With Summer 2021 now underway, it is clear that life is returning to pre-pandemic norms. Masks are being discarded, gatherings are being scheduled, flights are being booked. But as we rush to resume life as we previously knew it, I admit I have some reluctance.
I believe that I am not alone in having mixed feelings. These past 15 months have had some silver linings. There have been lessons learned, priorities uncovered, and passions discovered. There has also been, on a more concrete level, adjustments to our daily routines that we have both loved and hated. So, as we begin the transition to our new post-pandemic lives, perhaps we should think carefully about the life into which we are jumping. Are there things from our previous routines that we do not miss and can eliminate permanently? Are there adjustments we have made for this pandemic that we want to keep as part of our lives going forward?
There is much being written right now on our “return to normal”. Articles, news reports, studies, blogs. And while there are many nuances and variations in what individuals want to keep from our pandemic-world, there are also many common threads running through most of what is out there.
Things I want to keep:
- Not going TO the gym.
o During the pandemic, like many people, my husband and I added to our home gym set-up. We added more weights, he built resistance clips into one wall, we invested in a new rowing machine. We do not plan to rejoin the gym to which we used to belong, because we have discovered that working out at home is so much more convenient.
- On-line shopping.
o I have come to love the convenience of on-line shopping. Not for everything, but for a great many things. Personally, I adore grocery shopping, so I did not partake in shipped or other grocery services, but I do love shopping for most other things on-line. Clothing, toiletries, household items. Click and then they are delivered.
- Virtual Meetings.
o The convenience of being able to log into meetings from anywhere, is one that I do not want to give up. As a teacher, I also know that parents loved being able to meet without having to actually come to the school. Hopefully, we will continue to schedule as many meetings as possible this way.
- Webinars.
o As many conferences and professional groups moved on-line, I enjoyed the accessibility. Attending Conferences no longer required trips and hotel rooms, and I registered for so many more than I did prior to the pandemic. The benefits of being able to watch from the comfort of my own home were doubled because in most cases, the webinars were available after the live-session for several weeks or months, so scheduling conflicts were virtually non-existent. While I am eager to attend in-person conferences again, I also hope to balance that with continuing to take advantage of webinars.
While we all rush to embrace our own new normal, be sure to hang on to anything that was a positive for you.
Comments