Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted to have Chicago (and the world) opening again. Early on in the pandemic, there were a bunch of memes floating around about not just “going back to normal.” Some changes that we made out of necessity did actually serve me. I’ve been thinking about some things that I’m going to keep doing – or at least try to keep up.
5 Things I’m Keeping from Pandemic Living
Staying more connected with friends and family. I’ve always been good about staying in touch with friends and family, but when things got busy sometimes it was a quick email or text while on the move. Throughout the shutdown, we had regular Zoom calls with The Husband’s family and a bunch of friend groups. I also talked on the phone and Facetime a lot more. The biggest change was focusing on the Zoom or call without multitasking or being on the move.
Cooking at home and eating out less. Like everyone else, we did a lot of cooking during the pandemic. Initially, we didn’t even do takeout. This was a BIG change for us. We went from a ton of travel and eating out to making all of our meals at home.
Doing some workouts at home. I love to workout but before the pandemic, I NEVER worked out at home with a few exceptions. I did the stairs for an hour during the polar vortex and used our tiny building gym a few times. During the pandemic, I switched to virtual Pilates once a week with Maureen and we’re still at it. I also started using the Presence.Fit app and Chi Society site. While I’m still running outside and have returned to the gym, I haven’t started doing indoor group fitness again. The convenience of these options makes for no excuses.
Keep enjoying shared pass times with The Husband. The Husband and I have very different hobbies and while we appreciate/tolerate hearing about them, we didn’t always focus on doing things together. Last year, we did a ton of jigsaw puzzles and word games. We also cooked together and watched a bunch of TV series on Netflix and Amazon Prime. We went for walks and hung out with Remy (Stacy’s pup). It’s been fun finding some new shared interests and I’d like to keep that up!
Not over committing my time / saying “yes” to everything. 2019 went by in a blur. That was my year of “yes” when it came to races, trips, projects, work and my blog. I went to extra food shows, extra fitness classes, extra trips, ran 4 marathons – you get the picture. While it was an awesome year filled with great memories, I was exhausted. Having a year that was pretty much a blank slate when it came to events and trips was like hitting a reset button. I’m excited for the events I’ve done and trips/races I have planned, but I’m going to be much more intentional about my “yes” responses.
What are you keeping from pandemic living?
I’m linking up with Darlene, Michelle, Renee, Jenn and Zenaida, for Fit Five Friday. Join us!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Please don’t forget my great giveaways.