5 ways the movie Groundhog Day can teach us about coping during Covid-19

As we come up on almost a year of our very own Groundhog Day, we look at how Bill Murray's movie might hold important life lessons for living in a pandemic.

We are all Bill Murray as Phil Connors in Groundhog Day.

We are all Phil Connors

Just like Phil embraced the notion of repeating days on a loop at the beginning in Groundhog Day, lots of us were all about the lockdown back in March. Time with family, time in the fresh air - even though there was a deadly virus on the loose, some of it felt good. Now, just like Phil realised in the movie, we know better. 

Live every day as though it's tomorrow, even if it means drinking coffee from a jug, instead of a cup. 

"Well, what if there was no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

If there is one thing the pandemic has shown us, it's that we can't predict the future. Like Phil Connors, maybe it's time to start living as though there is no tomorrow. Ring that person you think of all the time, spend time doing things you love and indulge yourself when the opportunity arises. 

Don't give up

We are all struggling with the idea of a never-ending pandemic. With no end in sight and no dates for reopening set in stone, it's hard to find positivity in an endless loop. Groundhog Day shows us that giving up does not work. No matter what method Phil tries to bypass his own Groundhog Day, nothing is successful, until he faces his problems head-on. 

If you can stand the people you live with at this point in the pandemic, you will be able to stand them forever. 

If you still love the people that you are living with now, you are doing ok

Phil Connors fell in love with Rita, content in the notion that he would have to live the same day every day for the rest of his life. We have been living in close proximity to the same people since March. If we are doing ok now, that is enough.

Every day is an opportunity to fix yesterday's mistakes

We might not literally live the same day every day, but just rather than see this time as something for self-gratification, why not see it as an opportunity to clear up mistakes that you've made along the way. Maybe you need to apologise to someone or tell a family member that you love them more often. Above all, Groundhog Day shows us that it's important to look at our priorities and make adjustments now so that our future will be full of happiness.