4 Healthy Habits We Should Continue Even After the Pandemic

Healthy Habits After the Pandemic

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals across the globe have had to adapt and change everyday habits. While some changes have been disruptive, others have helped us learn valuable lessons. Here, Lotys Shop lists a few habits which you may have started during the pandemic, but should surely continue for years to come!

Prioritize Mental Health

According to a study, 4 out of 10 adults in the U.S have reported symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression since the start of the pandemic, compared to just 1 out of 10 adults the year before. The lead cause being uncertainty towards jobs, income, housing, and health.

However, with time, we’ve learned to adapt to the pandemic lifestyle and increase focus on mental wellbeing through these habits:

• Making time for exercise in our daily schedule
• Eating healthier by consuming home-made meals
• Building stronger support systems among friends and family
• Promoting open conversations about mental health
• Learning to filter negative news on social media platforms

Going forward it’s important to maintain prioritizing our mental wellbeing, supporting others in need, and continuing to spread awareness regarding mental and emotional health.

Undertake DIY Projects

During the pandemic, the time we spend indoors has increased tremendously. According to research, more than 74% of individuals have started at least one DIY project since the beginning of the pandemic. While this growth has been driven by millennials and Gen-Z individuals, popular projects across all age groups include:

• Gardening
• Painting
• Landscaping

However, individuals have also started investing time and effort towards developing skills to take on harder projects such as:

• Plumbing
• Carpentry
• Electrical Repairs

Choosing to undertake these projects helps to productively spend time while saving a significant amount of money. Additionally, the handyman skills learned during this pandemic will help you be independent and attend to any future home repairs and modifications.

Maintain Work-Life Balance

The initial excitement of working from home quickly turned into the dread of unpredictable office hours and the blurring of lines between work and leisure. This shone a bright light on the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Here are a few effective ways to balance professional and personal responsibilities:

• Design a dedicated home workstation and minimize distractions while working. This improves concentration levels allowing you to increase your efficiency.
• Take short 5-10-minute breaks every two hours. Walk away from your workstation and get hydrated. This helps improve productivity by allowing your mind to feel fresh throughout the day.
• Create a schedule and share it with your team. Depending on the collaboration tools used, set timers for when you start and end receiving notifications or emails.
• Have an after-work plan which can include pursuing a hobby, spending time with family, exercising, etc. helping you detach from work-related stress and make you feel happier.

Remote working is here to stay, hence it is important to develop these good habits and continue focusing on maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Pursue Freelancing

More than 35% of the American workforce is now made of freelancers. Companies and workers alike have utilized the freelance market for jobs, revenue, and growth during the pandemic. As an individual, freelancing allows you the flexibility of working for numerous clients and 75% of workers have reported earning the same or more compared to their prior office job. As per current trends, the freelance market is expected to grow during and after the pandemic, making it a viable option to pursue a career change, supplement/grow your income and develop a network.

A common mistake freelancers make is not registering their business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). An LLC is important to safeguard yourself from financial and legal litigation by clients. Additionally, an LLC allows you to reap the benefits of tax write-off on business expenses. The price to register an LLC varies depending on your state. However, you can save on registration fees, time, filing expenses, and more by using a formation service such as ZenBusiness.

Experiencing this pandemic has taught us the importance of being healthy and self-sufficient, which we should strive to continue focusing on in the future as well.