Psychological Vs Physical Impact Of COVID19

Boy did the you-know-what hit the fan with the Wuhan Coronavirus.

Going back to New Year's Eve 2019, who would have guessed the massive pivot that would have occurred in the first few months of 2020?

I didn't.  And I suspect that only those in the epicenter really understood what we were facing in the beginning of 2020. Everyone else was blissfully ignorant of the massive microbe that was rapidly moving across the face of the globe, which would produce yet another "before" and "after" point in time in modern world history.

Before And After Points In Time

When dramatic events occur that shape the world, there are two elements to the "before" and "after" pivot that occurs.  The real physical element that happens and the psychological fallout of the event.  These may be seen as the primary event and secondary fallout. 

In WW2, the primary impact of the event occurred in only some parts of the world, yet the secondary impact was felt world wide.  The same for 9/11.  The primary impact of the initial event was quite small, (geographically), yet the secondary impact was also felt world wide. 

COVID19, like these other events will slice the events of the world in two.  "Before-COVID" and "After-COVID" is already being used by many to describe recent time.  The rapid progression of this event changed many elements of our world, with many of those changes being permanent. It has produced a "before" and "after" cleft in the timeline of our lives.

The physical and psychological impact

With COVID19, the physical impact of the event wasn't isolated to a small geographic area with global psychological impact, like many prior pivot points in history.  No, COVID19 was a unique event where the physical AND psychological maps of impact are nearly identical.  Just about every corner of the globe has been physically impacted by the infectious agent AND the psychological fallout has also been global. Every individual person has been impacted physically and psychologically by this pivot. The last time this happen was the the Flu pandemic at the beginning of the 20th century.

How Did You Change?

Pivot points in world history likely do change everyone. For many it's only psychological, not physical.  For others it's both.  But in this pandemic, every one of us has been impacted in both ways.  You didn't need to be infected by COVID19 to have a physical impact.  You were locked up in your house; forced to wear a mask outdoors;  told to wash your groceries before bringing them into your house; prevented from hugging your grand-kids; experienced the death of a friend or family member; saw your loved one, a health provider, go into a danger zone to treat others; or were unable to work or any experienced any number of other restrictions, demonstrating the real physical impact of this pivot. With each of these physical manifestations, there are even greater secondary psychological impacts that manifest.

Getting Past COVID19

We are not to the point yet where we can say COVID19 is behind us.  In fact there still is a significant amount of this pandemic to play out.  But with greater knowledge and experience, we can traverse the remainder of this pandemic in a more intelligent manner. We should use the lessons learned so far to formulate rational plans and actions.

But neither the path we take, nor the lessons we have learned should be relegated entirely to others.  No, we each need to determine for ourselves what this pandemic has taught us and how we, as individuals will move forward in the "post-COVID" world. We also need to hold our leaders to the same standard of rational action that we hold ourselves. Its become clear to me that many of the so-called leaders (governmental, medical and self-proclaimed) have decided to use this pandemic for the advancement of their own agendas. Creating public policy, not based on science, but for the advancement of a political agenda. *

Each of us needs to examine our own personal "world" and how it has been changed by this pandemic, both physically and psychologically. We need to review those personal changes and determine our own best path for the future and how we will personally "pivot" physically and psychologically in the future.  It's not a question if we will change, but how we will change.  What do we want that change to look like?  What do we want to change to?

Without conscious thought about your personal pivot, you are just a passive bystander, allowing others to shape your future.  Instead it is time to take control over your future by determining what you want, what resources you have, what the new environment offers and then determine and create the future that you want. To assume control over your own life.

It's time to ask yourself:  What has been your personal psychological and physical impact from COVID19?  How will your "post-COVID" life look compared to your "pre-COVID" life?

How will you use that experience to determine and shape your personal "post-COVID" world?

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 *Some of the political B.S. that I have seen includes idiotic decrees from politicians such as "it's ok to be on wet sand at the beach, but not dry sand". "It's ok on the beach, but not the water".  "Masks are not needed.  Oops, now they are!  Ok, maybe they are not needed.  WHO (or CDC) knows?" Or canoes are ok, but motorboats are not.  Or "it's ok for out of state visitors to go to their cottages, but not in-state cottage owners". Or one of the biggest fatal whoppers:  "It's required for nursing homes to accept COVID positive patients." 

Everyone needs to open their eyes and ears and critically decide what makes sense...and what doesn't. Stop relying on someone else (i.e. the media) to tell you what to think! Look at the real impact and make your own decisions.  Hold your elected officials accountable.  If they have been infringing on your rights, or if their policies have resulted in physical or psychological injury,  for their political agendas ... it's time to vote them out and hold them accountable.  Look at what they DO and its long term impact, rather than what they say they are doing.  They often are not the same.