What a pandemic taught me…a year later.

Almost a year ago I wrote a series of blogs on what the pandemic had taught me up to that point.  Now, here we are a year later and still in the midst of it.  We are working our way towards herd immunity but anticipate a fourth wave later this year so we aren’t out of the woods yet.

I have to admit, I was nervous when they first started administering vaccines earlier this year.  But then I did my research and got a level of comfort with it.  I made sure I understood herd immunity and the fact that it won’t stop me from getting sick, but it may just ensure I’m not going to die from this, in particular, anyway. There’s still nothing to stop me from getting hit by a bus tomorrow, if I’m not careful.

I used to be a conspiracy theorist and didn’t get the flu shot, but joking that the government was planting tracking devices in us.  I’ve now come to realize that it’s probably just in our drinking water and other consumables anyway, so meh.  I want to travel and go to concerts again, so I’ll get the shot for the greater good.  Track my whereabouts then! I have nothing to hide (it’s already well know that I’m an opera fan and a metal queen at the same time!).

Anyway, I was reminiscing about the last year with my husband and again with a co-worker the other day.  And each of us said that if people didn’t see this whole pandemic experience as a gift, then they kind of missed out.  And I’m sorry if you didn’t see it as a gift, but maybe just a change in mindset would help you find those golden nuggets. Remember only 40% of our predisposition to being positive or negative (glass half full or half empty – to which I say you have room to fill more up!) is genetic. The other 60% is up to you and your effort/mindset/attitude.

We’ve all had shitty stuff happen over the past year or so.  I’ve had deaths in my family that sucked and we also couldn’t gather to honour these family members.  I’ve had frustration at not being able to do things “they way I used to” or go where I want, when I want and with whom I want. I miss having lunch, tea or just time with my friends.  I haven’t seen my parents in almost a year.  And I miss the interaction with my clients/class participants.

Now I could go on about how sucky all of that has been but let me point a few things out. I had both an aunt and an uncle die (different spouses) but it made me realize, with even greater certainty, how important people are to us and that our relationships here and now are what matter, so make the most of them.  With that being said, I couldn’t see my parents because they live 6 hours away.  So, we started to FaceTime, call and email more often.  I actually feel closer to them now than I did pre-pandemic.  I’ve embraced online shopping and sometimes doing without.  And doing without has made me realize how lucky I am to have what I have.  I’ve learned to be more creative in what I consume and how I consume it; if I even consume it at all.  I’ve also declared that I will support Canadian small business as much as I possibly can, so I’ve researched businesses where I can get what I’m looking for to do so.  For example, I no longer purchase from The Body Shop but found three companies in Ontario who make beauty products and I now support them. (If you are wondering they are Wildcraft, Three Ships and Naturally Vain). And as for my classes, I’m able to provide services to more people all over the world.  It’s made me have to teach, what I think, more responsibly. And before class I like a little chat time so I’ve been able to keep up with anyone who wants to engage.

Do I still miss aspects of all of the above things? Of course I do.  But I’m able to see the gifts and benefits these things have given me also.  So much so that I won’t ever to back to “the way things were”. When I open a package from a small Canadian company, they add a note to say, “thank you for supporting us”, which makes me feel good.  When a yoga participant that moved to southern Ontario says, “thank you for continuing to teach”, it makes my heart sing.

Some of you know I’ve been struggling at work for various reasons but some are because many of my co-workers did not embrace working from home and tend to frown upon those that do.  But almost every single person I talk to who is working from home loves it and doesn’t want to go back to the office all of the time.  Most of my peers, in other workplaces, have already been told they will never go back to working at the office all of the time.  Companies and workers are realizing not only the cost savings of working from home (not just office space but the cost of time, gas, and vehicle maintenance in getting to and from work) but the increase in productivity levels as well.

I can vouch for that.  My productivity went up tenfold with working from home.  And I’m only at home 3 1/2 days a week.  I finally got caught up on my never ending list of things that I never got around to doing until now.  I’ve found efficiencies in my work flow because I’ve had the time to actually sit down and take a look.  Not only have I managed to get on top of my continuing education requirements for my CPA/CA, but also managed to get another certification as Payroll Compliance Practitioner (man, that was a lot of studying) that I would never have had time to commit to before. And working from home has allowed me to get more and better sleep.  Because of all of this, I feel like I’m able to make better decisions and provide better service to my employer as a result.  That’s win-win as far as I’m concerned!

I’ve also had the time to build and start to rebrand my business.  I’ve spent time learning and growing as a wellness professional.  I’ve taken a few more certifications and upskilled in areas that I want to branch out in, such as workshops, speaking and coaching.  If you took the time to read this, you are the first to find out that effective September 2021, KoppensFit will become “Superior Coaching and Wellness Solutions”.  That’s all I’ll say for now…more to come…

And 440 days ago I started to learn Spanish with Duolingo.  I’m still going strong and can’t wait to get to a tropical location to practice with real people!

If the pandemic hadn’t happened, none of this would have happened.  I’d still be super busy and just plugging along getting through one day at a time.  The gratitude that I’ve fostered in having been through all of this has been amazing; gratitude is such an important part of our wellbeing.

Take some time yourself to reflect on the past year and find those golden nuggets that have been a gift and embrace them.  Or based on the quote that says the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second best time is today…you can start today to find your gifts.  I hope that my experiences or mindset allow you to see the gifts (which may be imperfect gifts but gifts nonetheless) that you’ve been given or may still get as a result of the pandemic. Feel free to drop me a note and let me know what they are!