COVID Crisis Perspective: How the Quarantine Will Reshape Our Lifestyle Habits

Staying inside for weeks? While a month or two ago, this would have sounded too good to be true, it is now a reality for a majority of the nation. How is this going to impact our lifestyle habits? Here are a few initial thoughts on the subject, reporting to you from inside my house, which I haven’t left for in what feels like a very long time now. 

Our frequent habit of eating out is no longer as accessible as it once was. To feed ourselves, we venture into the kitchen only to find that we are running low on essential ingredients. I believe that this will allow people to realize that cooking (as opposed to baking) is not necessarily a science, but more of an art.

Oh, you forgot to add that one obscure spice to your online order? Well, you’ll either have to forgo it or try another spice to serve as a substitute in the recipe. I think this will remind us how simple cooking really is, and that you only need a couple of ingredients to make a good meal. 

There are tons of websites sharing easy recipes for your whole family to enjoy that you can take advantage of. A cool YouTube channel that recently popped up on my feed was “Great Depression Cooking”; a wonderfully endearing grandmother shares her tips on how they used to cook with minimal ingredients during a difficult time in the world. 

Speaking of websites, these new circumstances will pump up traffic for brands that are sharing tips on how to live well while quarantining during this pandemic. So if your brand can create good informative content, there’s potential for more traffic among sites. However, that doesn’t mean to push content out aimlessly; let your company be authentic in trying to serve viewers during this critical and unprecedented time. 

I am an avid gym and boutique, fitness enthusiast. From hot yoga and sweaty barre classes to all-inclusive gyms, I have tried them all. I am ashamed of how much money I’ve spent on this habit, but that hasn’t stopped me from going. However, now that we are all quarantined in our homes, I’m forced to find ways to exercise without these studios and gyms I used to rely on.

With very minimal equipment at home, I’ve had to get creative with my workouts. For example, instead of weights, I use canned beans and tomatoes to do my strength training. The latest thing I’ve tried is taking my boyfriend’s weighted blanket to do squats. I bet you haven’t heard of that one yet! Someone recommended using my dutch oven as a heavier weight; experiment put to the test, and I am here to say that this actually works even better because mine has handles.

Nevertheless, digital fitness is now at the forefront of the fitness industry. So many businesses have extended free trials, and either I am getting targeted with more advertising, or brands have ramped up advertising to inform people that they exist. I tried both Daily Burn (free 30-day trial) and obé, and I have to say, I actually got a great workout!

On the business side, this will allow fitness brands to gain more exposure to their online platforms, and show how convenient these at-home, “no equipment” workouts are. People love simplicity, and digital fitness allows for a more minimal way of exercising, while still getting that class format. Another aspect of our lives that these platforms are helping out with is that they have started to create kid (friendly) workouts to help out parents that have kids at home with them.

Have you had that “spring clean” or “organize the closet” on your to-do list for as long as I have? Honestly, I LOVE cleaning, but I never seem to find the time or motivation to really accomplish a task as daunting as what I set out to do. Being homebound naturally tackled this problem, and it’s not only me; friends and people I follow on social media are showing similar experiences. 

Lately, I’ve seen so many posts/videos on social platforms — people are cleaning their houses, and parents are adopting new organization strategies to stay sane while working from home. There are also countless Pinterest checklists that can aid in accomplishing these home tasks and new work environments.

Cleaning can also be therapeutic because it is something you can control in a chaotic time like this. There are so many benefits to cleaning your house in both the process and effect; for instance, vacuuming your room can serve as a break because it is a task that requires no deep cognitive thinking. At the same time, once you’re done, your place is now more appealing to come home to, and reside in. 

Does anyone else have that stash of beauty products stored in the back cabinet because you needed to test the magic? You know, because the reviews are just that good, and the ad promises your best skin and best life? Well, I have a countless amount of these products; a lot of them that say “use twice a week,” but for me, it’s more of a, “I will use that tomorrow” each passing day. Now that I’ve sorted and thrown away a lot of old products (see cleaning and organizing point above), I finally get to try out these long-awaited, so-called miracle products.

According to my YouTube feed, I’m not alone. A lot of beauty influencers are telling their viewers to “practice self-care rituals” and use their beauty products. 

Almost every lifestyle content creator or influencer I follow is sending out reminders of easy ways to keep busy through “self-care.” While this may not be as easy for parents with children at home to find time for, I encourage those who live alone to use this sweet time you have to care for yourselves. It can be easy to fall into the trap of busying yourself with tasks to complete; make those tasks beneficial to your wellness — mind, body, and spirit.

All in all, we’re going to learn just how much we rely on digital content. Whether it is asking the internet if one spice can be replaced with another, or looking up things to do with your kids that get both you and them active in the house, it’s all digital now. 

On your phone, TV, iPad, you name it — the world has shifted to this technological platform for better or worse. I, for one, hope that content producers will keep creating material that keeps me occupied and informed. I am truly grateful for all of the content creators who are using their influence to teach people ways to enjoy and stay sane during this challenging and chaotic time.