Times have changed.

For a long time, our idea of “taking care of ourselves” is to get as high of a paying job to earn as much money to be able to buy the nicest car and our dream home, be able to put the kids through college, and retire.

Then COVID happened.

We witnessed jobs melt down. We saw vulnerabilities and failures in existing infrastructures especially our food system. We realized that the world may or may not take care of us and we must make a fundamental shift in our idea of being “responsible for ourselves.”

What fundamental lifestyle changes will make us more resilient in a time of crisis?

Eliminate debt. Being stuck in a debt trap ties up our time and money. We have all heard it before – people being stuck in a job that they hate, to pay for credit card bills from spending on things they do not need, to impress people they do not like. Intentional spending is the answer. Spending money based on our values makes for more enjoyment from, and good relationship with money.

Have an emergency fund. In a time of modern crisis, the single greatest asset that we can have is our cash reserve. It is our first line of defense from financial ruin. Experts recommend keeping between three to six months worth of living expenses in cash to cover unexpected bills or crises. The idea is to have enough to support us in a worst-case scenario such as temporarily losing income.

Practice supply management and reasonable food storage. Now we have a better idea of the logistics of self-isolation and quarantine. The home being our place of comfort should be able to keep us calm and healthy specially during a time of crisis. Whether by mandate or personal choice, being cooped up in the house for a prolonged period of time is much more manageable if we have basic kitchen skills, know enough recipes and our cupboards are well- stocked with at least the very basics.

What you buy is just as important as how much of it you buy. The general guide to having a resilient pantry and sufficient stock of home supplies is having essentials on hand, and bulking up on cookable items with longer shelf lives. This is not a call for panic-buying. Keeping a reasonable supply of shelf-stable food and other supplies on hand – before a crisis arises – makes sense for emergencies such as natural disasters and long stretches of unemployment.

Take control of our health by playing a conscious and active role in it. Our health needs may vary but our basic necessities are the same: healthy eating, hydration, physical activity and rest. The most common chronic degenerative diseases trace back to the toxic food that we eat. Can we imagine what we can save ourselves from if we only stop and simply look at what is on the table and ask ourselves, “How was this prepared?” “Will it truly nourish me?”

Aside from food, we also consume with our other senses. Our consciousness absorbs these consumptions thus the metaphorical question “What’s eating you?” We must be mindful to avoid filling our mind and heart with negative energies. A resilient mind is a positive one and which will help us focus on hope and visualize better times ahead.

Learn coping skills. Emotional resilience is of utmost importance in navigating the ups and downs of life. It is not necessarily winning the battle, but the strength in powering through the storm while “keeping the sail steady.” The adaptability to stressful situations enables us to “roll with the punches” and come out of adversity without lasting difficulties. Robust emotional awareness and regulation, and strong interpersonal relationships are key. A support network of compassionate people, which we all need in this life, will help us feel less alone in times of need.

Grow food at home. Gone are the days when only those who have acres of land can produce their own food. Growing microgreens, herb and kitchen scrap gardening are relatively easy and can absolutely be accomplished even in urban settings. With much discussions about where our food comes from and what process they go through before they reach our plates, what could be more reassuring than knowing all that went into the food that we put in our body?

It is time we went back to consuming real food. Think about it. If there is a health food section in the grocery store, what does that make the rest of the foods sold there?

Support local. The recent crisis proved how vulnerable we are under the existing food system. How could dairy, produce and other supplies have gone to waste when the demand had in fact surged? The answer is distribution. The current model keeps farmers and manufacturers from getting food and products to people in their community. Our food system should be redesigned keeping in mind both the individual consumer’s health and the community as a whole.

A resilient community can take care of its own needs and have the ability to absorb, recover and prepare for future economic, environmental, social and institutional shocks. It is time we pushed back from centralized government programs and question monopolistic controls of everything in society that we need such as food, fuel and power.

If the resources are there, why do we have to go the round-about route instead of a more direct access to our needs? You know what they say about “too many hands in the pot.” The perfect example of this is solar power. Sunshine has always been free, there is enough for us all, and the technology to convert that power to electricity has been around for a long time. Prices have dropped to where we can afford solar systems to produce and consume our electricity. The decision to switch to a less-regulated, cleaner and more sustainable energy source is a no- brainer. When irradiation is limited for reasons such as shading, community solar farms prove to be a viable option.

Farm-to-table operations, community-supported agriculture and supporting local manufacturers and producers ensure that we have access to our own goods and services especially when, for one reason or another, the centralized distribution systems fail us. When we support local, supply chains are shorter, fairer and cleaner and we are able to address the priorities of our community members.

This crisis brought about an opportunity for change. Our old normal failed the stress test. Let us not simply bounce back and revert to our old ways. We now have the chance to build back better, remake the world and adjust our lifestyles based on what we have learned from this crisis.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Focus On St. Charles County Magazine.