5 Ways COVID-19 Changed Me for The Better

From the Archives: Stuff I've Written Over Four Years Ago

I read an article from the Harvard Business Review titled, “Don’t Just Lead Your People Through Trauma; Help Them Grow,” from my LinkedIn and some positive reviews from prominent figures, so I gave it a look.

I liked Jamil’s statement in his second paragraph:

Immediately, I thought, “Wow! COVID really did change me!”

I liked the article for Jamil’s optimism despite the turbulent times we’re facing — Thoughts of hope, empathy, resilience, and compassion among colleagues, making them feel included despite today’s rough incidences.

I also like his insights on affirming (a company’s) values and emphasizing community, going a long way in enhancing Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG.) Reassuring employees of a company’s values recreates a feeling of importance to the company, reminding them of how they fit into the broader picture. Top that with an awesome community, and you earn a PTG so fast that you hardly recall any recent trauma.

But I digress. You may learn more here.

How COVID changed me for the better- that’s the deal here

Twisting the article into my own narrative, I recall five months ago when COVID infiltrated the earth. And all factors considered (which I don’t take for granted), and thanking God, it was an overall net positive for me.

As a COVID skeptic at first (‘Covidiot,’ as they say), it astonished me that the entire US was into a lockdown, no state spared. No leaving the house (cheers to my introverted self), no physical contact, and social distancing — a puzzle piece for many to come.

Just the fact alone of quarantining for God-knows-how-long was startling in itself - good thing it wasn’t the end of civilization…yet.

“So, I’m staying at home this long, right?” Soliloquying. “We'll see how it goes then.”

It then hit me that not only were we saving the world by staying indoors (arguably), but there’s no guarantee of having this much time ever again in our lives, considering other elements such as family, social interaction, and retirement.

The time was there, at least for now. You could learn a skill or two from scratch, call up an old friend, check up on family, finish past projects, etc. — an endless list.

With that in mind, I considered making the most of it, seeing where it takes me.

1. Elevated my Piano Game

I play the piano, having done so for a decade now.

I’m not Mozart-esque yet (and might never be), but I massively improved chordwise plus the number of keys I know — 6 out of 24. I also had a virtual music class with fellow choir members which, now that I think about it, was interesting — I never learned music while learning the piano.

I’ve probably forgotten 98% of the concepts by now, but I don’t mind revisiting them, especially when I consider doing my own pieces.

Edit: I know all 24 now. Yay! 🎹🙌🏽

2. Improved my (online) school grades

There was an upsurge in my grades, something uncommon in in-person classes.

Of course, there were anomalies with online school — academic dishonesty (cheating), low attention during classes, truancy, etc — and that still has its fair share of debates today.

Something that helped me was having periodical appointments with my instructors and Zoom meetings with accountability buddies (shoutout: Jay) to study for tests and collaborate on homework.

However, what I appreciated most about online school was the flexibility it presented to my schedule. The fact I could get some yogurt from the fridge during Linear Algebra or relax in the Fall sunrise of an Epic History class amazed me.

That flexibility, I would say, gave me the peace of mind needed to thrive in my classes in my natural habitat.

3. Workouts and Exercise

I also managed to shed some quarantine weight — good thing.

The lockdown gave me reason to thank the fact I’m nowhere near the school cafeteria as most days were just fries for lunch, which was perhaps unhealthy. Maybe within reason, but still unhealthy.

Eating healthier, cardio, calisthenics, and sleep (trying to), all shed me 15 pounds in two months. I’ve taken a long rest since, though, but I have an accountability buddy who’s helping me get back on track in no time (shoutout: Tabby.)

4. Family and Friends

Self-development would not suffice without my circle of family and friends.

These days, I’ve found myself being more compassionate on family stuff - asking, “How was your day?” or “How was work?” once they arrive home before ensuing into a friendly chat. That also helped my interpersonal communication, I would say.

I also checked in on friends during this lockdown: schoolmates, work colleagues, and international friends — glad I remembered them all. I’d have a convo going on with them for days, all of which would have me reminisce on how far we’ve come and my gratitude to have friends like those.

5. My Writing

My biggest pandemic takeaway was the effort I invested into Carerra’s Chronicles, my brainchild. I’ve got ample time to develop it and figure out what articles to write and how to edit my website.

I’ve worked on Carerra’s Chronicles for months on end while simultaneously practicing my articulation. I’ve learned a lot from Quora, Medium, and even Nicolas Cole, so I’m putting all that into practice right now.

I still have a long way to go, but I’m glad I started it all in 2020.

And a bonus one...

6. Duolingo

I started Duolingo as a linguistic pass-time more so as I didn’t want to let Duo (the bird) down. Fast-forward 3.5 years later, I’m on a 1140-day streak learning Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, and Music.

What started as trying not to let the bird down eventually led to what’s potentially a lifelong habit of learning multiple worldwide languages, and that’s paying off in its own respect.

Working out better than I thought, I’d say. :)

Closing

2020 wasn’t the best year for most of us — myself included — and I acknowledge all who haven’t had the best of terms yet. For those who’ve tried to turn the tides and make it memorable, hats off and kudos to you.

See you in Canaan.

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~T.K.K