As we (maybe) begin to emerge from two years of viewing our lives through the prism of COVID-19, we look forward to life after pandemic. We’re just commencing our search for what may become the new normal. This task may be easier if we take the time to identify new habits that Covid 19 has introduced into our lives.

The effect of “Covid Habits” became a curiosity for me a few weeks ago when I ran into a neighbour I hadn’t seen in a very long time. 

Effects of COVID Habits

The first thing I noticed was that there was more of him to be seen than I remembered from our previous neighbourly encounters. Indeed, he isn’t alone in this. 

I commented on how long it had been since we had last chatted, and he mentioned that he and his wife had seldom left their home for most of the previous two years. They were both working from home and had developed the habit of having every meal delivered.

As this habit grew stronger, the frequency of deliveries to their home increased. Soon, not only was breakfast, lunch, and dinner brought to their doorstep every day, but they started to use services like Skip the Dishes and Door Dash to deliver single cups of coffee from the local Starbucks or Tim Hortons.

Yikes! 

He sheepishly mentioned that neither he nor his wife had purchased any groceries during this period. He made the joke that this newly acquired habit of living off restaurant menus had contributed to his version of COVID-19: he had gained 19 kilos.

We All Have COVID Habits

A little later that day, I began wondering what new habits I had unconsciously brought into my own life. I quickly realized that I had acquired a slew of new habits attributed to COVID-19. In reality, COVID-19 merely provided a handy excuse to exercise my instinctive gift of laziness.

For example, my job seamlessly switched from in-person meetings and presentations to moving from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting with a simple click of a mouse. This naturally allowed me to make jeans a part of my daily uniform, thus wiping out a lifelong habit of wearing business attire every day.

As we are slowly heading back toward business as before, I find myself opting for online meetings rather than expending the energy to travel to clients’ places of business and meet them in person. Meeting on Zoom means not having to take the time to dress professionally. Lazy indeed.

Since that meeting with my neighbour and realizing my own habits, I have made it a point of asking friends and clients what new habits (good and not-so-good) they have adopted. Here is a partial list:

• Eating too much;
• Avoiding exercise;
• Eating junk food;
• Wearing a mask;
• Refusing to wear a mask;
• Incessant cleaning;
• Constant hand washing and sanitizing;
• Social distancing;
• Sleeping more than usual;
• Sleeping less than usual;
• Eating too much;
• Avoiding exercise;
• Eating junk food;
• Binge-watching TV;
• Ordering food delivery;
• Spending time at work (from home) doing many non-work-related chores and activities;
• Online socializing during work hours;
• Napping;
• Eating too much;
• Avoiding exercise; and,
• Eating junk food.

Some others reported these habits, which, if ignored, may sadly produce long-term deleterious results in their lives:

• Drinking more than usual;
• Drug use;
• Loss of politeness;
• Quickness to anger;
• Depression, and;
• Chronic boredom.

Some will argue those last three are not habits; however, we can change our habits, so including these three on the list of COVID-19 “habits” affords those afflicted hope of a possible way out, a means of replacing them with beneficial habits. It’s certainly worth a try.

Life After Pandemic

COVID-19 has impacted all of us. For many, it has caused the death of loved ones. It created potential (and unknown) long-term adverse health effects for others. Some are left to do deal with debilitating financial pressures, and others have had their plans for the future permanently erased.

Thankfully, for the majority of us, COVID-19 has been merely an inconvenience. An enormous inconvenience, but still, just an inconvenience.

We are all, in some way, different from what we were just two years ago. I would love to hear about any “COVID Habits” you have adopted over the past two years. Please reach out by leaving a comment below or emailing  rael@strategicpathways.net. Share with me what these habits are and their effects on your life.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Till we read again.