How do you want life to be after the pandemic?

Last time I talked about building immunity during the pandemic to stay healthy and strong. Lately, I’ve been coming across memes referencing how our lifestyles will change after the quarantine lifts.

Our lives will not be the same going forward and they shouldn’t be. The pandemic has made it perfectly clear that we cannot pick up where we left off. And we shouldn’t want to. We can’t go back to where we were. This time of sheltering in place has given us the opportunity to think about the things that are important, and reevaluate the things we once thought were so important. I am coming to realize that simplicity and back to basics is what is most important of all.

On my Instagram account I recently recorded a video about simplifying your life, and getting back to basics.  In the video I was talking about the “stuff” we own. The accumulation of possessions, and the belief of how necessary they are to have, but is it really necessary to have all this stuff?  This clutter that we accumulate, and we own so much that we begin to not even remember half of what we own.  Think about the people who spend money they don’t have just so that they can have what their friends have.  People put themselves in debt because of that kind of behavior. I know because that was once me. Luckily, for me I was able to get out of debt and I have never gone back since.  I can go on and on about the benefits of decluttering your home and your life, but I will safe that another time, but for today I want to talk about getting back to the basics of our life.  How we lived before the pandemic, and how we will live once its beyond us.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about getting back to basics is the idea of home cooking.  Even though I am a Health Coach, truthfully, I don’t put much time or effort into home cooking.  My old life did not allow me the luxury of having the time for that so either I chose not to cook, or make very basic, easy, quick and healthy meals. Now that I am home more, I have more time to experiment with recipes that I have been holding onto for some time.  It has actually been a great feeling to know exactly where my food is coming from, and know that It’s being made with love.  I think many people have connected with others by sharing foods that are being made during this time and sharing them with loved ones.  Many people are cooking and dropping off meals to those who need help cooking or shopping to by food.  Sitting down at a table every evening to have dinner as a family was a tradition in my years growing up.  We ate at the same time every night and we ate as a family.  Being home and cooking has allowed me to bring that tradition back to my home.  I hope I am able to continue doing this even once we go back to a more normal lifestyle.  By the way, I am not saying that going to a nice restaurant is a thing of the past, absolutely not.  I just think that many people may feel they would like to keep with the trend of family meals  continuing even after sheltering restrictions lighten.

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The second thing that comes to mind when thinking about getting back to basics is the idea of slowing down.  What do I mean by that?  Slowing down from the mad rush of your day.  Who says we need to do 100 things on our to do list in one day?  Take time while going through your day to stop and just bring your mind into the present moment.  Observe your body, connect with your breathing.  Feel your life force inside of you and remember that you are in control.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop what you are doing and connect to yourself and you will observe a total sense of calm.    

The third thing that comes to mind when thinking about getting back to basics is gratitude. Being grateful for our friends and loved ones who we have been away from for so long.  Many people have been suffering because of loneliness or anxiety and not being able to connect because of being sheltered in place.  When this lifts, which is happening soon, many people will be extremely grateful to be reunited with loved one and will be more appreciative of them, and less likely to take them for granted.

For me personally I am excited to begin making new memories with everyone I love and cherish. Being forced to stay away from those I love has made me realize how much I love and need them in my life. Again, we need to stop and connect inside of ourselves and be mindful of those we love, and let them know how much they mean to us.

 It’s a time of self-discovery, and the realization of what is really most important in life.

The fourth thing that comes to mind when thinking about getting back to basics is how we spend our hard-earned money.  Again, mostly I am talking about “things” we spend our money on. For me, it has always been on clothes and shoes and bags and accessories and costume jewelry and real jewelry and…..well you get the idea. STUFF!!!  I have a feeling that many of us will re-think how we spend our disposable income. People will begin to reevaluate their spending and their saving habits, and come up with ways to prepare themselves in the event that we ever face such a financial struggle again. No one saw this coming in enough time to prepare for it financially, but seeing how quickly it destroyed our economy with so many people out of work, and so many businesses forced to shut down, this should prompt us to want to be better prepared in the event of something like this from ever happening again.

Having a nest egg to fall back on in hard times is crucial.  Save according to your means, but by all means save something.  You will be surprised how even saving as little as $50.00 per week can add up over time.  You will never miss $50.00 from your pocket. Most people drop that amount of money as soon as they walk out their door. Make it a habit to put away an amount of money that you are comfortable with.

For me personally, my spending habits have changed drastically over the last few months.  What I used to think of as important is less important these days. Today I would rather spend my time making new memories, and sharing fun times with those I love.  This is absolutely priceless to me.  Laughter is so good for your soul; it opens your heart up to receive love and appreciate all that brings you joy.  Being in good company with good conversation and humor is just what we all need most right now.  We need to re-engage, and connect with people we care about.  We need to make new memories.  We need to begin celebrating the celebrations that had to be put on hold.  Let’s celebrate safely, let it be the new normal for a while, but at least we are able to start living our lives again with all new meaning.

 I look forward to having fun with those who make me laugh the most, and just enjoy each other’s company.   Realizing how quickly life can change, we need to slow down and connect with ourselves and appreciate all our blessings.  There are blessings in all situations, sometimes you really need to look deep to find them, but rest assure they are there.  Today let’s appreciate all our blessings, no matter how big or small.  We all have much to be grateful for.