7 Habits I've Picked Up during the Pandemic

We're fast approaching a full year of dealing with this pandemic and while the date will probably vary per person based on where you're located, for me two significant dates are March 13th and March 15th of 2020. March 13th was a Friday and a test run day for everyone at my company to work from home to make sure we had what we needed because the following week, we'd start alternating between home and the office. That weekend was my last normal-ish weekend too. I got brunch with my cousins on Saturday at a local diner but on Sunday, I didn't go the house for family lunch because my dad rightfully expressed concern about COVID and me being in and out of the city. By Sunday night, I was starting to freak out too and really didn't want to go back to the office on Monday. Luckily by the next morning of March 15th, we got a company-wide email saying we'd be working from home until further notice. 

Fast forward to the present and I'm still working from home. I haven't dined inside a restaurant nor have I been on a bus commuting to NYC since. I've learned a lot about myself in this past year and I feel like I'm continuing to learn about my personal boundaries, my mental health, and what I need as this goes on. I've said before that 2020 was a time for introspection and that certainly still applies to 2021. 

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Throughout this year of mostly being at home, I've picked up 7 habits that I wanted to share. 

1. Listening to NPR Up First while I do my makeup | With everything that happened in 2020, I was constantly going down rabbit holes with the news. There was just always so much to read and it was really hard to keep up. Quite frankly, I felt inundated with it all. So now, I primarily listen to this podcast every morning as my main source of news. It's perfectly bite-sized at 15 mins long and I enjoy listening to it while I get ready in the morning. 

2. Meal prep on Sundays and Tuesdays | I had to find the right balance for cooking since I was suddenly having to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the time. And I did not want to rely on takeout. I've settled on a good routine of cooking big 4-serving sized meals on Sundays and Tuesdays, which I will then eat as leftovers for lunch and dinner for the week. I also eat salad for lunch twice (I buy the pre-made ones and just add my own protein, like grilled chicken or tuna), then one lunch of frozen food (ie. dumplings) or instant noodles, and finally one takeout dinner. 

3. Friday night takeout | This is the highlight of my week! After a long week of work, I love ordering through DoorDash to satisfy all my foodie cravings and I've discovered a bunch of new-to-me local restaurants as a result. By Friday night, I'm settled on the couch in sweatpants, Netflix turned on, my food in front of me, and sometimes a glass of wine too. 

4. Ordering from Instacart on Wednesdays and getting deliveries on Fridays | Once the pandemic struck, I immediately turned to having my groceries delivered and to this day, I rely on this service 95% of the time. To ensure I get the date and time slot I want for delivery, I order on Wednesdays. I have them delivered on Fridays since that tends to be a quieter work day for me. Plus, I noticed that when I used to have it delivered on Saturdays, the groceries were always delayed since it's busier on the weekend. 

5. Posting to my photo journal every night | I started doing this because it was a 2020 goal of mine, not because of the pandemic. That being said, I took a lot of comfort (and challenge) in reflecting on each day during that time. I decided to keep up with my photo journal in 2021 because I enjoyed the exercise so much. 

6. Taking my vitamins every night | I've never really taken vitamins before but in 2020, it was a part of my goals to focus on health more. But once the pandemic struck, I really doubled down on taking them. Not only that, I actually started taking my allergy meds and nasal spray every day and even got air purifiers for my apartment to combat my indoor allergies. I think it just gave me peace of mind to take care of myself with everything else going on. 

7. Tea, essential oils and Oak app nightly ritual | It's been during this pandemic that I really started to feel anxiety due to being alone most of the time and just not knowing what the future would bring. I've had my ups and downs with it and I started a nightly ritual (which I sometimes get lax on but shouldn't) that I think helps. When I get into bed, I drink chamomile or mint tea to help me fall asleep. Then I put this calm essential oil on my wrists, neck, and temples. And lastly, when I'm ready to sleep, I open up Oak, which is a breathing and meditation app. I've used it for both but I personally find the breathing exercises the most helpful. Recently, I tried their sleep exercise and I actually fell asleep right away so I'm going to continue using that. 

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So those are my 7 habits! As a routine-driven person, these little rituals and additions to day-to-day have been really helpful and grounding. 

What are some new habits you picked up during this past year?