Abstract
BackgroundKnowledge of what is uplifting and helpful during pandemics could inform the design of sustainable pandemic recommendations in the future. We have explored individuals’ views on helpful and uplifting aspects of everyday life during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods Participants answered a brief, daily survey via text messages during 14 consecutive days in July–August, 2020. The survey included the question: “During the past 24 hours, is there anything that has made you feel good or helped you in your life?” We used content analysis to compile responses from 693 participants, who provided 4,490 free-text answers, which resulted in 24 categories subsumed under 7 themes.ResultsPositive aspects during the COVID-19 pandemic primarily related to social interactions, in real life or digitally, with family, friends and others. Other important aspects concerning work, colleagues and maintaining everyday life routines. One theme concerning vacations, going on excursions and being in nature. Leisure and recreation activities, such as hobbies and physical exercise, also emerged as important, as did health-related factors. Bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings and activities that benefited well-being were mentioned frequently. Lastly, people commented on the government strategies for containing COVID-19, and whether to comply with restrictions.ConclusionsTo summarize, daily uplifts and helpful aspects of everyday life centered around social relationships. To comply with recommendations on physical distancing, people found creative ways to maintain social connections both digitally and face-to-face. Social interaction, maintenance of everyday life routines, hobbies and physical activity appeared to be important for well-being.
Highlights
Knowledge of what is uplifting and helpful during pandemics could inform the design of sustainable pandemic recommendations in the future
Well-being and mental health are affected by major life changes, in addition to minor negative and positive events in daily life, which can be referred to as daily hassles and uplifts [12]
Uplifts have been shown to be associated with improved self-assessed health, shortterm enhancement of positive affect, work performance, and lesser emotional exhaustion [13,14,15,16]
Summary
Knowledge of what is uplifting and helpful during pandemics could inform the design of sustainable pandemic recommendations in the future. In a global study, which examined coping strategies among participants across 15 nations, the most common coping strategies were watching television, social networking, listening to music, sleeping, doing household chores, eating, and finishing work that had piled up [18] Another global study investigated both positive and negative impacts of the pandemic, with results indicating that working from home and having less pressure of daily living had a positive impact on everyday life for many people. Strategies reported as helpful were keeping in touch with friends and family, exercising, practicing self-care and being in nature or having access to open spaces [19] These studies provide interesting indications on what people find uplifting, the findings are hampered by the studies’ retrospective cross-sectional designs
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