We know all about the bleak effects of COVID-19 all too well. Heck, we even recently just published extensive case studies on its effects on the logistics, events, travel, recruitment, and insurance industries.
It’s certainly true that the world will never be the same after this. Getting back to what we knew as “normal” isn’t even an option for many people.
For instance, if you’ve lost someone to covid-19, you will continue to grieve for a tragic and irrevocable loss. Some businesses, especially SME’s, have shut down permanently, unable to ride out the economic fallout. As a result, a lot of people won’t have any jobs to come back to.
On the other hand, the enforced mass slowdown has also brought about some welcome changes. Some of us have certainly had time to reflect on our lives, and even to reset some aspects that we’ve been meaning to for quite some time. Furthermore, the quarantine period has also enabled many to experiment with new habits and new lifestyles.
So, yes, the prolonged quarantine has changed all of us, but it’s not all bad. Here are some of the most common new habits that we ought to consider keeping even when all this is over:
1. Prioritizing family and friends.
“We should grab coffee sometime.” Does that sound familiar? It’s usually the prelude to plans for meeting up that never materialise, right?
Well, since the pandemic’s pretty much shuttered everyone’s plans, we’ve had more than enough time to reach out to people we haven’t spoken to in years. By now, you’ve probably rekindled old connections. You may even find yourself spending more time with family and friends (albeit virtually) than you did pre-covid.
Arguably, this is the best consequence of being under quarantine, and who wouldn’t want to continue this way?
2. Redefining success and reducing pressure on ourselves.
If there’s one thing I don’t miss about the pre-quarantine world, it’s the pressure to go to the “right events” and get the “right jobs.” All to show that we’re successful.
The global quarantine has forced all of us to slow down and has completely taken away our usual metrics for success. No one’s dressing up in designer duds and honking around in a flashy car anymore. Everyone’s attending Zoom meetings in sweats, crying toddler or barking dog optional. What would be the point otherwise?
And perhaps it is about time that we stop setting so much store by outward manifestations of success.
3. Less consumerism.
When job security becomes an illusion and when your pay is cut in half, you can hardly afford to go YOLO, right? Plus, even if you are still somehow flush with cash, it’s not like you can go on shopping sprees like you used to. Being forced to stay indoors simply means you can’t go around trying on and buying everything that catches your eye.
(Well, okay, some of us have been abusing the “add to cart” button as of late, but let’s put that aside for the sake of discussion.)
Hence, more and more people are learning to mend and make do. In the event that they do make a purchase, they now put more thought into it, particularly if they actually need the item or not. If they do proceed with buying it, they now choose to patronize small businesses instead.
Lasting utility and to an extent, happiness, now trumps instant gratification on some level.
4. Cooking and baking at home.
Speaking of less consumerism, a lot of people have developed a taste for home cooking and its results. If you can’t go out to eat, you might as well learn how to make your own sourdough starter, right?
Apart from unearthing skills, you didn’t know you had (e.g., baking your own bread), cooking more of your meals also implies a healthier diet. When you make more of your food from scratch, you’re less likely to touch the processed stuff. Plus, it can be great fun!
5. Daily exercise.
Raise your hand if you’ve taken up running, yoga, or some other workout routine from Youtube during quarantine? Feels great, doesn’t it?
Since having an all-day Netflix marathon isn’t exactly good for your sanity and productivity in the long term, even the inactive souls among us have taken to exercise. And boy, have they discovered just how much it can improve daily life.
Not only does a daily morning run give you an excuse to go out. It also helps you sleep better and have more energy throughout the day.
Just observe proper social distancing protocols and keep your mask on if you go outside, of course.
6. Recognizing that the world is more interconnected than we think.
Covid-19 may have started in China, but it gave rise to a global pandemic in a matter of months. It’s also far from the only catastrophe rocking the world this year, as your daily news feed very clearly shows.
All these dire circumstances have forced all of us to realize that all our actions have consequences. Some of these even ripple out farther than any of us are able to predict. Thus, there is a growing mindfulness among people these days to watch their carbon footprint, do what they can for charitable causes, and to actively advocate for worthwhile causes.
7. Exploring alternate working arrangements.
While it’s still not for everyone, the pandemic has debunked the myth that working from home isn’t viable for a lot of industries. Faced with a literal life or death scenario, many companies have made the shift and were pleasantly surprised with the results.
Those who were able to successfully shift to a work from home set-up currently enjoy a bevy of benefits. Among these are reduced overhead costs, greater flexibility, and increased employee satisfaction and retention.
Remote Staff’s cutting-edge platforms and systems, along with our years of experience and expertise in the remote work industry, have placed us in an ideal position to help our clients adapt to and even thrive in this #NewNormal.
We don’t just guide our customers towards finding and retaining the right talent from a rich and diverse pool of Filipino professionals. Our work also uplifts countless Filipino professionals and their families back home, giving them hope as the pandemic rages on around them.
Are you ready to help us make a difference where it counts the most? Contact us today and let us show you how.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
