Lessons learned from the 1918 Spanish Flu

Imagine if we could talk to someone who lived through the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the lessons we could learn. That is impossible, of course, but I started thinking—what if someone in the future wanted to speak to a survivor of the COVID pandemic of 2020? As one such survivor (at least so far), here are some lessons I have learned, a sort of time capsule for the future if you will.

Slow Down Turbo!

Probably the most important and difficult lesson that I have come to learn this past year was to learn to SLOW DOWN, turbo! Live simply. This has been a difficult but much needed lesson for me to learn. In the fast-paced, “pre-COVID” world, it was nearly impossible to see how fast I was moving and what I was missing out on. I was plowing through life without stopping to enjoy the small moments that truly matter. But when COVID hit, I had no choice; we were all forced to slow down. Though uncomfortable at first, I did come to benefit greatly from this lesson. I learned that going outside, enjoying nature, and breathing more make stressful moments in life much more manageable. I found that when I took a moment to slow, my overall mood improved and that all-consuming feeling of being overwhelmed with fear diminished. I felt ready to take life by the horns--masked up of course. This is one lasting lesson that will help anyone in the future be much better equipped to take on those stressful moments that life brings.

Respect Your Elders—And All Others

Respect for others is a value we all need to cultivate, but it has been difficult this year with so much tearing us apart. We saw the Black Lives Matter movement melt into the Blue Lives Matter movement, with seemingly no middle ground. We saw the Big Lie lead to insurrectionists damaging and nearly destroying the Capitol Building. We’re suddenly experiencing mass shootings derived from hate. Even the choice to wear a mask has led to disrespect. Where is the encouragement to pay it forward and love your neighbor, even if it needs to be from a distance? Yes, love and appreciation for frontline workers has been there and they deserve it, but so do our elders, small businesses, neighbors, and everyone around us. It’s time to stop the hate and to love again. With COVID taking so many lives this year, we need to realize that our time on earth is precious, and we must cherish those who may be taken from us in a blink. Love is more powerful and more impactful than hate.

Hibernation Nation

Nesting at home became a sort of life style. We saw PJs on super stars zooming on The Tonight Show and moms working at the kitchen table in their sweatpants and Lululemon clothing. Sales shot up 37% in casual wear—and the category sales for 2020 exceeded 105 billion in sales. I call it Hibernation Nation. Kelly Ripa in her fancy black satin jammies and diamond jewelry even started a trend on TikTok.

Not only did we hibernate, but we also found ways to adapt and take care of ourselves from our homes. I really missed my mani / pedi, massages, and workouts at the gym, so instead of going without them for an entire year, I found ways to do it myself from my living room. We made the best of the self-care aisle at Target, we figured out ways to exercise in our room, and we learned to pamper and beef up our immune systems. I will eventually go back to the yoga studio, but for now, I am grateful I had a way to stay connected to my work out. We have all figured out ways to use our resources and maximize technology to tune up our old routine into a new “COVID-safe” routine.

Family Matters

We all know that terrible feeling of missing friends and family members, and we know it now more than ever. Many of us have been unable to physically be present to help a family member who is sick, grieving, or just lonely. We have meal prepped for those we love, and provided a shoulder to cry on via Zoom or Skype. Though these are great tools, nothing beats a warm embrace and physical conversation with a loved one. We should remember how lonely these times were, and when we are able to get together in person again, we shouldn’t take those precious moments of being together in person for granted again.

Retail Isn’t Going Away

Many people have turned to online shopping during COVID-19, but now that those retail shops that we all love and use to shop regularly are opening back up, we should not write them off. Though many of your favorite stores may have tragically closed due to the impacts of COVID shut-downs, retail is not going away-- it’s just changing. You may see those retailers who closed pop up again. An increase in vacant office space is an opportunity for condos/apartments to pop-up in downtowns and many of these will become mixed use spaces with retailers on the lower level and condos above. These play/live environments will revive the once high-traffic shopping areas. Though enclosed shopping malls may be in trouble with retailers vacating space and merchants like Gap, William Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel terminating leases to move into free-stand space, retail will pivot, recover, and will need our support once again. I hope the super-regional shopping center isn’t turning into the dinosaur on the side of the road, but regardless, brick and mortal will prevail.

COVID has changed everything for all of us, but it has also provided many lessons that many of us may have needed to learn. The Spanish Flu changed the economy and culture of those living in 1918 as well. Though we may not have any survivors to speak to about the impacts of the Spanish Flu, we know from historical data that the impacts rippled through the world just as dramatically as COVID has. The loss of life in 1918 changed the way women were viewed and respected, and how employers hired women. Women gained more support, became powerful in the work force, and were finally given the right to vote. The positive impact of COVID-19 on my life is that I have realized the importance of slowing down, embracing small moments, respecting those around me, spending quality time with family, and cherishing every minute we have here on earth. It is up to us to help shine a positive light on what can come out of this terrible pandemic that has shaken the world, but it does not all have to be bad. We can and will recover from this and come out the other end better and stronger.

“We can and will recover from this and come out the other end better and stronger. ”

Source: ICSC, Retail Dive