We asked how your lives improved during the pandemic. Here’s what you said

The pandemic threw into question everything we thought we knew, from office culture to citizens’ trust in the government. It forced a change in how we lived: milestones were marked without loved ones, our isolation separated us from friends and family, and future planning became unfathomable when so much was uncertain.

But the past three years also offered people the opportunity to rethink their values and priorities, break old habits and start new ones. Embracing change feels like a worthy antidote to years of tragedy, sadness and grief. Now, in the return to “normal,” Canadians are discovering whether the lessons we learned will stick – and, perhaps, give us new models for a happier relationship with ourselves.

The Globe reached out to readers to ask them to reflect on this “great reset.” After reading through dozens of responses, some broad trends leaped out.

Some readers told us about how the pandemic pushed them to make a large move they had always dreamed about. Others realized the value in separating work and life, and switched jobs to find that balance. And in the absence of commutes, many Canadians learned that our days can be shaped instead by community – and that maybe that’s a better way to live. The conventional approach to work led us to widespread dissatisfaction and seemingly ubiquitous burnout even before the pandemic.

Overwhelmingly, our readers told us the last few years allowed them to reconnect to the natural world. While living in quarantine has offered some – mostly the privileged among us – a rare opportunity to reflect on our lives, these reader insights offer a glimpse into the big and small ways some Canadians are reimagining life on the other side.

I learned

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“The pandemic brought me home to myself. It was a forced confrontation. A protest initially. A ‘This can’t be.’ Locked down and locked up. Away. But slowly the away changed to silence and the silence changed to listen. The sounds, new and soft, an opening. I wrote. I painted. I meditated. I walked. I read. I thought. I prayed. I found a meaning I had lost. A comfort with myself in this crazy but wonderful world” – Kimberly Schols, 68, Oakville, Ont.

“I learned that there was more to life than work, and that the ‘things’ I used to value in life before really weren’t that important. And that if I had to work, it needed to be in a job with a respectful culture that prioritized work and family. I decided to leave the management stream of work, and become a contractor, making less money but enjoying my life more.” – Marie MacDonald, 61, Gatineau, Que.

“I learned, after a lifetime mostly on my own, that remaining in closer touch with my siblings was a true priority for me. It was something we’d all become careless about doing. In the depths of lockdown, we began Zooming weekly at a set time, to update, to contact, to see, to hear each other. We’ve kept doing it every week, even as the pandemic receded. I feel that we are more unified and more aware of each other in so many ways since we began doing this. It was the greatest blessing the pandemic brought into my life.” – Ken Stephen, 68, Woodstock, Ont.

“I learned to embrace nature. Go to the woods and breathe in the fresh air. Listen to the quiet trickle of the streams or the roaring sound of waterfalls. We are amazed at how beautiful and yet how dangerous nature can be. Viruses are a part of nature. They were here long before our species and will be here long after. You can only be amazed and fear how a simple thing can greatly impact many things, including ourselves.” – Melissa Cooney, 35, Thomasburg, Ont.

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“I learned less is more when it comes to parenting. Small kids don’t need 30 people at their birthday party and elaborate balloon arches. They don’t need to be inundated with activities, events and places to go. A two-year-old flourishes on the playground and not always in an ‘attempted’ organized soccer practice. It was only by the forceful elimination of these things did I start to see the value in ‘just being a kid.’ – Leslie-Ann Kroeker, 34, Saskatoon, Sask.

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“I learned how to stay safe in these times, and how easily it can hit you hard. We were living on our boat prior to the COVID pandemic, where we found living alone together was all we really needed to be happy. Having built our boat, building a sauna during the pandemic seemed just natural for us, plus now we have a beautiful sauna we use regularly. I can be happy without food shopping as often.” – David Coe, 81, Gabriola Island, B.C.

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I was most surprised by

“I was most surprised by my resilience and stamina. During COVID-19, I walked the Camino de Santiago, virtually. The Camino de Santiago is 778 kilometres, and I walked 20,000 steps a day in downtown Toronto, using my Fitbit to track my walks. I walked through ravines, neighbourhoods, parks and along the waterfront. During the pandemic I also wrote and launched a new book on the mental, spiritual and physical joys of walking.” – Susan Sommers, 78, Toronto

”I was most surprised by how much better my life is since I became a self-employed nurse. I previously worked in one of the main emergency departments in Winnipeg. I now have the freedom to take time off when I need or want to. I have the freedom to make a very good wage while also living my dream to travel. I have the freedom to support my patients while on shift without being so exhausted that I am a risk to their health. I can’t see myself going back.” – Angela Switzer, 46, Winnipeg

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“My desire to reconnect with my faith. Pandemic-related stressors, including the loss of my primary income due to the film industry’s shutdown, contributed to feelings of hopelessness, depression and despair. By revisiting my Christian faith, after two decades of being away from the church, I felt inner peace and hope. I needed to reframe my thoughts to get through the many challenges I faced during the pandemic and the Scripture was a tool to help me do this.” – Melissa Pettit, 43, Abbotsford, B.C.

“I was most surprised by how changing our focus from retrofitting our living space to moving to a retirement community has opened up amazing opportunities and quality relationships. In our retirement community we can walk a few blocks to the pharmacy, medical lab, pool and sauna, and a hall where we attend musical performances. " – Laurie Ball, 70, Guelph, Ont.

I changed

“I once measured change in small, local, personal units like birthdays, stock market fluctuations, and federal elections. The pandemic altered those units of change. The units are now bigger. Now my units of change are global pre- and post-pandemic, pre- and current war. Life, once perceived as infinite and stable, must now be treated as finite and unpredictable.” – Rob Young, 74, Toronto

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“Amid the pandemic, there was a silver lining – the gift of time. With this gift, I was able to re-evaluate my priorities and focus on my passion for art. Together with my husband, who is also an artist, we made the bold decision to move from Langley, B.C., to Vancouver to a live/work artist studio, where we could create bigger paintings and fully immerse ourselves in our art. Our shared passion for art and our ability to work alongside each other has been invaluable, and it has brought us closer together.” – Emilie Fantuz, 34, Vancouver

“I changed who I keep in my life and who I spend time with. I am prioritizing the people who are genuine and aim to have a real relationship with me that is transparent and compassionate. I won’t tolerate cruelty or ignorance, or force relationships that have been unequal and can’t be balanced.” – Kessandra Costales, 27, Toronto