How to Keep Your New Positive Habits When Things Go Back to “Normal”

We have all been at home for about a month due to the quarantine. I talked to a lot of my friends who told me they have been working out more, doing yoga, cooking, baking, learning a new language and overall, just taking better care of themselves. It makes sense that the more free time we have, the more things we can do to better ourselves. What a lot of them have also told me is that they don’t know how they are going to keep these new habits once life goes back to how it used to be a month ago.

I think the first thing that is important to realize is that everyone is in the same boat. Most of us have had the same amount of time at home and developed some new habits. If there is a habit that you really want to continue then set goals for yourself. If you have been cooking every single day, then when things go back to “normal” set a goal to cook at least three times a week. If you have been doing morning yoga five times a week then set a goal to do it at least twice a week in the future. If you think this habit has a positive impact on your life, then make time for it. You can also talk to your friends and make plans to do these activities together (once we are allowed to all be together again of course) and that way you can be held more accountable. If after a few weeks you realize that you no longer enjoy doing these new things then it’s completely okay to stop. We only have one life so we should live it doing the things that bring us the most joy and make us better. If you haven’t learned a new skill, that’s okay too. It’s not a competition at all and we are allowed to use our time however we want.

The transition back to “normal” will be different for everyone. Some people will adjust faster and feel more comfortable going to the gym, restaurants and other public areas while other people will be slower to adjust and will still be cautious about coming in contact with other people. Do whatever works for you and take all of the time you need. It’s also important to remember to respect how other people will be reacting and dealing with things going back to how they were.

Xo,

Kika