What I Hope We Hold On To When This Is Over

Our lives look very different today to what they did only a few weeks ago. When life returns to “normal” I wonder if there are some habits that we can continue to hold on to?

In a SMH article last week, writer Dominic Powell commented “Recent purchasing data from some of the country's biggest retailers has shown Australians will emerge from the coronavirus lockdown fitter, more talented, and with impeccable skin.”

The article continued by highlighting some fascinating changes in what Australians are purchasing during the current pandemic. Sales of beauty products have increased by 200%. Piano sales are up by 226%. The sales of toys such as jigsaw puzzles and board games are up by a massive 475%. Sleepwear, and leisure wear has jumped between 100% and 400% across a range of stores. Myer and David Jones have both seen a boost in home appliances such as bread makers, kettles, toasters and coffee machines. Sports and fitness equipment is sold out in stores around the world. What does this all mean?

Exercise is really important to us.

It has been fascinating to see the surge in sales of fitness equipment at this time. And what’s even more encouraging is that it seems that this equipment is actually being used! Feedback within the fitness community indicates that many people are using their new found spare time to exercise. Survey results consistently place “lack of time” as the number one reason people don’t exercise, and it seems there is real truth to this. With the time barrier removed, we are returning to movement and exercise as a daily activity. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we come out of this experience fitter than ever! THIS is a habit we simply must hold on to.

We are cooking at home using real ingredients!

Spending more time at home combined with the restrictions in our ability to eat out is allowing us to re-dicsover our cooking skills. The absence of flour on our shelves and an increase in purchases of kitchen appliances indicates that we are making more food from scratch. Even if you are leaning towards baking cookies and cakes rather than veggie soup, home cooking with real ingredients is so much better for us than the highly processed, additive filled, pre-made foods we usually buy from the supermarket. We should of course continue to support our local cafes and restaurants as best we can. However, this is the perfect time to get into the kitchen and create some new, home cooking habits for a healthier family.

We are rediscovering our hobbies

The huge spike in the sale of non-electronic toys during this pandemic means jigsaw puzzles are back on the tables and Monopoly is back creating family warfare. Piano sales have soared which would indicate that we are either rediscovering old hobbies or creating new ones. Being healthy is not just about exercise and eating well. True health is living a life which allows time for rest, recovery and doing things we love. The frantic pace of our “normal” lives doesn’t allow us space for these hobbies. I wonder how we can hold this space when the busyness returns?

We are sleeping more (or at least we look better when we go to sleep)

I realise the spike in sleepwear sales doesn’t necessarily correlate with better sleep practices (pjs are also very comfortable when watching hours of Netflix). However, I think it’s safe to assume that our less frantic lifestyle in quarantine may be resulting in a little more time sleeping. This is the perfect opportunity to get your body into healthy sleep habits, aiming for a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep a night and encouraging regular sleeping and waking times.

We are making an effort to connect more

When something is taken away, we crave it even more. In this time of social distancing and isolation, we are craving connection with each other more than ever. Many of us are reaching out to friends and family in a way we haven’t done for years. Quick text messages we shoot off in our frantically busy days have become phone calls. I usually only call my parents to ask them to help with the kids (thanks Mum and Dad), but now we have actual conversations. There is incredible creativity out there with people holding online parties, video trivia nights and virtual dance competitions. The wonderful Thornleigh West Public School teachers undertook a “drive by convoy” visiting students who are missing the connection with their teachers. We are making such an effort to connect with and care for each other during this time of isolation - what an amazing thing it would be if we could keep this habit at the top of our list.

I know this is a really, really tough time for millions of people around the world. Businesses are closing down, families are fracturing and many lives have been lost. However, this unprecedented time has brought to light much of what makes us human. We crave movement, sleep, healthy food and, most of all, connection with each other. These things can get so lost in the crazy over scheduled lives that many of us live. We have reclaimed time, and some things have changed for the better. May we remember this always.

by Angie Black