However, as you can expect with any impactful event, there have also been silver linings to this horrendous couple of years we have all been through together. It’s nice to think about those things if you’re feeling a bit low about it all, so sit down, relax and ponder over six of those pandemic silver linings: 

• A Global Health Kick

Across the globe, people have reported feeling more motivated this year to get healthier as a result of the pandemic. People are quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, moving more, losing weight, and eating better. Though we may all be taking up these self-improvement projects individually, it’s nice to know that we’re not alone. All throughout the world, others are on the same journey. 

• Medical & Scientific Breakthroughs

A huge effort to help control the pandemic came about as the global scientific community came together. This effort resulted in vaccines being developed and tested faster than they ever have been, using a huge amount of incredible approaches to vaccinating against the virus. As it stands, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines offer 95% efficacy at preventing Covid-19, which is a huge achievement to have been made so quickly after a pandemic is declared. 

• Relationships Improved

A third of Americans said that their relationships with spouses, children, and other family members improved as a result of the pandemic. This was attributed to video calls with loved ones, appreciating close family overall, and being able to skip the commute to work. These factors gave people more quality time to spend with loved ones than before, even if that shared time was at a distance. 

• Communities Grew Closer

Across the world, everybody has had to come together throughout this pandemic. Whether that is providing support to a neighbor with grocery collection, or cheering up a child in isolation with fancy dress performances outside their window, there are numerous heartwarming stories of communities growing closer throughout the pandemic. In a disconnected world where 33% of adults feel lonely (globally), it’s been nice to know that when push comes to shove, we are all in this together. 

• Quality Of Life Became A Top Priority Again

In the UK, many of the house moves that have occurred in the last year have been because quality of life is a top priority again. People either want to live closer to loved ones or in an area they love. Globally, many people are also bringing forward plans to marry, have children, travel the world (when they can), and work on other goals. There’s no “one day” for dreams anymore – today is that day. 

• Nature Has A Shot At Bouncing Back

There are studies showing that nature had a chance to bounce back during the pandemic because of a reduction in noise levels, human activity, travel, sewage, and industrial runoff (to name a few). This has not fixed the problems with humans and nature, but what it has done is given us a shot at helping nature to recover moving forward. 

Every Cloud…

Focusing on the positives can ease some of the confusion, worry, and grief you might be feeling as a result of this awful time. The pandemic continues, but with silver linings like the ones listed above, the clouds can feel a little less dark and gloomy overall.