Well, here we are. Almost two years since the beginning of the pandemic and we’re figuring out our new normal all the time. We even got a little cocky this summer when our Governor lifted the mask ban, and we could breathe freely while shopping or eating at restaurants.
However, there’s still plenty of people who don’t want to risk catching Covid and they’re making sure to continue quarantining at home. They only leave for essential supplies and retreat to the comfort and safety of their homes.
Are you one of those people that’s staying home and aren’t losing your mind? Or are you someone who was ready to break free of those same four walls and went back into public as soon as possible?
Ready To Leave The House?
I was one of those people who was happy to head back to the office and ready to go back to a restaurant to meet my friends for dinner and drinks. Don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed working from home at first. But eventually cabin fever set in, and I was ready to leave the house for more than groceries.
Now that I’ve moved into my house, which is further away from the office than my old house, I find myself more willing to stay home. Probably because it saves on gas, and probably because I have an air conditioner instead of a swamp cooler.
Since working from the new home, I’ve also realized that I’ve become somewhat lax on the quarantine habits I had developed. I haven’t been great about sanitizing the surfaces in my home, or even in my car. How terrible is that? Hand washing hasn’t been all that great either. To be clear, I’ve always been good about washing my hands. But, like everyone else, I ramped up how often I did that after the pandemic hit.
Grocery Delivery
I’ve done what I could to stay away from strange people, but that’s not so easy. I make sure to try and maintain six feet between myself and people I don’t know. But have you noticed how hard it is to do that when no one practices social distancing? Especially at the grocery store.
I wish I had ordered groceries to be delivered to my home during the pandemic. But I didn’t for a few reasons. I didn’t like some of the delivery costs for groceries, and I knew that if I went to the store myself, I wouldn’t have to pay delivery fees. Also, it seems to me that some employees at grocery stores don’t do a great job of picking out groceries for other people. You’d think they would given what they do, and they can see when produce is going bad.
Granted, there’s always the option of placing the order online and then going to the grocery store to have the items put in the back of the car by a store employee. But then I come back to the possibility of an employee picking out below-par produce for my home.
Sometimes The Delivery Charge Is Too Much
Let’s be honest about the whole delivery system, whether it’s groceries, medication or dinner. The whole thing is brilliant! You can place an order and have it delivered to your home. Just about anything you can think of can be delivered. Pre-Covid, people were just trying out UberEats, GrubHub and DoorDash. They were debating whether the delivery charge was worth it. Now, since Covid has hit, just about everyone is on board with delivery, no matter what it is.
I’ve jumped on board the delivery train too. But if I think the delivery charge is too much, then I’ll suck it up and use the gas in my car to get it myself. Not only that, but I’ve come to learn that not every restaurant or business in my new area delivers.
More Quarantine Habits To Continue
Aside from having things delivered to your home, washing your hands, sanitizing surfaces and maintaining social distancing, what habits from quarantine will you keep? Here’s a few ideas of things to continue:
- Stay active – Can you think of a reason why you shouldn’t be moving and staying active? Yes, that couch and your bed are awfully comfortable. But going for a walk or a bike ride is great to get the blood flowing and stay healthy.
- Cooking at home – This was something I loved about quarantine. I was able to stay home and cook more meals in my kitchen. I wasn’t running around and having dinner away from the house. I could look up new recipes and buy groceries to make those new meals. Some were winners, and some weren’t.
- Keep a schedule – Here’s another good one. Were you able to keep yourself and your family on a schedule during quarantine? I was able to develop a schedule for myself and my kid, and it worked for us. We got up at a certain time, ate at a certain time and his nap was on time every day. The only real variant in our day was what he watched on TV while I worked. Otherwise, having the schedule was great because I could better plan my day.
- Spending time with the family – This is possibly the best quarantine habit to keep. It’s well known that our kids and families drove us crazy during quarantine. But the silver lining to that craziness is that we were able to reconnect with our loved ones and get closer. I know it helped with my household.
What Quarantine Habits Are Planning ON Keeping?
What are the habits you plan on continuing in your home? Which ones are you letting go? The team with Albuquerque Plumbing Heating & Cooling wears masks while in the office, we wash our hands, maintain social distancing and do whatever we can to keep our office and our community healthy. Some team members are still working from home, while others split their time between the office and home. We’re happy to do our part to help keep you and our team members healthy, and we appreciate everything you’re doing too.