If 2020 was a year of fear and isolation, 2021 marked one of return – a road toward something like “normal”, despite so many hairpin turns. The mass distribution of Covid-19 vaccines did not restore the norms of pre-pandemic life, as many had hoped, but it did change the rules of engagement. Time and again, people adapted.
As we greet a third calendar year of pandemic life, the Guardian turned to experts across disciplines who have helped the rest of us make sense of the past two years for lessons learned, and wisdom to carry forward.
The experts:
Jessica Richards is the founder of the trend forecasting firm JMR Trend + Creative.
Sydney Mintle is the founder of fashion marketing and public relations firm Gossip & Glamour.
Thomas Plante is a professor of psychology at Santa Clara University.
Kelly Hills is a bioethicist and co-founder of the bioethics consulting firm Rogue Bioethics.
Barbara J Sahakian is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Cambridge.
Saskia Popescu is an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government.
What was something you realized in 2021 that you wish you’d known, or done, in 2020?
Jessica Richards: My biggest piece of advice to my 2020 self would be to stop planning and just do the next right thing.
Sydney Mintle: I now wish someone had told me earlier on to savor the quiet moments of reflection instead of panicking about when things would return to normal. The truth is, there is no “normal” any more and we have to remain agile and imaginative.
Kelly Hills: I wish I’d taken the time to plan out the ideal accoutrements for a really comfortable and fun movie-watching experience at home – what it would mean for lighting, sound, seats, even things like the best way to make popcorn or how get that mixed-at-the-tap taste for soda. Maybe even a tap or two for beer and hard cider. A way to replicate what we enjoy about going to the movies, but at home. I realized that there are aspects of the theatre experience I really miss.
Thomas Plante: I wished that I knew this was going to go on for so long. I would have bought stock in Zoom!
What unexpected lesson have you learned from this long and challenging pandemic, and how has it changed your approach to work or life moving forward?
Plante: Politicizing the pandemic, rather than treating it as a public health crisis being guided by public health experts, is something I didn’t see coming. I am more skeptical of people’s ability to think and behave logically. My wife (also a psychologist) and I often find ourselves saying that after being licensed psychologists for over 30 years, we still apparently have much to learn about human behavior.
Mintle: The pandemic has shown us that we all truly want to be seen and connected. Whether that’s taking place digitally or in real life, what we missed most during the pandemic was human connection and the opportunity to share ideas. During the pandemic, I joined a book club and started reading books by authors of color that have deeply resonated with me. Seeking to understand different points of view will be critical as we work to navigate the changes ahead in 2022.
Barbara J Sahakian: I’ve prioritized putting into practice things that I already knew were good for me, but did not always do because of my busy work routine. I now get more outdoor exercise and have a better work-life balance. And as soon as pandemic lockdowns ended in the UK, I made sure to do more of the things I enjoy: going to the opera, ballet and theatre, and visiting restaurants with friends and family.
Saskia Popescu: I’ve realized the importance of communication that isn’t fixated on a timeline, and instead takes into account the ebbs and flows of a public health challenge. I realized that ending the pandemic requires continued buy-in from people who are exhausted, who perhaps haven’t been supported as best they should have, or maybe don’t understand the severity of the situation. As a result, I find it important to have more conversations with members of the public to better understand and address specific, existing concerns.
I also learned that no matter how much we may think pandemic response should be simple and straightforward, it will be inherently politicized, nuanced, complicated and require the ability to lean into change and work to ensure trust from the public as a critical resource.
Richards: As a trend forecaster, it’s my job to think about what life will be like six months, or a year, or even two years from now. When I kick off a new season, I ask myself a series of leading questions to shape the research, including “Where are we going?” During the pandemic, asking myself that question – and, more importantly, asking the follow-up question: “How will I get there?” – helped lay the groundwork for personal goal setting, too.
Though the pandemic was and continues to be so large and all-encompassing, the practice of focused steps, leading to the next, and then the next, feels like a way to keep moving forward.
