Almost two years on from the emergence of Covid, people have watched borders shut, businesses close, lockdowns lengthen and case numbers climb. A widespread disruption – skewing lives socially, professionally and financially – has prompted people to reconsider the choices they make, who they are, and how they fit in the world.
Guardian Australia asked readers to share how the pandemic made them rethink their life. More than 100 reader responses show that emerging from a universally-felt disruption is a new normal. And that new normal looks different for everyone.
Scott, 52, Sydney
The pandemic has made me consider working differently. I started my working life in an era where long hours, long weeks, accumulating unused sick days was almost a way of measuring yourself. A badge of honour. Take a tablet and soldier on.
I ask myself more now: who benefits from that stoic drive for being productive? I can see moving back to the country and working to live, not living to work.
Ara, 50, Perth
It has brought into stark relief that I don’t need a lot of stuff to be happy, but I do need connection to people, even if it’s virtual. This has led me to shop less, start working through clearing things I don’t need from my house for it to be more minimalist and tidy.
I’ve fallen ever so in love with my local library. Means I read more and spend less on books. I’ve also realised that health is number one.
Rosie, 26, Melbourne/Auckland
I quit my depressing job two months into 2020 lockdown. A job that was morally and ethically against my values. An environment that affected my mental health and self-esteem … I found a job that I loved within a month and have never looked back.
The pandemic pushed me to make my life … meaningful again, and I believe I’m on the right track. I made two films, have a wonderful, loving partner, am living overseas for the first time and have set the bar high professionally. I never want to work for something I don’t believe in, and I have discovered the drive to achieve this.
Ali, 57, Canberra
Yes, being largely restricted to my house [during] lockdown left me feeling stiff and sore and old. So I decided to get back into running, something I did some years ago but gave up when I moved houses and lost my routine. Starting very slowly using the Couch to 5k app, I gradually started running again and am now running 4-5km most days. It’s great! I listen to podcasts as I run and it’s a time when I feel free and relaxed.
I’m much more mobile and I feel like my body is 10 years younger again! No more sore knees walking up and down the stairs!
Sandra, 81, Queensland
It has reminded me that it is important to seize the moment, to enjoy what is available for me to enjoy. Enjoy the moment, take my pleasures where and when I can find them. I am doing more cooking and more baking than I have in years and loving it.
I have also realised, belatedly, that a relatively solitary existence is just fine, particularly with the companionship of a good dog.
Joy, 30, Sydney
It has reminded me that the most important things in life are our health, our experiences and our friends and family. Work doesn’t matter so much and it’s not worth the stress. It’s a miracle we’re even here to begin with, so why would we want to spend most of our lives working just to make someone else richer?
The standard path of: get a degree/trade, find career, get married, buy a house, have children, retire and then finally be free and travel or do what you always wanted to do … seems like a waste of a human life to me. It’s a never-ending hamster wheel that’s tricking us into chasing things that we think will make us happy, but happiness already exists inside of us. We don’t need to reach any of those levels to attain it. It seems futile.
I now want to focus on enjoying my life and being a better person. I guess I want more freedom in my life and to be less tied down by a career. I would also like to live a more sustainable life so that I am doing my best to leave the planet in a survivable condition for the next generations. I hope we see a massive revolution in the way we work and live that no longer exploits us or the planet.
Katie, 48, Sydney
It has made me want to pursue work that I actually like to do … I would like to be more in control of my own choices.
I walk every morning now with my husband and the dog before work. This has meant we have talked lots, we fight less, it has been great for our marriage! I would love to keep this. Less transport is so much better. Less sitting in a dark, cold office. So much nicer to see the green outside my own house.
David, 54, Hobart
I found myself wanting to find out more about my own self. I was needing to work out contentment and for me I found that could only come from inside. I starting reading books and I found texts like Intimacy and Solitude by Stephanie Dowrick and Total Meditation by Deepak Chopra. I also Read 1Q84 by Murakami … I find my inner self the most important thing now. I try to engage with the outside world on my terms.
Edilia, 63, Sydney
I realised that caring for everyone else but not taking care of myself was a really dumb thing to do. I have come to the realisation [that] this is my life and I want to live it differently. It will not be the long-term vision I had prior to the pandemic, but it will allow me to be valued as an individual. I have embraced new opportunities at full throttle where I continue to use my talents for the greater good and people appreciate what I do.
Jake, 28, Cambridge
It has emphasised the importance of family. I want a more balanced life, where family and career can go hand in hand. Previously I had thought that there always needed to be a compromise, however I now realise that with the advent of virtual learning and virtual working, it is more possible than ever before.
Physical health has become more of a priority. Having more opportunities to work from home has been a great change of pace and I have seen it manifest in my physical health too (less hair loss, weight management etc).
Ronald, 83, Western Australia
I loved travel … I had plans to visit Morocco, Turkey, Spain and other parts of Africa and Europe. But I now accept the reality. So, getting to see more of Australia is now more important than seeing other countries. And I really want to spend more time in the bush.
I have become more healthy and fit during the pandemic. I have increased my time at the gym … I go for longer jog/walks several times a week. I go to a sauna and spa a few times a week. And I use the treadmill a few times a week … I just want to enjoy things.
Mentally, the pandemic has increased my reading, music listening, watching old movies and new TV series.
Juliet, 53, Wollongong
Simplifying my life and prioritising what is important to me has been good for my mental health. Less wine is good for my health. Saying no to socialising when I don’t want to is good for my mental health. Reading has been a great pleasure. Now I will spend an entire weekend indoors reading, not feeling the need to go anywhere. Intellectual stimulation feeds my soul and I am getting this from books. I have realised that other forms of indoor entertainment such as podcasts and good TV can be far more stimulating than going out.
I would love to quit my job. I realised that I spent a lot of money on things that I did not miss at all, such as eating out … I really don’t need new clothes, or as many trips away. I really embraced being a homebody … I have really embraced my introversion. I now only want to spend money on outings that I am passionate about.
Lockdown really made me appreciate where I live, near the beach. Considering that one of the allowed activities was exercising, I realised that a walk in nature is something not to be taken for granted.
I have realised that the simple things in life are the best. The pandemic was not a negative experience for me. It’s made me prioritise what is important in my life.
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