The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our emotional health, but in addition to what we’ve lost, we’ve also gained new things. Psychologically, the most important achievement of this period was the confidence we gained in ourselves, say Daniela and Rezvan Peristeri, psychotherapists at the private health care network REGINA MARIA.

From work relationships, consumption habits to social interactions, the health crisis has brought significant changes to everyday life. Many of them will be felt for years, if not forever. The “new normal” created by the pandemic has come with a rethinking of social life, work and, most importantly, our relationship with ourselves. In psychotherapy, any crisis is seen as an opportunity for growth.

In the end, you will always be different, says psychotherapist Rezvan Peristeri. In crisis situations, people develop adaptive behaviors to cope with the uncertainty, anxiety, and stress they create. “If we look at history, all crises have led to adaptation, and all adaptation has essentially meant evolution. Even though we were scared, even though we felt powerless, and it seemed like we didn’t have the resources to grow, we didn’t become resilient. By definition, resilience means that we remain unchanged after a shock. However, after the pandemic, we are not the same, and we have not necessarily changed for the worse,” says Daniela Peristeri.

1. The pandemic has boosted our self-confidence

The experience of recent years has brought us anxiety, depression, insomnia, but it has also been a period of growth for humanity from a psychological point of view. Forced loneliness, the inevitability of invisible danger, and the lack of control over our own lives pushed us to introspection1.

One good thing we got from the pandemic is that we learned to be alone and feel good about ourselves. “People connected with themselves, began to appreciate themselves, became more confident in their own abilities and took control of their lives. It is a concept defined by one word in the English language, which condenses a number of important processes for personal development: empowerment,” explains psychotherapist Daniela Peristeri.

The experience of the pandemic made us think about how satisfied we are with our lives, what we really want to do and what we can change to feel better. “I very often now, in the office, talk with my clients about the meaning and purpose of life. Many of them, more than before the pandemic, are thinking about their own existence in search of happiness and satisfaction from life. It is very important to set a goal in life. Now people strive to find more meaning in their lives,” explains the psychotherapist.

2. The pandemic has taught us to live authentically

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 has taught us that things that seem certain now can change radically overnight. The situation, which can only seem like a source of anxiety, has also brought benefits: people have learned to live in the here and now, says Rezvan Peristeri.

“Being anchored in the present is what we’ve always promoted. To live authentically is to live here and now. If we always live with the future in mind, we risk dealing with anxiety, fear, worry and uncertainty. “Constantly recalling the past creates regret or guilt, and is also a source of anxiety,” the specialist explains.

In the “new normal” brought by the pandemic, people were looking for moments to reconnect with themselves. Some show a greater concern for personal development, whether they have taken advanced courses or returned to passions they abandoned in the past. Others looked for ways to disconnect from problems by taking up new hobbies or activities. “We started to take into account who we are and what we really want,” says Daniela Peristeri.

3. The pandemic has changed our relationship with work

During the pandemic, many who have tried the new remote work model have found it works better for them than the traditional 9am to 5pm option.

Flexibility has become more important in the new reality, and the labor market has adapted, at least partially, to this working model. “We asked ourselves what we really want, we began to better understand our needs and ask for what we want. Now people want to manage their time more effectively, because they have realized the need to communicate with their partner, child, and parents. In the past, they were always on the run, focused on their careers and the pursuit of winnings. It doesn’t happen that often now. Many people are looking for a new job on the condition that they can work remotely, because they have learned to value the time lost in traffic jams or unnecessary tasks,” says the psychotherapist.

The concept of empowerment is very prominent today in people’s relationship with work.

When new technologies became available to them, the job market opened up for them all over the world. “If at first there was a fear that we would not be able to cope with this new system of work, we started working with the technology and realized how much we can do. We realized that we are capable, that we have power, and new horizons opened up for us,” explains Daniela Peristeri.

4. The pandemic has helped us appreciate human interaction

Isolation and distancing rules have led to a loss of human contact, but paradoxically, the pandemic has brought us closer to people.

It was through distancing measures that we realized the need for a social group and valued social interactions. We have learned to better value our friends and any social relationships. “People couldn’t wait to meet and hug each other. They felt the need to reconnect with others, and with the lifting of restrictions, they very quickly reconnected closely. I also think that even those who didn’t seem to need people are looking for people.

Being alone in a disaster like a pandemic was terrifying. I believe that the feeling of loneliness was the most difficult in this whole situation,” says psychotherapist Rezvan Peristeri.

5. The pandemic has increased health concerns

The number of people worried about their health increased during the pandemic, but this phenomenon also had a positive effect: people are now much more concerned about their health.

Many of them have learned the rules of sanitary education: wash hands more often, wear a mask against the background of other infectious diseases, and undergo periodic preventive examinations. “During the pandemic, we became aware of our vulnerability to diseases. In the past, most people went to the doctor only when they already had a disease. Today, more and more attention is paid to preventive medicine.

Respect for not making others sick also appeared. Of course, not all of us, but more than before the pandemic, we wear a protective mask if we have a cold to protect those around us. I hope that such concern for health will continue in the years to come,” says Daniela Peristeri.

6. The pandemic has made us kinder and kinder

The lack of social contacts during the pandemic did not isolate us, on the contrary, it brought us closer.

I learned to be more sensitive, understanding and kind to people around me, including strangers. The recently published 2023 edition of the World Happiness Report shows that the range of happiness levels increased by about 25% over the three years analyzed (2020-2022), which included both the effects of the pandemic and the effects of the war in Ukraine. . “Kindness toward others, especially helping strangers, increased significantly in 2021 and remained elevated in 2022,” John Halliwell, one of the authors of the UN-backed report, told CNN in an interview.

Another interesting observation from this report is that the coronavirus pandemic has not affected global happiness. In general, it remained at the same level as in the previous analyzed periods. “Even during these difficult years, positive emotions remained twice as common as negative emotions,” says Helliwell.

7. “A crisis can eventually lead to something good”

The experience of the pandemic has changed us, but not necessarily for the worse. We are more vulnerable to stress and anxiety, but anxiety helps us connect with ourselves and pay more attention to our emotional needs. “The pre-pandemic normality no longer exists, but I don’t think we want that either, because now we want something different than what was. I learned a lot from others whom I lost, but the most important thing is that people began to understand what is in their power, and distinguish the real “I can’t” from the imaginary – from “I can’t quit this job” and even “I’m going, if I feel bad.” This means expanding opportunities,” concludes psychotherapist Daniela Peristeri.

“The pandemic was painful for those who lost loved ones, but overall there were positive moments. People connected with themselves, more introspection appeared, they began to value themselves and also value others more. After all, a crisis can lead to something good,” concludes Rezvan Peristeri.

Photo credits: Dreamstime.com/Regina Maria