What Habits Did You Start During the Pandemic?
Project 365, Day 216/365
I was thinking recently about what “new” things I started or added to my routine over the past 18 months (EIGHTEEN MONTHS!) that, despite the circumstances of how they were acquired, are things I’m happy with and plan on continuing to do moving forward.
Honestly, I didn’t come up with too much. My “habit” of waking up later than normal just to roll out of bed into the kitchen to turn on the hot water kettle to then roll on over to my laptop is not necessarily something I want to brag about, or keep in my life. I wish this post could be filled with all my adult accomplishments of adding in daily exercising, meditation (I’ve been very bad about this lately), waking up with the sun. Nope. But that’s okay. I’m not mad at myself for any of that. Listen…this past year and a half has been nothing short of trauma-inducing on a deep level for most, so, yeah, I’m not retroactively disappointed in myself for not doing “more.”
However, there are some little things that have become routine that I’ve found a morsel of joy in and for now, I plan on continuing to do these things. Here’s what mine are, and then I’m throwing the question back at you:
Lillördag
I’ve written about my and Charles’ new weekly tradition of taking Wednesday and making it just a little bit more special numerous times (here, here, here and here if you’re counting). While the last few weeks have been a bit more low-key, we still very much look forward to the break mid-week. We’ve never been much “date night” people necessarily, but in a sense, that’s what it’s become for us. Time to spend together…you know, outside of all the other 24 hours we spend together, but mentally, it’s a bit more than just an average Tuesday night eating tacos in front of the TV.
We’ve had long stretches of heading straight to the beach for sunset after work, of ordering takeout, of saving the one meal we both look forward to making and eating, to taking turns picking movies for the other, to getting ice cream with friends. If times were different, I imagine Wednesdays with a parade of friends who always have a standing ovation to come over for dinner, linger too long on a weeknight…that kind of thing. But for now, it’s mostly just us two, and I’m enjoying it for what it is. Lillördag will hopefully be something that stays in our life for many seasons.
Nighttime Showers
For much of my adult life, I’ve been a morning showerer. I always felt kind of grody if I didn’t shower first thing in the morning, my hair was always greasy even if I washed it right before bed, and it was just part of my morning rise-and-shine ritual. But since I started doing physical therapy early before work, I took to taking nighttime showers so I could sleep in just a little bit longer on those mornings. Slowly but surely, those two nights a week became more regular, until I realized how much I enjoyed ending my day wrapping in the warm hug of a steamy shower. It became symbolic of washing away the day, a mental reset to get ready for the next.
Putting my crisp PJs on a freshly showered body feels SO good, the bed feels extra cozy and it’s just become something I look forward to every day now, at least during the week. For some reason, on weekends, I shower in the mornings, but otherwise, I’m pretty happy with my new bedtime routine.
Writing
I didn’t start writing during the pandemic, of course, but my brain has so much more time to process and think and “doodle” up there. Obviously, I write here every day, but I sometimes write on the side for myself, jot things and thoughts down, a practice I didn’t do before really. Everything moved so fast, there were long commutes, errands to run, things to do, podcasts to list to. My life is quite slow now, apart from a busy job and a busy blog, but it opens up my mind so much. Whatever I decide to do after Project 365, I know I’ll still keep writing, whether for an audience of zero or hundreds/thousands. I’ve unlocked a bit of myself doing this all these months. I’ve always been someone who writes, but I’ve long struggled with calling myself a writer, and honestly, I don’t anymore. Not everything I do is gold; in fact, most things aren’t, but I identify with the writer’s spirit so much and it’s fun to have come to terms with that part of myself. I no longer consider myself a tortured writer. I’m just a writer, who sometimes is tired of writing or doesn’t quite know what to say, but I’m not tortured, I’m happy to report.
Okay, those are my three that I could think of. What habits or routines did you did during quarantine/the pandemic that you’re still doing now or plan on continuing to do? I’d love to hear!
See you tomorrow, FOAS.