Life has changed dramatically since the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic. Some of these changes are minor, such as learning to cut our own hair and being asked to wear a mask in public. Others, however, are more significant, and they have long-lasting implications.
Minor Inconveniences
One of the most widespread “complaints” most people have had throughout the entire pandemic is that barbershops and beauty salons are closed. Because of this, many of us have taken to snipping and clipping our own locks in an attempt to maintain our beauty routines. This isn’t always easy, but a decent hair cutting mirror, shears and clippers make it less daunting. The same with applying makeup for those socially-distant photoshoots that have been all the rage.
Even as states begin to reopen, we are still dealing with a few other minor inconveniences. For example, many cities and counties are mandating facial coverings, which Mayo Clinic explains may help slow the spread of the virus. This can potentially lessen the impact of a second wave. Keep in mind, however, that social distancing and avoiding large crowds, combined with frequent hand washing, is still the best way to reduce transmission.
Major Life Changes
Bigger-picture issues include things like job loss, alternate education, and alcoholism. As the extra $600 CARES payment for the unemployed goes away, many of us are scrambling to look for ways to make ends meet. The good news here is that there has never been a better time to switch careers. With sites like Upwork and similar job boards being so readily available, freelance opportunities are everywhere. Whether you want to use your wordsmithing skills to compete against other professional essay writers for clients or tap into your inner graphic designer, you can easily find gigs in a variety of industries.
Another difficult side-effect of the pandemic is isolation. Unfortunately, this can cause issues with mental health, and some of the most vulnerable in our society have turned to drinking to cope. Medical Xpress asserts that the problem is only compounded because stress-drinking wine because of COVID-19 has become a bit of a joke. Alcoholism, however, is a serious problem. If you have found yourself using alcohol just to get by, you may have a problem, and it’s time for self-evaluation.
Health First
On a positive note, although some people have taken to drinking and overeating as coping mechanisms, others have used their time away from the office to prioritize their health. With fewer restaurants open and a limited selection from the grocery store, we’ve been forced to put down the pizza and pick up the pots and pans. Some of us have even built home gyms to focus on our physical health while others have used exercise and other activities as a way to combat mental-health issues.
Lasting effects
The coronavirus pandemic has also caused a lot of changes across the board that affect us as a community and at an individual level. One of these has yet to come to fruition, and that is how schools will look when they reopen later this summer/fall. According to CNN, the goal is to reopen safely. But, since there’s still so much we do not know about the virus, health experts don’t always agree on what that a safe reopening means. Dating has also changed, and most matchmaking services now offer the option for lovelorn singles to specify if they prefer in-person, online, or masked, socially distant dates.
While no one actually knows what the future holds, one thing is certain, and that is that the world will look different moving forward. Some of the changes we have learned to accept will likely stick around in some form or another. The overall consensus is that very little will go back to what we consider normal, but we can learn to adapt no matter what tomorrow brings.