One Year of Unprecedented Times: Reflections on a Global Pandemic, WFH, and Small Joys

Now that an entire year has passed that we’ve been dealing with a global pandemic, (and let’s be honest, a lot of global panic too), it seems appropriate to take a minute to reflect on the past year and everything that’s happened. Needlessly to say, it’s been a roller coaster of a year, with a whirlwind of emotions and adjustments for all of us. We’ve gone through multiple stages of lockdowns and quarantines, had to adjust to a lot of constant changes very quickly and had endless exchanges of “unprecedented times” and reassuring each other “ca va bien aller”! 

 

It’s strange to look back and see that an entire year of this new “normal” has gone by. Last March, we were just starting to hear about the threat of coronavirus; and even then, we thought things would be normal again after a few weeks. Isn’t it strange to look back and realize we initially didn’t even wear masks when we went out? Now I can’t even fathom leaving my house without a mask! March 2020 and up until now, has been a challenging time for all of us. It seems every few weeks there’s something new to worry about or adjust to, be it a new variant strain or new lockdown measures. 

 

But this post isn’t to reflect on all the bad that has occurred this past year. Not that we’re ignoring all that’s occurred, we’re simply… having a different discussion right now. And that is a discussion of hope, optimism, and moving forward. We don’t know how long this pandemic will remain with us, or what we’ll be hit with next. Even with vaccine procurement happening, we know that rollouts have been slow and we are likely going to have to remain cautious and distanced for most of this year as well. But over a year into this “new normal” at least we are better mentally prepared to expect the unexpected, and aware that we might be indoors and socially distanced for still some time to come. 

 

As many of us continue working from home, or overall are spending a lot more time at home since things are in lockdown and we can’t socialize or go out the way we used to, we’ve all had to adjust to our home lives in new and different ways. Whether it’s finding new ways to stay occupied, or balancing personal vs professional roles, setting boundaries, and finding new coping mechanisms for our mental health. Mental health has especially been an important conversation and on-going priority this past year for many of us, as living through a global pandemic is taxing on our mental health in numerous ways. It’s important to find healthy and various ways to cope, and sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can help us get through our day. 

 

So here’s to the little things in life, the small joys, the little bits that keep us going. Whether it’s that perfect cup of hot chai, or the quiet stillness of an early morning, an evening walk to help unwind, or relaxing with a book or tv show at the end of a long day; we all have the little parts of our day that help keep us going. 

 

Personally, I was actually missing buying overpriced lattes from local coffee shops that I used to get on my way to work, and feeling tired of having bleak instant coffee, so I finally got a French press (thanks to a lovely friend) and invested in some delicious coffee from a local shop at Jean Talon market. And once I made that switch? Wow! My mornings were transformed. I always woke up looking forward to making a cup of delicious, REAL, coffee. It was a pretty small thing but it truly made working from home a lot more enjoyable for me. I enjoyed the longer ritual of making coffee every morning and the taste was just so much better and more comforting. 

 

Here at SAWCC our team has been missing our vibrant centre life dearly! Engaging with coworkers and clients alike was a fundamental part of life at the centre, as we believe in the values of building community and sisterhood; which is a little bit trickier when we can’t be together in person! But nonetheless, restrictions aside, we’ve had a long year of adjusting, adapting, and working harder than ever to provide our services-users with the best possible services, and supporting each other as a team, as we continue our work virtually.  

 

I asked my lovely team members to share with me what their year was like, in a creative way: I asked that they submit one photo that captured the essence of what their year was like OR something that helped them cope with these difficult times and brought them joy. Check out our compilation and their thoughts below! 

 

 

 

Until next time, 

Kiran