Published in El Pais, 18 September 2021.
We know that health is the most important thing in our lives. If we have health, we can work to our full potential. Health, according to the World Health Organization involves not only not being physically ill but being well physically, mentally, and socially. The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted us with all the worst: loneliness (social confinement), physical illness (and avoiding going to the hospital so as not to catch COVID-19), stress (from going or not being able to go to work, or from not having money), depression (the death of loved ones), etc.
What do we do? There are many things we cannot change because they require a government-level approach. What we can change is our view of life. We have learned that a small virus can change the course of the world but that we can survive with less as well. The world has become simpler as the possibility of working from home has become widespread and we have seen that many things like excess clothes, shoes, luxury cars are not the answer to a better quality of life. What has shown to have a lot of value, is to eat healthy, do sports specially to remove stress and share a moment with family and friends.
In this time we have also seen that savings can be generated if we change luxury (or excess) items for a basic consumption that does not reduce the quality of life. We have also learned that it is good to have money saved to be covered at the time of illness. So perhaps it’s worth taking an ongoing balance in our lives to see if it’s really worth sacrificing our financial stability that guarantees health coverage for temporary or excess luxuries.
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