This Time of Uncertainty: 4 Things I’ve Learned

BY VANESSA JAHNKE

What an unexpected plot twist this year has thrown us! As Covid-19 sweeps across the globe bringing life as we knew it to an abrupt halt, it’s important to reflect on any positives that this situation has taught us. Life will return back to a new “normal” and when it does, we won’t take these things for granted:

Our health is our greatest asset.

When we live in a go-go-go society, most often we feel forced to put our health last. Career stress, relationship woes, unhealthy habits—on top of all the other life issues that pop up—can take a toll on your overall health and well-being. Being forced during this time to slow down, to stay home, and to really check in on our own health and reassess our priorities has been a huge gift. If you’ve been neglecting it, now’s the time to start nurturing your health.

Prioritize time with family and friends.

Often the things most available to us in our lives, we end up taking the most for granted: our friends and family. We think they are always around and reachable, until one day the ability for a simple visit gets taken from you. Prioritize relationships and nurture healthy friendships.

VANESSA JAHNKE Vanessa is the founder of PURE Gym & Juicery in Penticton, BC. She is a certified holistic health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the creator of Healthy for Life, a monthly online wellness subscription. Her blog is loaded with healthy, easy to make recipes and easy to implement tools to achieve a happier, healthier life.

We can live with much less.

Our world is full of “stuff”; big box stores surround us, online shopping is endless, and social media ads are everywhere you look. Our culture gives us the impression that consumption will make us happier, when in fact it does the opposite. Being in isolation and only venturing out from home when it was absolutely necessary to get supplies or groceries, has cut out the extras. When you focus on everything you have, instead of everything you don’t have, you see you already have everything you need. Things can be much more simple.

See how connected we are as a world.

What an amazing reminder of how connected we are to the entire world. The message spread far and wide about “physical distancing” and “isolation” taught all generations to be more thoughtful of others around them and mindful of our actions. That the message wasn’t about you, it was about other people. There were so many beautiful moments created while people were seemingly in isolation, alone—yet more connected than ever before.

If anything, I feel this time of uncertainty has taught us to be more thoughtful of others, to be more kind, that it’s okay to slow down, that we can live with much less, and perhaps we’ve had the time to reassess what is truly important in our lives. I’d love to hear what you’ve learned about yourself or the world during these past few months.