The Covid-19 has hit humanity hard like a tsunami.
But although it may seem a misfortune or a setback, it is also a valuable life lesson that we can take advantage of now when the waters calm down.
The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.Mulan
These are four valuable lessons we have learned:
- That we can live slower.
Each of us has faced lockdown differently, but there has been one common element: The world has moved slower than it used to, we have found that in fact, our quality of life has increased during the lockdown, giving us time to develop skills, practice hobbies or simply spend more time with family. In short: We discovered that we can live without being immersed in a constant frenzy.
- The importance of exercise and healthy living.
Some of us discovered the value of activities such as running, biking, or simply going for a walk. We even started exercising at home and made it a habit, which benefited us physically and psychologically.
Another trend that could be noticed was learning to cook; which in the long run will be beneficial to the environment since according to Greenpeace, 10.5% of the waste generated in each garbage bag are plastic containers.
So by reducing the number of ultra-processed foods that we consume, we would not only be taking care of our health but of the environment as well.
At the end of the confinement, the differences between those of us who opted for a healthy life and those who spent it in a sedentary way could be noticed.
We also discovered that taking the car or the motorcycle is only useful when we have to cover long distances or carry weight and that by avoiding its use we save an important amount of fuel each month.
- That we have an excessive impact on our environment.
During the lockdown, we saw videos on YouTube of animals camping in the middle of cities, roe deer, deer, wild boar and even cougars.
We should not be surprised as in recent decades we have confined animals to small corners. By 2018, it was found that wild animals had reduced their movements by 30-50%, which precisely led to a higher risk of contracting new diseases.
- We discovered that we can still save the planet.
In just two months of global lockdown, the planet was able to begin healing the wounds we have inflicted on it over the past few decades.
In Venice, the waters became as clear as glass, and many cities were rid of the chemical fog that covered them.
In Madrid, municipal authorities reported that greenhouse gases had been reduced by 57% between March and April, and a study by the Polytechnic University of Valencia found that Spanish skies were on average 64% cleaner.
If we achieve this in two months, what could we achieve by reducing our activity for a whole year?