Has COVID Changed Us Forever?

Although I don’t have the science to prove it in the moment, I’m pretty sure that COVID has changed us, and I’m wondering if it’s forever. Obviously, the virus changed the health status of many and it also killed millions all over the world. However, the change I’m noticing isn’t about health, but rather about how we live our lives. With each person I talk to I sense more and more of a focus on a quality life versus a life of stuff and stress.

People are refusing to take jobs or stay at jobs in which they have to commute hours a day. Many are looking for new jobs that allow at least some work from home time. The quality of their lives improves dramatically when they take out some of that commute time. They get more time with family and friends, more time to relax, and even time to get a few home tasks done throughout the day. Many of these people that I’ve talked to have said that they would take less money to have a calmer, less stressed lifestyle.

I’m also hearing many people say that they only want the next promotion if they can maintain some type of work/life balance. The money is a motivator, but it isn’t the biggest motivator. Since COVID, many people seem to realize that life is short and fragile and you only get so much time to be with loved ones, pets, and close friends. Work is important, and yet it seems that more and more people are saying that work isn’t everything.

How to Create a Work Life that Honors Your Values

So how do we stay motivated at work and still find the balance that so many of us are seeking? Is it possible to find happiness at a job without feeling like you have to give that job so much of your time and energy? Are people really quietly quitting or are they actually setting healthy boundaries in which they work at work and stop working after work? Did we need a worldwide pandemic to show us what really matters? How will we hold on to the COVID lessons as life continues on?

Are people quietly quitting or are they setting healthy boundaries and honoring their core values? #career #values #quietquitting #worklifebalance Click To Tweet

It all starts with truly knowing ourselves and knowing what we value most. It’s not what we think we should value, but what we truly value deep within ourselves. However, most of us don’t actually have the answer to that. We’ve spent our lives thinking about what we “should” value versus what really energizes us and gives meaning to our lives. Maybe those first few months of COVID, when many of us were homebound, gave us a chance to ask ourselves those deeper questions.

COVID changed me in that it made me realize how much I value health, science, community, and truly caring about each other. It made me grateful for vaccines, devoted health care workers, and leaders who sought to keep us safe. Mostly, it made me realize how grateful I am for a home to shelter in, a family that never ceases to entertain me, and true friends who love me even when I’m not a great friend. COVID also changed me in that I don’t take any day for granted and I’ve worked on more balance in my life even with a career that I absolutely love.

How did COVID change you?

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC