Working from home, no social contact, and limited shopping have all made us think about how we need to do things differently. If you weren’t an online shopper before, you’ve had to learn. If you’ve never asked for help, this is a time where it’s perfectly normal to reach out to others – and people are willing to help. There are many things we won’t miss about life in quarantine, but there are definitely some healthy habits we can take with us as we slowly prepare for post-lockdown life. Here are five of those healthy habits.
More flexible working: Many teams have been able to function as normal, fulfilling their responsibilities as they adapt to a home working life. Managers have introduced online messaging systems, conference calls, and have found new ways of asking staff to account for the work they complete each day. While some fine-tuning is still needed, it’s expected that remote working will continue for at least a third of businesses after lockdown has eased.
Continuing kindness: Yes, we were all kind before but since the pandemic, there’s been a more authentic and genuine kindness around. Offering to pick up someone’s shopping, lending old toys (cleaned), asking complete strangers how they’re doing, and caring about the answer: they’re all acts of kindness that should stick around.
Helping community: The number of voluntary groups set up to help people isolating or feeling lonely has really opened up human compassion. For the first time in a long time, there are reams of groups offering their skills or a listening ear to help and support others. People are showing that there’s no need to wait for the government to step in and help. People have great power in numbers and it shows that action can happen when they come together for a common cause.
Bringing old hobbies to life: So many people are embracing crafts they used to love and for many reasons. Either because they miss a hobby they used to have, want to learn a new skill – and because they now have the time to spend on it. What’s more, arts are proven to have a great impact on mental health and wellbeing. At a time when many are stuck at home and many alone, arts and crafts are so uplifting in a time of crisis.
Getting more from food: Restrictions on shopping and food shortages have meant people have really had to think of alternative ways of making food last. Rather than pop to the shop for more bread every time, more people have experimented with making their own. Leftovers are being frozen for the next day and alternatives are being found for food like pasta, with Quinoa and Cous Cous seeing a rise in sales.
