Post Pandemic Lifestyle Changes

Life is starting to return to normal and within the last month everything is back to normal in Chicago.  I’m ecstatic and have been waiting forever for this.  However, I’m also a little sad.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I loved “lockdown,” but I did enjoy it…a lot!  And now that it’s coming to an end I’m having mixed emotions.

Post Pandemic Lifestyle Changes

Was the pandemic difficult…of course it was.  However, there were also many good things that came out of it.  The number one being time.  Time with my family and time to slow down.  The pandemic taught me so much about myself and about life.  Some of which I’m going to take with me into my post pandemic lifestyle.  

 

Slowing Down

I loved that life slowed down for real.  It was no longer the rat race of running to work and running home to spend a couple of hours with my family.  I literally had all day with them.  And yes, it was challenging, but it was a time that I would never have had with them.  My best memory of lockdown is getting to see Lizzie take her first steps.  We literally both watched her take her first step ever, and it was so amazing!

 

Time With Mike  

Ok, I’m getting sappy here, but I truly mean this one.  I was able to spend so much more time with Mike.  While we’ve been together for 9 years (married 6) we met later in life and took our time enjoying all the things couples do.  Being at home with him and having him as a co-worker has been so very enjoyable.  I feel like I was able to catch up on a little bit of time even if we were just sitting on conference calls all day.

 

Setting Boundaries 

It took me a while to learn that I had to set boundaries with work.  Working all day and night started to take a toll on me and it wasn’t good.  Being able to turn off the computer and step away was key for me.  I am not available 24 hours a day to work, PERIOD.  Setting boundaries with what I’m comfortable with is key to creating a healthy life and something I will do in my post pandemic lifestyle.

 

Dealing with Loss 

2020 was an incredibly hard year that brought a huge loss for us.  I truly figured out how to grieve an unfathomable loss and while it was difficult, I’m glad I had the time to do it properly.  Since I didn’t have a busy life to usher me through the grief,  I literally had time, my thoughts and more time.  I felt like I was able to process it fully in a reasonable amount of time.  I wasn’t distracted and was able to grieve.

 

Self-Care Routines 

I’ve never been so into self-care and I’m loving it!  I had so much time to test out new products.  Some of my favorites being ELEMIS products, Vanity Planet Facial Steamer, and DIME Beauty Eyelash Serum.  Mike actually cracks up at my self-care routine and how involved it is now, but I’m loving every bit of it.  It’s such a treat for me!

 

Binge Watching TV 

No. I’m not talking about binge watching TV for hours at a time.  What I’m talking about is consuming one show at a time.  Pre-pandemic life I would watch a certain show each night of the week.  Now I watch one show every night of the week until I finish it.  It makes me feel so much more accomplished!  My favorites are on HBO Max and Apple TV+.

 

Family Meals

I wasn’t able to get dinner on the table any earlier, but when I was at dinner I was completely present.  And I wasn’t distracted with work or house chores, I was at dinner with Mike and Lizzie.  I want to have that presence at dinner everyday going forward.  

 

At the end of the day there is one thing you can’t buy and that is time.  2020 taught me how valuable my time is and I’m taking that with me going forward in my post pandemic lifestyle.