7 Lifestyle Habits From Quarantine That Should Be Here to Stay

There’s nothing for shaking up your routine and lifestyle like a global lockdown amid a national pandemic. If you are like most people, it didn’t take long to realize how several aspects of your entire life were on autopilot before the crisis.

Being forced to shift habits over the past few months may have led to some big realizations. Some of the necessary adjustments you made during quarantine might be working out well, including family time, increased exercise, and healthier eating habits. Others are practical adjustments you may have found ended up saving money and time.

Considering these benefits, you may want to think twice before slipping back to old patterns once life returns to normal.

Quarantine Habits to Keep Forever

Eating Out Less

While restaurants and coffee houses remained closed, you ate your meals and drank coffee at home. According to an article by The Simple Dollar, the average American spends $232 per month eating meals prepared outside the home. Given that there are 18.2 meals eaten outside the house in an average month by the average American, the average meal outside the home costs a person $12.75.

Suze Orman, the famous financial advisor, told CNBC that if you waste money on coffee, it’s like “peeing $1 million down the drain.” Of course, she is referring to the cost of spending an average of $100 a month on Starbucks as opposed to investing it and earning the interest over 40 years.

Within two weeks after quarantine, I noticed that my credit card bills were drastically reduced by enjoying my cup of coffee and salads from home. I am not saying that no one should ever go out again, but cutting back by half will add substantially more money to your bank account.

And as Suze Orman points out, it is a small sacrifice for a considerable amount of savings.

Eating Healthier & Exercising

Because you needed to go to the market and prepare your meals during quarantine, you may have noticed you were saving money and eating better. Without indulging in fast food and the large portions that restaurants serve, you had more energy and even dropped a few pounds.

Additionally, with added time in your schedule from avoiding commuting, it was easy to do in-home workouts and increase your exercise routine. You may have seen the pounds come off and are perhaps feeling more energized than ever!

In The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, he discusses the incredible benefits of taking on a consistent exercise routine.

Duhigg writes, “Typically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.”

Why would you want to give all that up for an In-N-Out Burger, fries, and a shake? OK, maybe just once in a while.

Spending More Time With Family

Of all the potential new quarantine habits that bring joy, spending more time with family wins. Many schedules pre-quarantine didn’t provide for a lot of extra time with loved ones. Lots of people were in the habit of only spending quality time with family on the weekends.

When my family and I found ourselves home every day together, I implemented a daily family hour. Pre-COVID-19, my teenagers ran around for events and hung out with friends daily. I rarely saw them or had their undivided attention.

Now, we put our phones away to talk, swim, and play ping pong. Yes, ping pong!

The quarantine forced us all to slow down. It isn’t easy to do these days, but having this reflective time together is not something I want to give up anytime soon.

Paying Attention to Your Budget

COVID-19 created an unpredictable economy, and as a result, crunching numbers became a priority over the past few months. Many people paid more attention to money going in and out of their bank accounts.

The regular monitoring of finances is a great practice to improve your awareness of spending habits. Studies show that budgeting can actually improve your life.

By watching your budget, you likely became aware of all the memberships you never used or how your cable bill had gone up without you noticing. While cutting back the small services like a gym membership, massages, and facials does not help small business owners, it will help your wallet. These added savings will help you get to your financial goals faster.

_ Related: 5 Advanced Excel Tips for a Better Home Budget_

Taking Fewer Car Trips

Pre-quarantine, gas prices were out of control and every new appointment and household item meant a car trip. Driving less not only gave you back more time but also created a huge added benefit for the environment. According to an article published in __ last year, if all people would reduce their driving by 10%, it would have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Saving time and money while helping to save the world’s limited resources seems worth cutting a few thousand miles in the car down permanently.

Doing More Virtually

Yesterday, a friend shared that his moving van business has doubled since COVID-19. At first, it came to a dead halt. But as of three weeks ago, people wanted to move in droves and became more comfortable with scheduling appointments. While all his appointments used to be made in person, he is now scheduling virtually.

The virtual appointments doubled the number of people he could reach in a day and even enabled him to expand his territory.

People have also started becoming so much more comfortable with connecting online during the quarantine. The result is many people started to schedule time with friends and family online, calendaring in weekly Skype or Zoom calls to stay connected.

Enjoying the Outdoors

Business Insider shared the benefits of being outdoors, saying it improves memory, reduces depression, and lowers blood pressure. The extra time people were spending traveling to work every day or in meetings has now been replaced with a daily long walk with the dog.

An additional benefit of being outdoors: sunlight just might slow down the risk of contracting the virus—though this idea is controversial and not conclusive. However, The New York Times published an article in which . Regardless of what you believe, it is indisputable that sunshine is good for the soul, as it releases serotonin to the brain.

Just remember to wear sunscreen!

_ Related: 13 Habits the Vast Majority of Successful Leaders Share_

Looking Ahead

Even though COVID-19 has been a crisis beyond imagining, many good things can emerge as a result. A positive side includes the many habits you adopted by being locked up in your home without anywhere to go.

Remember, the opportunity to run your daily life a bit differently has already been set into motion. Several of the habits you picked up during quarantine could be serving you well.

Please think twice before slipping back into what was comfortable but may not lead to a satisfying life where all your goals are achieved.

What quarantine habits do you hope to keep?

Let us know in the comments below.