We have seen shifts in happiness around the world, and the pandemic has changed the global shape of happiness. Much of our lives are driven by our pursuit of happiness and yet happiness may not be a silver bullet but rather a state of mind, an intrinsic feeling that may be determined and influenced by both internal and external factors. How do we know who is happy? And how do Canadians fare?
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We all have spent the past 14 months social distancing, with the vital components of what is at the heart of community shut down such as parks, trails, cafes, community centres, events and social gatherings. We find ourselves at a unique crossroads, working hard to find solutions to a problem whose scope is beyond anything we’ve ever encountered before and the effects are deep. The pandemic has affected our jobs, our families, and our communities. However, it is in communities that we will find the strength to not only persevere but to emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
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Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, municipalities across the country began setting up COVID-19 recovery task forces. The majority of these task forces had one main purpose: to help local businesses recover from the financial devastation of the pandemic. While economic recovery is vital to ensuring our communities can bounce back, few communities are prioritizing the importance of social recovery. Rates of loneliness, social isolation, burnout, anxiety, and stress are rising nationwide. It’s clear now more than ever before that our social well-being needs to be prioritized alongside our economic well-being.
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We are reflecting on 2020, looking back on how communities were able to continue their programs while also wondering how they will keep them going. One of the common themes was the power of possibilities especially centered around this question - “how might we?” Communities asked how might wes as they navigated the changing landscape of COVID, for example; How might we continue to engage community virtually? How might we get more responses to our survey? How might we bring hope to our community?
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The pandemic is challenging not only our physical, mental, and economic health but also our social health. Lockdowns have shifted our daily routines and impacted our access to public places. Outdoor gathering spaces like parks and farmers markets are being redesigned to meet new public health guidelines. Indoor gathering spaces like libraries, community centres, and places of worship have closed to help prevent transmission of the virus. And despite our best intentions, Zoom conversations and social media platforms remain poor substitutes for in-person interactions. After months of social distancing, we are realizing how important public spaces are in fostering the social connections that are so vital to our collective wellbeing.
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As we have all pivoted and learned to live in a COVID-19 era, the associated need for physical distancing and other monumental behavioural shifts have taken a toll on Canadians’ mental health.
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