As we enter day five of lock down in a bid to combat Covid-19 in New Zealand – I can’t help but reflect on what a pandemic of this scale is teaching us and really doing to us as a society, as a nation and as a worldwide entity.

When all of this is but a distant memory and a moment in history that we lived through, what will be the new normal for us? Will our mindsets shift? Will we realise just what is important as we’ve been involuntarily barred from the outside world and confined to our four-wall bubbles?

Or is this reflection simply just a by product of having nothing to do and nothing planned in the near future so consequently my brain is just coming up with meanings and answers to keep me sane. SIGH.

Either way, jotting down the below deductions gave me a sense of catharsis and I hope it does the same for you and your bubble too…

1. Covid-19 is reminding us that this virus does not discriminate. We are all equal, regardless of our culture, our skin colour, our financial situation, our notoriety or our financial situation. The virus has treated us all as equals so perhaps we should too. And if you don’t believe me, just as Tom Hanks.
2. Our health is a precious life force, if we don’t have that we have nothing. This virus has taught us that at times, we tend to neglect it whether it be though poor nutrition, over processed food or substituting water for alcohol… If our health isn’t number one then naturally, we get sick and as we have seen, Covid-19 preys on the sick.
3. We are all connected, whether we like it or not. The one thing Newton taught me in Year 10 Science was his third law of physics which is that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same can be applied here. Everything we do has the potential to affect someone which has an effect on another. This virus does not need a passport as we have seen when New Zealand’s borders were open and for other countries who are landlocked and in the thick of it. It is allowing us time to empathise. This short time of oppression for us in a four week lock down still doesn’t compare to those in this world who will spend their entire lives in oppression.
4. As cliché as it may seem, this life is short and when we have a pandemic knocking on our front doorsteps it reminds us that it is even shorter. So it is a chance for us, to do what is most important which is to help and be kind to one another, especially for those who are older or sick. Our purpose is to not stockpile toilet paper… got it?
5. Shit we are materialistic. I hope if for nothing else that we come out of this realising that in times of difficulty, it was only the essentials we needed, the food, the water and the medicine. It wasn’t the luxuries that we give unnecessary value to. The Gucci bag can not save you, Karen.
6. Our family and friend networks are invaluable. Our home life is crucial and at times we may have neglected this. Staying at home isn’t a punishment, no so more is being told to go to your room only if you see it that way. Use this time to rebuild the house into the home and strengthen your family units.
7. Our true work in life is not our 9-5 jobs. Sure, this is what we do, but it is not what we were created to do. This is a reminder that our true work is to be kind to one another, to protect one another and to be of benefit to one another.
8. It is a chance to keep our egos in check. No matter how important we think we are or how great others think we are, a pandemic can bring our world to a standstill. And then what.
9. The power of freewill is in our hands. Do we choose to cooperate and help each other, to share that bag of flour, to give and to support our neighbours or do we choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after ourselves? It’s the challenging times that show our true colours.
10. Choose patience, not panic. We can understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently cause ourselves more harm than good.
11. In every life, there will always be difficulty, but there is always ease. Life is cyclical and this phase in 2020 is part of the great cycle. Keep calm and this too shall pass.
12. This earth is succumbing to climate change more than we know. China has seen blue skies, Venice has seen clear waters as a result of Covid-19. What more proof do you need? When all this is over, let’s prioritise the earth’s health by looking at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which our toilet rolls are disappearing off our shelves. We are sick because our world is sick.
13. This time in our life can either be an end or a new beginning. We can use this time for reflection and understanding, where we learn from our past mistakes and this can be the start of a cycle which we will continue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.

So there you have it. It’s a mindset. We can see Covid-19 as a great disaster of epic proportions, poor me blah blah blah or we can choose to see it as a great corrector. A chance to make the most of this situation. A chance to remind us all of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten.

It’s up to us if we learn them or not.