7 COVID Inspired Lifestyle Changes I Intend to Keep
And a few I’ll have to ditch
This photo was taken at a joint birthday celebration for my friend and me. We figured that wearing our party hats as masks made good sense. I have looked at this picture roughly a billion and four times since it was snapped because it makes me so freaking happy. This silliness wouldn’t have come about if it weren’t for the weird times we are in.
Yes, being in the middle of a pandemic is shitty. But there are cracks in the chaos where whimsy can flourish. Whimsy is good medicine. Anything that lightens our hearts is good medicine. In addition to more frequent occurrences of spontaneous whimsy (we tend to amuse ourselves when bored), there are other lifestyle adjustments I’ve made during this time that have brought a measure of contentment and joy to my heart and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to slow down and cultivate them. It is my sincerest intention to weave these practices into my post-COVID, back to “normal” rhythms of life.
1. Picnics. My partner and I have found a deliciously sweet spot next to a mountain stream where we often take our lunch and enjoy al fresco dining while the stream sings to us. In a fast paced world of technology dependence, I can’t tell you how healing this feels. Picnics are definitely going to become a regular thing for us. I’ve already ordered the eco-friendly cutlery.
2. Fire Pit Social Gatherings. I’ve never been a big sit-around-the-fire person but this has been a recent go-to method for social gathering (chairs 6 ft apart of course). These fireside gatherings with my girlfriends have provided deeply nourishing, soul-feeding, belly laughing emotional and spiritual restoration.
3. Creative Play. Having all this time on my hands has gotten me into all sorts of fuck-it-let’s-see-what-happens-when-I-do-this projects. I’m trying different things in the garden, coming up with quirky writing projects, resurrecting my love of photography, and looking at all the crap in my attic as material for funky craft projects.
4. Checking in with friends and family. I am independent and introverted. This combination means I often have to be reminded that most people need more connection and “checking in” than I do. Quarantine brought this to the forefront for me. I was content in my solitude while everyone else seemed to be reaching out. It’s given me an opportunity to mend the gap a bit and establish greater awareness around people’s needs for connection, thereby strengthening my inter-personal relationships.
5. New Rhythms. I don’t strictly adhere to a daily routine, but I do have daily habit patterns that I tend to follow. With nowhere to go and not much to do, my rhythms have changed and this feels good. I love change. Changing our habits swings the door wide open for new insights and stimulates our creativity. NOT doing the same thing at the same time everyday feels amazing. It’s put me into a more natural flow. I eat when I’m hungry, I sleep when I’m tired, I rest when I need it — and it turns out my natural rhythms for this aren’t the same as my habitual patterns for this. I’m living more true to my own circadian rhythms.
6. La Dolce Vita. The good life, full of pleasure and indulgence. My partner lives on “Rhododendron Avenue” so we’ve aptly named his yard The Rhododendron Cafe, where we meet up almost every day in his lawn chairs for an afternoon coffee break. We’ve also taken to a weekly wine date on the patio with neighbors. I’ve grown quite a fondness for these simple daily pleasures and indulgences. The French and Italians are onto something here and it’s probably why they live longer than us Americans.
7. I’m not going back in the box. COVID has forced us all to think outside of the box. We’ve had to get creative and problem solve in different ways. We’re adaptable creatures but we’re complacent creatures. It’s not until something shakes our complacency (like a worldwide viral outbreak) that we really force ourselves to think differently, see differently, and function differently. I LOVE seeing all of the creative ways people have found to entertain their kids (my sister found “unicorn poop” under her mailbox — cheers to the mom or dad who had their kid painting rainbow colored rocks and hiding them around the neighborhood), or keep their businesses open (our favorite coffee shop zips our sandwiches and lattes out to us while we wait in the car). I love that Zoom and other technologies are showing us how easy it can be for certain businesses to offer work at home (and pollute less) options. I love that Mother Nature is getting the chance to breathe. I love how creative I’ve become without the monotony of routine. I have no desire to “go back to normal”. I like it outside of the box. And let’s face it, we were long overdue for some box separation.
I suspect that you too have found your own silver linings and surprise lifestyle hacks amidst these strange times. I’d love to hear them.
On the flip side, 10 quarantine influenced lifestyle changes I’ve grown accustomed to that aren’t so hot and will definitely have to be nixed once we resume our schedules.
- It’s 1:00 PM and I’m still in my bathrobe
- It might be true that I didn’t brush my teeth until noon
- The last time I shaved my legs was……..?
- Ditto that on armpits
- I probably shouldn’t be eating cheesecake for breakfast
- Or cookies
- I forgot how to use a hairbrush
- One task a day does not qualify as “productive”
- Most of my daily conversations are with my cat
- Never mind on #9 — I like talking to my cat, that doesn’t have to change
