In Ireland, 81% of people will approach looking after their own wellbeing differently as a result of Covid-19, according to a new survey from leading protection specialist Royal London.
The pandemic has had a profound impact on the way we, as a nation, view our own lives, as evidenced by the survey, undertaken by iReach, which also revealed that 89% of respondents (1,000 adults throughout the country) now place greater importance on their “freedom”.
The findings also showed that the young people of Ireland were most likely to say the pandemic has changed the way they view the ‘big things’ in life – family, friends, career, health and wellbeing, work life balance and freedom. This was also the case for women, who were more likely than men to have experienced a change in how they value almost all of these important elements of life.
Sara Murphy, Marketing Lead at Royal London commented on the findings, saying: “A global crisis of the nature and scale of Covid-19 has caused uncertainty and anxiety for people all over the world. Many have experienced loss, health fears, social isolation, work and disruption, and economic instability as a result of the pandemic.
"Going through such things can understandably alter a person’s perspective, leading to a greater focus on what’s important and potentially causing a change in outlook.
“Our survey found that 81% of people in Ireland have changed their approach to how they take care of their wellbeing, at least a little bit, due to the pandemic.
"Those in the 18–24-year-old age bracket were most likely to have experienced this change: 63% of respondents in this age group said their approach towards their own wellbeing had changed “a lot”, compared to just 20% of 35–44-year-olds.”
Ms Murphy continued: “There’s no doubt the impact of the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19 has made us value our social connections. So, unsurprisingly, the vast majority of survey respondents consider freedom, health and wellbeing, family and friends to be more important than ever.”
The survey reveals how people’s priorities and what they consider important have changed, according to what stage of life they are at.
Ms Murphy said: “The two youngest age brackets (18-24 and 25-34-year-olds) are most likely to indicate their working priorities have changed since the pandemic. For example, 86% of 18-24-year-olds and 77% of 25-34-year-olds say work life balance is more important now, compared to 57% of people aged 55 and over.
The vast majority of all age groups consider family, friends, health and wellbeing, and freedom to be more significant now.”
