There is much to complain about the coronavirus pandemic, be it frustration from wearing masks or the feeling of being in prison due to lockdowns. The year 2020, in general, has been a flop with long-loved actors dying and the potential threat of World War Three. However, changing the tune of disappointments to gratitude can turn that frown upside down.

Taking for granted in-person contact. While video chat is a decent substitute, in-person connection and conversations are unbeatable. “Eyes are the window to the soul.” Eye contact conveys appreciation, creates a bond and delivers an understanding to both the speaker and receiver. A screen in between parties conversing causes a disconnection. This makes one realize and appreciate just how important genuine human interaction is.

In lockdown, most were excited to be left to one’s own devices. However, this quickly changed around the seventh day in the same pajamas. Before the lockdowns, it was a hassle to get out of bed every day, shower, put on clothes and walk out the door. Now, the gratitude that lies behind these menial tasks is in the want/need to feel clean and look presentable – realizing this wasn’t just for other’s approval but was for our own way of expressing self-love.

Previously unconscious actions now sit at the forefront of our minds. Before the pandemic, the thought of touching a door handle, a gas pump or coins/bills wasn’t a conscious thought, more, a kind of muscle memory. Along with shaking someone’s hand and watching a stranger scratch their nose and touch a surface, it appears the general population has developed a pseudo-obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, the upside of this OCD is in the hopefulness of trusting that one did, in fact, wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Everyone is struggling. Let’s all come together and beat 2020 by changing our attitudes with gratitude.