Three Positive Habits the Pandemic Helped Encourage

This past year has made many of us stronger in a way.

This past year has put a lot of people to the test. Not a facet of life has been escaped being touched by the pandemic, and we have been forced to face many challenges and heartache.

There is this idea, however, that adversity can make one stronger. That it allows us to become better people and more prepared to deal with adversity.

I’m not saying this past year has turned me into a perfect person.

Far from it.

But I will suggest that this past year has had an unexpectedly positive effect on my life in three significant ways. When all is said and done, I hope these new habits stick.

Living More Efficiently

Pre-pandemic, I went to the grocery store two or three times a week — maybe more if I had to visit different grocery stores for additional items. There have been weeks when I went out every day just to find something for dinner. Sometimes it was something picked up at the grocery store to cook. Sometimes it was takeout food.

Over a single week, that adds up to a lot of miles. That’s a lot of gas, and that’s a fair amount of weekly wear and tear on our poor car.

Now, because of social distancing needs and the goal of limiting contact with people outside my safety bubble, I’ve learned how to do a whole week’s worth of shopping in a single trip. Sure, it’s a long trip and still consists of more than one store, but when I get everything at once, I’m cutting down significantly on the amount of time my car is on the road.

That’s money saved in gas and repairs. That’s less harm to the environment.

My family and I have learned how to plan our meals better and plan for our needs better. We waste less and buy in bulk. More money is saved.

Because we need room to store a week’s worth of supplies or more, I’ve had to clean and reorganize our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

As a final bonus, our family is eating more healthily these days as well. Our fast-food consumption has pretty much dropped entirely. Takeout from more quality local restaurants is reserved for special occasions only. Cooking at home means I have greater control over our nutrition needs.

Staying In Touch With Family and Friends More

I’ve never been great about keeping in touch with people.

But there has been something about this past year that has reminded me to reach out and touch base with everyone from time to time. My family is spread across the United States, and we don’t see each other in person often. With travel restrictions and health concerns being a thing, it could be a while, still, before I do.

But we have the phone. We have FaceTime and Zoom. I have two older relatives who still send mail the old-fashioned way, and I’ve responded in kind. I even bought one of those Instax cameras to send a few physical pictures of our son to them.

My friends and I haven’t had an in-person game night for over a year. But we’ve made up for some of that with weekly games via Zoom. My wife and I have connected with friends who live far away and have added another online game night to our lives. (We’re gaming people, you see.)

It is way too easy to get isolated these days, and isolation itself can be habit-forming — but not in a good way. By getting in touch with those close to me, I’ve managed to feel less isolated and more part of my community of friends and family.

Becoming More Grateful and Appreciative

This whole pandemic thing could have gone a lot worse for my family and me. Fortunately, my work as a freelancer hasn’t been too affected. My wife has adapted to working from home. My son has been spending more time with his grandmother.

These are all things I’m grateful for. Not everyone has been so lucky.

I appreciate more the work others do to keep society going. I appreciate that I can buy food. I appreciate that, for the most part, businesses have adapted to the current challenges, and I am grateful that the majority of people are doing their part to get us past the pandemic.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

When playgroups, library reading hours, and so forth are back in swing, my son will be able to interact with kids his own age again. I am supremely grateful for that. I’m thankful that my brothers, who work in the service industry, have managed to do okay.

When I first heard of the idea of practicing daily gratitude several years ago, I was a little dismissive. It sounded a bit New Age-y to me at the time.

Now I get it, and I find it very easy to practice gratitude every day and appreciate others more.

If there is any habit that sticks once this whole pandemic is done with, it’s that — maintaining an attitude of appreciation and gratitude.

Life After COVID-19

Look, the world is never going to be exactly the same as before. Too much has changed, and in many ways, that’s a good thing. We’ve been dealt devastating blows in the loss and disruptions of so many lives.

Because of this, I think it’s more important than ever to come out of this better than we were before. Not just for me. Not just for you.

But for everyone. Everywhere.

Living more efficiently, more lovingly, and more appreciatively will make this world a better place.

And that’s just a start.

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