People Are Sharing The Habits They Picked Up During the Pandemic And Are Still Doing Three-Plus Years Later

The COVID pandemic will forever be a life-changing and surreal experience that everyone who is over a certain age will remember (I say this because much younger kids during 2020–21 will have only slight memories of it). It's fair to say we'll always reference it as a certain era in our lives.

With so many health precautions, we truly had to readjust the way we lived our lives — with a lot of us taking up new things and hobbies (like making sourdough bread) to entertain ourselves, but also just doing things to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

And recently, Reddit user Grilled_Cheese10 was curious about whether or not we kept up with those readjustments when they asked: "What habits did you start during the pandemic that you've continued?"

Well lots of people chimed in to share the habits they have kept since lockdown. Below are the top and best comments:

1."We got out of the habit of eating at restaurants. We eat at home and finish our leftovers!"

2."I had a lot of free time during the pandemic, so I would go out on long walks and bring two bags with me. When I saw trash on the ground, I would pick it up and put it in one bag for general trash and the other for recycling. Then I'd dispose of them properly. I have kept up this habit ever since."

3."I never went back to wearing makeup. I always thought it was a double standard that women had to paint themselves up to leave the house. After spending so much time indoors I refused to go back to this annoying custom. I save time and money and no longer feel like I’m not good enough to be seen without it."

4."Cut my own hair. I’m pretty good at it now. I mean real haircuts, not just shaving my head like I used to. I can’t even imagine going back to barber."

5."I'm finding that I really only hang out with people I really like. I don't feel as obliged to accept social obligations as I once did. It may sound harsh, but I've cut people out of my life that I realized were toxic to me and I wish them well, but don't miss them."

6."Shaking hands. I don't know where their hands have been or what they've been doing with them or what's on them. They offer a hand, I make a fist and do a bump."

7."Duolingo. I’m on a 1,014 day streak."

8."I bought an air fryer and started eating better foods. Less processed food, more vegetables."

9."No more blowing out birthday candles on food shared with others. It took a pandemic for me to realize how gross this tradition is and to end it."

10."I work in health care. I am still wearing a mask when I go into an exam room, regardless of the patient's complaint. Before COVID I got 2–3 head colds a year, haven't had one since just before COVID started."

11."I keep hand sanitizer in my car, after shopping or errands, I use it. At home it’s soap and water, but it’s so useful and practical after touching doors and surfaces in public places."

12."I now maintain a rather large supply of paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex tissues, and napkins) and re-supply my inventory on a more frequent basis."

13."When toilet paper became scarce, we bought bidet sprayers. Best thing ever."

14."I started baking and cooking very complex meals, and it turns out I found something I love doing. My family eats well."

15."We still groceries curbside when we can — not as many places still do it, but some do. Not only can you avoid crowding around people in a store, it's super convenient."

16."Walking a few miles every day during my lunch break from work. It has done wonders for my attitude and my health. Plus, I lost about 35 pounds. I was shocked! I get irritated if I go a day without my walk now."

17."I do my own nails! When the salons closed, I decided I could be stubborn enough to figure it out."

18."Doing a big grocery shopping trip once every other week rather than a couple of small trips each week. Shopping became such a hassle I really loaded up and it’s a habit that’s stuck with the lifting of restrictions."

19."My siblings and I started zooming with my dad every Sunday, as he couldn't go to mass anymore. We would do the readings for that day's mass. The readings have fallen by the wayside but we still zoom. Most of my siblings are devoted to it."

20."Saying no to things I don’t really care about. I found repurposing my time to only do the things I actually want to do…major league levels of awesome!"

21."I became addicted to the Great British Baking Show during lockdown. Because of that, I have upped my baking skills. Now I only bake from scratch and make my own frostings, jams, fruit curd fillings, puff pastry, and a variety of British baked goods. My flourless chocolate hazelnut torte with whipped ganache and pistachio macarons with blackberry filling is amazing."

22."I quit my over-priced drive-through coffee habit. I learned all about quality coffee and how to make it properly."

And finally...

23."I realized how much I loved working from home and the time I wasted commuting was better spent with my family. Plus, I was pregnant with my second child during the pandemic and while my pregnancy was objectively more problematic than the first, I felt it was sooo much easier to deal with because there wasn’t a single soul trying to touch my belly or comment on how big my belly was getting. When my job eventually insisted on returning to the office full-time, I quit and found a remote job. Haven’t looked back."

You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.