Due to the rising want for sources and information surrounding the subject of COVID-19, Kendall Coffman, MS, MFT, performed a web-based survey of 251 contributors, recruited through snowball sampling, to raised perceive the impacts the pandemic has had on our lives and to search out the silver lining to the pandemic.
The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions, prompts the place contributors may choose all solutions that apply, and quick response-style questions.
The outcomes are damaged down into two elements:
- Explore the unfavorable impacts the pandemic has had on contributors and embrace sources to greatest navigate the struggles thrust upon us by the pandemic.
- Examine the silver linings to the pandemic which will have been missed.
Part I: The Negative Impacts of the Pandemic
The contributors within the survey had been introduced with this immediate: If you are feeling as if the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted your life, please clarify in a couple of quick phrases.
Based on the 200 qualitative responses acquired, themes had been established, and the share of how typically they appeared is listed beside them. For instance, the theme Loss of connection appeared in 40% of participant solutions. (Note: Some contributors named multiple theme in a response, which is why the numbers add as much as greater than 100 in each sections of this report.)
Individualized Themes
The contributors expressed issues over numerous completely different classes:
- Loss of connection (isolation) – 40%
- Quarantine/journey disappointment (can’t go wherever) – 23%
- Mental well being issues (e.g., nervousness, melancholy, and motivation) – 17.5%
- Economy worries/employment points – 14%
- Someone I do know was impacted/at-risk – 12.5%
- Negative faculty expertise – 9.5%
- Fear/concern for future/my very own danger – 6.5%
- Conflict with buddies/household or battle with “non-believers” – 5%
- Frustration (e.g., masks mandates or insufficient authorities response) – 5%
The individualized themes that surfaced will be additional categorized, so let’s dig deeper.
Grouped Themes
At the next stage, all of those issues will be packaged inside these 4 teams.
1. Isolation, connection, and quarantine struggles
Nearly two-thirds of contributors — 63% — expressed issues over their immobility and the truth that, pressured to shelter in place, many contributors felt a lack of reference to different folks, resulting in emotions of isolation.
2. Concern for the bodily and emotional security of others or self
Slightly greater than one-third of contributors — 36.5% — had been both nervous that somebody they know was impacted by the virus or at increased danger of getting contaminated or that they themselves can be uncovered to the virus. Due to those issues, it comes as no shock that numerous contributors turned anxious, misplaced motivation, and skilled melancholy.
3. Economy, employment, and faculty struggles
Roughly one-quarter of respondents — 23.5% — indicated they’d unfavorable experiences in school or had been nervous about their employment or the general state of the financial system. This makes good sense, as faculties had been pressured to quickly transition to distant studying, companies had been pressured to close their doorways, and unemployment numbers skyrocketed.
4. Conflict with others
Additionally, one out of each 10 contributors both expressed frustration with masks mandates and the federal government’s response to the pandemic or expressed issues over battle with family and friends members — or conflicts with non-believers, i.e., those that assume the pandemic is a “scam” of kinds.
Resources to Cope with These Themes
If you might be experiencing any of those impacts, take consolation within the reality you’re not alone. And always remember that you’ve got the power to beat these struggles by taking a proactive method and searching for certified assist.
Resources that you need to use to beat unfavorable emotions and get again to dwelling your greatest life are outlined under:
1. Isolation, connection, and quarantine struggles
2. Concern for the bodily and emotional security of others or self
3. Economy, employment, and faculty struggles
4. Conflict with others
If you’re having a tough time getting together with buddies, members of the family, and acquaintances, take into account the following pointers from Advent Health:
- Recognize that folks have completely different views of danger (e.g., one individual would possibly assume skydiving is the very best factor on the planet whereas another person is likely to be petrified of it)
- Reflect on and talk your fears
- Refer to trusted sources
- Encourage your family members to think about others and be empathetic
- Find a quiet time to ascertain some frequent floor
- Speak kindly and hear
- Use tales reasonably than statistics
- Stay related in ways in which shield your consolation zone
- Consider getting collectively at a time that doesn’t warrant a meal to keep away from abrasive, uncomfortable conversations
- Let it go and let or not it’s
While this record of sources is on no account exhaustive, it ought to function a springboard to help you in enhancing your outlook and constructing a greater tomorrow.
