What We Need to Hear: The Silver-linings of the Pandemic

There is no question that this year has been pretty draining. I mean who could have predicted that we would experience an actual pandemic before graduating college? And, I’m a very optimistic person, but 2020 has certainly taken a serious toll on that positive mindset.

However, while nothing about 2020 has been easy, it’s crucial to keep a hopeful and optimistic attitude during this challenging time of our lives, to quite frankly, just keep it together. 

Classes and homework and extracurriculars are hard enough, we certainly don’t need a global pandemic to bring us down. Which is why, even in the darkest of times (aka a pandemic), we should always look on the bright side of life. 

So, while the COVID-19 pandemic has been unspeakably devastating in many ways, here are some silver linings to keep in mind:

1. Personal Growth and Health

Everyone has been in a quarantine-like state for over six months now, but some surprisingly great things have been able to come out of it. It’s been the perfect time to learn new skills, spend some quality time with family, and even just take a break from the busy aspects of day-to-day life. 

2. The Environment

But some positive qualities of this ~unfortunate~ situation are more than just personal. According to America's Quarterly, since the start of the pandemic, carbon dioxide and other pollutant emissions have reduced, significantly less paper has been used during this increasingly virtual era, and crime has declined overall. While these impacts might be little, together they can really create effective change for the world in a surprisingly beneficial way. 

3. Entertainment 

There are also many people out there, who are trying to make a positive impact for the general public during the pandemic. John Krasinski’s revolutionary YouTube series, Some Good News , shocked the world by bringing optimistic and hopeful stories to communities around the world, while still providing relevant news about the Covid-19 crisis. The show certainly provided a sense of relief at the beginning of quarantine, and has remained a positive product of our crazy world right now. 

We’ve also seen some of the best television and movie reunions we didn’t even know we needed. 

4. Connection

And lastly, if anything, this year has brought us together more than ever before. No one has ever experienced anything like this and we now have the power to come together and get through this difficult and disheartening situation, as long as we keep a positive mindset. We need to hold ourselves, and others, accountable to do the right thing and focus on what we can do to endure and overcome this craziness we are living in right now.  

It’s so easy to get caught up in the cycle of bad news going around now. It seems like everywhere you go there’s a heartbreaking story or another series of facts and numbers thrown at us. And, while it is extremely important to stay educated and pay attention to this news, it’s just as important to take care of yourself and understand when you need a break from this despair. It’s always great to stay optimistic, especially right now, because there will always be reasons to be positive.