With pandemic restrictions easing across the country, many of us are wondering if we’re about to truly return to “normal.” I think it’s safe to say that society is going to feel the impact of the pandemic for a long, long time. Even if we leave masks and social distancing behind some time in the future, the trauma of living through a global pandemic is sure to make a lasting mark.
I don’t want to dwell on the negatives, though. Despite the pain and grief the year brought us, I believe some valuable habits were formed during quarantine. These are habits that we can all continue — habits that will benefit our mental and physical well-being.
Here are four great habits to keep going after the pandemic ends.
4 Quarantine Habits to Keep Post-Pandemic
1) Going Outside More
When the pandemic began, you would be hard-pressed to find bicycles in stock at most stores. With so many activities taken away from us, we turned to the great outdoors. We traded stuffy gyms for running trails and local parks.
I’ve discussed the benefits of being outdoors a few times over the years, and there’s good reason for it. Exposure to nature helps improve mental and physical wellbeing, whether alleviating stress, depression, and anger or improving blood pressure and vitamin D intake.
You don’t have to exercise outside to reap its benefits, either. The Japanese have a concept called shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” This process of connecting with nature through sight, smell, touch, and a sense of the present moment is known to relax and destress the individual.
Simply put, being outside is good for our well-being.
2) Stop the Doom Scrolling
It’s been a year of anxiety for many of us. We grew accustomed to seeing bad news and doomsday-level predictions — from public health and the economy to politics and global unrest. Because the pandemic so profoundly and personally impacted us, we better recognized just how bad reading and hearing bad news all the time was for us.
“Doom scrolling” was a trending term in 2020. It’s the act of spending excessive time on our devices, seeking out or latching on to bad news. This heightens fear, depression, and anxiety.
We’ve been doom scrolling long before the pandemic, but we learned just how important it can be to disconnect and to worry about the things we can more directly impact.
3) Increase Self-Care
Self-care is the act of being mindful of your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. There are small daily acts that can contribute to one’s self-care: eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and exercise. With increased work flexibility combined with the mental and emotional toll of the pandemic, we better learned how and went to take meaningful breaks.
The need to be gentle with ourselves and to recognize the signs of fatigue and burnout came to the forefront.
It’s okay to step away.
Get up from your desk. Do some stretches or quick-acting cardio. Grab a bottled water and a healthy snack. Stretch your legs. These small actions not only break up the day, but they allow you to make room to recharge and refocus.
Continue this practice of looking out for your health and well-being long after pandemic fears fade.
4) Savor Meaningful Communication
I think many of us found that we took meaningful communication for granted in the pre-pandemic world. While digital communication can certainly be beneficial, we learned just how much we need and miss other people. We missed face-to-face conversations, hugs, and close quality time with friends and family.
As a result, we had to be more intentional about finding ways to communicate and spend time together. Many parents found themselves “trapped” with their kids. Spouses were isolated to one another. While these times could be stressful, they also taught us to savor precious one-on-one time with family.
Ultimately, I think the pandemic taught us how to engage undistracted.
This isn’t to say that all pandemic-era communication was effective or meaningful. While online communities and digital meetings offered a small reprieve from loneliness, they could not match the feeling of true community and togetherness.
We might not want to keep the Zoom calls, but we do want to maintain a sense of intention, purpose, and value in how we communicate with others.
What pandemic habits will you be keeping in the future? Share in the comments.