How the coronavirus pandemic has changed us

I often think about what returning to normality will feel like.

No matter who you are, coronavirus has impacted each and every one of us in some way. Almost a year since the first lockdown, there is no doubt that the pandemic has left lasting scars on our society.

We cannot predict what is to come this year, but I think we are all grasping the idea that the lockdowns, isolations, and quarantines will come to an end. Assuming that the all-too-familiar restrictions will be lifted, and the vaccine rollouts are successful, how will the past year have changed us?

Over half of adults in the UK think that their future is going to be worse as a result of the pandemic, and according to the Mental Health Foundation, this concern is highest amongst 18-24 years old. So, what does the future really have in store for us?

When I first said goodbye to my younger siblings without a hug, or when my nan was in the hospital with only a phone as a means to speak to her family, I realised how isolating life would feel for the coming months. Time went by and I looked forward to the phone calls and distanced walks (when allowed), as they became the things I depended on to keep going.

If we can draw any positives, the last year has instilled in me the value of small interactions, phone calls, and the simplicity of being able to meet people in person. The memories of feeling restrained from our family and friends will be something we remember.

The Mental Health Foundation reported that 44% of adults in the UK said that contacting family and friends helped them cope with the stress of the pandemic. I feel that this has renewed our appreciation for those close to us.

I know I am one of the lucky ones; I haven’t had to say goodbye to someone on FaceTime or break the worst news to someone over the phone. In a way, I am thankful that I was able to attend my Nan’s funeral just before the lockdown in March. I could grieve with the comfort of my family around me. Countless numbers of people have not been able to do so. I can’t help but think, how will the burden of this change those affected in the long term?

I have been astonished by our ability to adapt between three lockdowns, no lockdown, and tiered systems. I know I am not alone in feeling as though the idea of socialising with friends indoors is a fuzzy memory. Yet, we have already been through this and adjusted to the new normality again in the summer. And again in December. Our shared experience acts as a reminder of how we can adapt to many situations in the future.

But despite the positives, we cannot mask the pandemic’s emotional effects. For many, their suffering has been heightened, from mental health issues, domestic abuse, addiction, and child abuse and neglect. Their experiences of isolation and loneliness could have irreversible effects on their lives that cannot be helped with a vaccine.

With 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health issues each year, you can imagine the impact that unemployment, isolation, deaths of loved ones, and poor home lives have had on our mental well-being as a society.

When I thought about my first year of university, I never contemplated zoom lectures from home whilst wearing my jogging bottoms. With a part-time job and university only being accessible on my laptop, I have spent the majority of the last year typing away and staring at a screen for hours a day. Besides the social aspect of not being on campus, many students have felt as though the educational impact will have serious implications in the future.

I feel particularly for the younger students who have missed out on critical time. Surveys have shown that time spent by children on educational activities during the day has dropped from 7.4 hours to 3.6 hours. Will this result in inequality amongst students, impacting qualifications and jobs in the future?

The uncertainty has been detrimental to our mental health. Not knowing what is coming next has been a struggle, after trying to stay positive and hopeful for so long. In December, half of UK adults reported that they felt worried about being able to cope with this feeling.

Will the resilience that we have built make us more strong-minded in the future? Have we been set back by the impacts on our mental health, or have we learnt new coping mechanisms, that will benefit us in the future?

This moves me on to my next point. I have met friends and family for walks, exercised outside, and generally walked more, just for a chance to be outside and as a way to relieve stress. And I’m not alone; 53% of the adult UK population said that going for a walk outside helped them cope with the stress of the pandemic. Perhaps this will encourage our generation to spend more time outdoors and less in front of a screen.

A huge factor in the stress our country has felt is the financial hardship that many have faced. We have to consider the long-term effects that these will play in our society. Whilst vaccine rollouts and the lifting of restrictions will be a huge relief, we will not truly recover until support is given to those who have suffered the financial and mental impacts.

In terms of what life will be like after coronavirus, the pandemic has been a life-changing event for all of us and it is going to be a long time before things return to normal – if they ever do – but we have some good and bad outcomes ahead of us.