The blog post 7 Best COVID-19 Adaptations to Maintain After the Pandemic is a guest post written by Emma Grace Brown. Emma Grace Brown is a fellow blogger and you can visit her site here! I’m so excited to have this outside perspective on Melanated and Meducated. If you, too, would like to contribute a guest post, then please click here, or fill out the form below. Happy reading!
We’re all desperate for the pandemic to end and get back to life as normal. But even as things open up again and we regain some sense of normalcy, a few COVID-19 adaptations could be worth making permanent. Not everything that came out of the pandemic was bad! The pandemic helped us develop new ways of living, working, learning, and socializing. These innovations led to quality of life improvements for people all over the world, and it doesn’t have to stop now.
Consider holding onto a few of the adaptations you made during the pandemic. Here are some tips from Melanated and Meducated to help you make the most of the post-pandemic era!
Continue Working Remotely
One great thing that came out of the pandemic is the growing skepticism over traditional work culture. The pandemic normalized remote work, and many employees and students want to maintain this level of flexibility and autonomy moving forward.
If your employer or school wants you to return to the office but you feel you work better from home, Fast Company suggests approaching them with evidence demonstrating that remote work benefits your productivity. For example, you could show them that tasks take less time when you’re working on them from home. Demonstrating your ability to thrive in a remote work environment can also help your case. Show up to virtual meetings on time, maintain clear and consistent communication with your team, and stick to regular working hours. If your manager or school is still reluctant, consider compromising and asking about working remotely at least some of the time.
Pursue Your Career Goals
Pandemic-related layoffs encouraged many people to chase their career dreams. If you lost your job or had your school year canceled, consider using this opportunity as a stepping stone towards a position that better aligns with your goals. This might mean going to a different school, finding work in an entirely different industry, or starting your own business.
Want to run a business? Don’t let inexperience hold you back. Every great entrepreneur was a first-time business owner at one point. The best way to learn the ropes is to jump in and try it for yourself. That said, a little planning never hurts. Establishing a strong foundation for your business will prevent legal or financial issues as it grows. Consider forming an LLC to establish your business as its own legal entity and shield yourself from personal liability. LLCs also enjoy tax benefits! Formation services make it easy to form an LLC and establish an affordable online DBA, so there’s no reason to skip this step.
Support Your Community
It’s no secret that small businesses have struggled during the pandemic. Thankfully, community members were quick to jump in and support local businesses with their shopping. Going forward, try to shop from local businesses whenever possible. Purchasing food from a local grocer will support the owners, employees, and all the other local businesses that supply the store with food. Shopping small businesses instead of buying from Amazon will keep money in your local economy and reduce your carbon footprint. Simple actions like these can have a big impact on your community!
Practice Good Personal Hygiene
Another thing you can do for your community is to keep up with your cleaning and hygiene practices. Even as the pandemic winds down, good personal hygiene will protect the vulnerable people in your community from various diseases and illnesses. Plus, you’ll be less likely to catch a cold or flu yourself. Stay home when you’re sick, wash your hands regularly, and don’t touch your face when you’re out and about. Thanks to the pandemic, these personal hygiene behaviors have become normal and expected!
Prioritize Your Mental Health
The pandemic also put a spotlight on mental health. The events of the past two years have had a serious impact on everyone’s mental health, so if you’re feeling depressed or anxious, you’re not alone. Increasing mental health awareness has expanded access to mental health services through the development of online therapy programs. Take advantage of these programs if you’re struggling. Online therapy is affordable, accessible, and effective. You can find a therapy program designed specifically for people in your situation, whether you’re a stressed parent, a Christian, or a member of the BIPOC community.
Spend More Time Outside
One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to spend more time outdoors. And the pandemic has highlighted the importance of this! Because we lost access to many of our favorite activities, we turned to outdoor recreation and discovered the vast mental and physical benefits that come with it. According to the American Psychological Association, time in nature has been shown to sharpen cognitive skills, lower stress, and boost mood.
Now that indoor recreation and entertainment are available once again, you may have to make a conscious effort to spend time outside. If you have a dog, take him for longer walks. Take your book to the park. Pick up snowboarding or skiing over the winter. Learn to love a walk in the rain. Cook dinner outside on the BBQ and eat on the patio. Make it a goal to visit every park in your city. There are so many things to do outside!
Embrace Self-Reliance
During the pandemic, we were all forced to become more self-reliant. We had to cut our own hair, cook our own food, and come up with workout routines that could be done from our cramped living rooms. While it was a struggle at first, many of us have settled into the DIY trend. You may have realized that you don’t need to spend money on services and products that you can handle on your own. You learned to live without a lot of things, so try to hold onto this mindset of self-sufficiency and keep your life simple as the pandemic ends.
The pandemic forced many of us to rethink our lives and find new ways to get things done. Whatever you did to adapt, think about how these changes can benefit your life going forward. You don’t have to return to your life exactly how it was pre-pandemic! Leave the bad, keep the good, and look for ways to thrive in the years ahead.
It isn’t easy being a student during the pandemic, especially if you’re in medical school. Check out the Melanated and Meducated blog for health and wellness information to help you navigate your hectic life!