Takeaways from These Findings
These findings aren’t finitely consultant of all of our experiences. Intersections of id, social placement, and entry to sources undoubtedly create completely different experiences for every of us.
That mentioned, these findings invite us to replicate on our personal experiences inside the final 12 months or two and take into account what we have to do to start stitching new colours into our future.
Part II: The Silver Lining to the Pandemic
Yes, there have been many silver linings to the pandemic that our survey contributors have skilled.
To acquire these outcomes, contributors had been introduced with this immediate: If you are feeling as if the COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted your life, please clarify in a couple of quick phrases.
Based on the 142 qualitative responses acquired, 5 overarching themes had been unearthed.
Themes
- Deeper connections (extra time with household and buddies; higher relationships) – 39.4%
- Positive private modifications (elevated gratefulness; private development; perspective change) – 31.6%
- Improved faculty or work conditions (improved high quality of job or faculty; improved funds; set to work from house or do distant studying) – 24.6%
- Better self-care (improved bodily and/or emotional well being) – 11.9%
- Got to spend extra time at house (extra time for chores; didn’t must journey) – 11.2%
Could Good Come from COVID-19?
The findings from this preliminary research on the impacts of COVID-19 illuminate a number of the resilient and arguably surprising silver lining to the pandemic that some have skilled over the past couple years. Interested in what these may presumably be, try every theme under.
Connection
We are all wired to be social creatures. In the absence of connection, there will be struggling. This is clear in Part I of this text, which reveals that the main battle within the COVID period has been the dearth of high quality connections and relationships.
However, one silver lining that has come out of the final year-and-a-half is that many people have change into extra intentional with our connections and have been capable of spend extra time at house with family members. For instance, one participant mentioned:
“I was able to take time with my family at our house. Otherwise, we would be doing other things. I had time to write Christmas cards and connect with people far away since we weren’t going places.”
Personal change
One of the extra highly effective themes that emerged from the information was the truth that contributors used the pandemic to enhance their very own lives. In reality, many contributors mentioned that they’ve reprioritized, reorganized, and advanced because of the pandemic and its societal ramifications.
For instance, two contributors mentioned:
“I believe people’s lives have dramatically slowed and that has given them time to learn more about themselves.”
“I have grown as a person and discovered myself.”
Employment/School Improvements
Nearly one-fourth of contributors talked about that their work or faculty life improved through the pandemic. For some, this was a results of with the ability to make money working from home. For others, the truth that the world slowed down a bit helped them get centered and do good work.
Self-care
Although much like the private change theme, self-care appeared typically sufficient that it made sense to call it as its personal theme. While the private change theme particularly addresses a change in perspective or self-examination, the self-care theme addresses the intentional self-act to care extra for one’s personal emotional and bodily well-being.
More time at house
Last, slightly greater than 10 p.c of contributors talked about that they had been glad to have extra time at house with no journey necessities. Some contributors talked about that they had been capable of do duties that they usually would by no means have time for (e.g., house initiatives and hobbies).
Final Thoughts From Kendall Coffman
The COVID-19 period continues to depart a pervasive mark on our society, impacting all of us as people. The aim for this venture was to assist determine the struggles we’re all dealing with to see that we’re not alone in any of this, that will help you see that there was a silver lining to the pandemic, and to get assist to stroll by any points you haven’t resolved but.
Additionally, I hoped that we may additionally see how we’ve advanced as human beings, areas of potential change, and moments of gratitude.
I’m so grateful to the entire contributors who shared their tales with me. May these findings deliver you consolation as we start one other 12 months stuffed with uncertainties.
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