We Asked Montrealers How COVID-19 Shifted Their Priorities — Here's The Good & The Tragic

We asked readers how the pando changed their lives.

Contributing Writer

It's not an understatement to say that the pandemic has changed just about everything in our lives. From grocery store to labour shortages, from lipstick to hand sanitizer sales, there doesn't seem to be an aspect of our day-to-day that hasn't been shifted by the virus. It got us at MTL Blog thinking: has the pandemic changed us? We took to Instagram to find out.

We asked you, the readers, how the pandemic has shifted your priorities. Here are some of the responses we received.

The most common theme in your responses was a shift in your financial priorities. @mei_bourgie is "not buying a house anytime soon" and @hericlis_bravo "had to postpone [...] college because of the dollar value." @lilxox summed up the economic situation a lot of people are facing: "Now nothing is affordable... we so sad."

Several respondents are planning to leave the province in response to the pandemic. @ramisalhab is prioritizing "moving somewhere with better healthcare." @neil_drinkwater wants to "leave Quebec and Canada and to hopefully never return."

On a brighter note, many of you are now prioritizing your mental health thanks to the pandemic. @optimistic_martine is "no longer tolerating drama or negativity" while @mylcohen's priorities are "now are more focused on myself and my feelings!" "I should concentrate more on myself and my mental health," said @jlucas.23.

Another common thought was about working conditions. "I now would like to work from home ALL THE TIME," said @lebriamm. @lu_saeed has "no tolerance to BS working conditions" and @edgarme85 is "making my office super comfy." From the sound of it, it may be tough for companies to get people back in the office.

Some of you took advantage of lockdown to work on your goals. @dalia.cassano said the pandemic "gave me time to focus on my future without distractions! Studying!" and @_zhaye said "it helped me to focus and aim more!"

The best response in our humble opinion came from @syvertion, who said, "I realized the time to have fun and live life is [right now] [because] the apocalypse is always near." If that's not the mood of the moment, we don't know what is.

  • Jenna Pearl
  • Contributing Writer

    Jenna Pearl (she/her) is a contributing writer and former editorial fellow at MTL Blog. When she isn't blogging and ghostwriting, she can be found haunting the local thrift shops and cafés. Among other publications, her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MarieClaire.com, and the Montreal Gazette.

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