2020 – it was the turn of a new decade and one that brought us expectations of new adventures and experiences for the year ahead. But it hasn’t exactly turned out to be the fabulous new roaring 20s that we’d hoped for. Coronavirus has impacted all of us in one way or another, whether you’d planned to take exams this year, booked a flight somewhere exotic or mapped out your pub crawl route for your birthday, we’ve all had to make sacrifices to keep ourselves and loved ones safe. At times, it can feel as if COVID-19 has plagued our lives, and our minds, ubiquitously. And don’t get me wrong, I’m gutted that my 2020 plans have been postponed to another time, however, I am refusing to allow this negativity to blanket me. Instead, let’s focus on the positive…

With the likes of media channels such as BBC News and Buzzfeed showing us very limited coverage of undeniably beautiful events that have unfolded across the globe (all the positive nuggets of hope), it’s easy to get consumed by the devastating impact of the pandemic. Well, I’m going to use this platform to show you that there is a silver lining in this coronavirus cloud…

Genuine community spirit

In every corner of the UK, an ‘end-of-war-like’ togetherness has been rekindled. Previously, it was considered rude to purposefully cross the road in order to avoid someone walking in your direction. Nowadays, there is a common understanding that we are simply trying to free our families from the virus. Nevertheless, we no longer fail to say hello to our neighbours and ask how they are, and to get a real response, not just a “fine thanks”.

Every Thursday night, at 8pm, communities across the UK join in solidarity to proudly applaud our unsung heroes. Our sung heroes (the footballers, the singers and the Kardashians) have taken a backstage seat – and rightly so! The nurses, the doctors, paramedics, volunteers, teachers, soldiers, police officers, civil servants, care workers, shop workers, delivery drivers, and so on – they are our heroes – and we now realise it!

Why follow the Brit Awards when we can follow the Pride of Britain Awards?

Our dogs’ tails are always wagging

I must admit my dog is exhausted. He simply isn’t used to the house being so full of life all day, every day. I know he enjoys his peace and quiet, but, it’s clear how happy he is when we are all at home together. Secretly though, what pleases him the most is that we are all here to sneakily pass him a treat or two, and to pay him huge amounts of attention whenever he asks for it!

A break from monotonous education

Okay, I must admit, I found my A Level subjects very interesting, and certainly far from monotonous. However, to get to this point, students across the country have to slug their way through 12 years of core, monotonous and often pointless subjects that simply bore and pain us.

As children are now being home-schooled, parents are simply guided by what to teach rather than how to teach. Children are now learning in ways that are suited to their needs, and in ways that are exciting and captivating. They are learning life skills like cooking and hygiene. An art lesson is now painting rainbows for the NHS. PE is now taught by Joe Wicks, or they’re having fun on Just Dance. Children are now reading for pleasure, and not because they’re forced to.

Blue skies and blue oceans

The colour of the sky now matches the ocean: blue – the way it’s supposed to be.

The earth suddenly looks untouched and undamaged. The canals in Venice have been gifted with creatures, who are no longer scared to be there. And believe it or not, the sea in Blackpool looks like a beach on the Turks & Caicos Islands, resembling tap water.

Health and self-love are trendy again

Finally, and most importantly, we have gained a new sense of perspective: health and self-love come first.

The closure of McDonald’s and KFC has resulted in more home-cooked, fresh meals. We have time for exercise and time to invest in our health, and we no longer feel the need to retire to Spain for that slow-paced lifestyle.

Right now, the world is scary and stressful. Yet if we see the glass as half full rather than half empty, we can see that elements of our challenged lives have brightened.

Nobody can promise that the world will return to “normal,” but maybe our new normal will be better than our world before the outbreak.