5 things the pandemic has taught me I don’t need

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As the frustration of still being in the middle of a pandemic rears its head again with the Omicron restrictions, I want to take stock of things that are good that have come out of being in this situation. I think it is important to focus on being thankful for all the things we are learning about ourselves and our ability to be resilient and patient.

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One of the good things I’ve been learning is that I don’t actually need what I thought I needed way back when – before March of 2020. Spending more time at home during the pandemic has brought me face to face with “stuff” that I had not paid attention to as much in the past.

Here is a conservative list of 5 things that the pandemic has taught me I don’t need.

1. Excessively frequent news updates. I think pandemic stress made me turn towards the news much more frequently and this increased the amount of stress. I’ve found that the judicious intake of news is so much more palatable than constantly getting alerts.
2. All kinds of clothing and accessories. With the need for everything to be wipe-able with some sort of disinfectant or washable in hot water, my attire from head to toe became much more comfortable, functional and simple in 2020. And now, as I think back to my pre-pandemic attire, a lot of it just seems less necessary.
3. Constant access to external sources of entertainment. While I definitely miss going out and doing things with complete freedom from the fear of getting sick, I think that not going out as much has brought back the joy of doing things at home. Simple DIYs, cooking, baking, time with loved ones – all these activities are equally as entertaining and enjoyable as going out for a movie or to a restaurant.
4. Store bought ice cream and dessert. This one is kind of a fun one. The good part of baking more is that my repertoire of recipes has increased and my ability to make sweet treats from scratch has expanded. This means that store bought ice cream and other forms of dessert aren’t as necessary any more.
5. All the distractions. The slowed down pace that comes from being in a pandemic has made me realize that I don’t miss a lot of the distractions that were part and parcel of my life pre-pandemic.

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I’d love to hear what you’ve learned you don’t need while going through this time. What are you most thankful for? How do you stay patient and resilient?

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