What good/positive habits have you taken away from your time in Covid lockdown and kept up since then?

Working from Home is a must, and spending quality time with the loved ones.

Climbing the corporate ladder isn't my priority now anymore. I am more interested in work that pays for my hobbies and spending time with my loved ones.

I would have spelled that, “pay for my fountain pens and ink, and let me talk to my wife while she’s conscious,” but we are on same page.

Got caught young and “encouraged” into a stupid amount of hours so the boss could go fuck off. Won’t make that mistake again. WFH or not, if you expect 60+ a week, you can kiss my ass.

Breaking with people who turn out completely insane.

Which actually might cover the entire human population. No, I mean the crazy Facebook uncle kind of insane. Life is so much more pleasant when you surround yourself with people who you love or at least tolerate.

Never giving up working from home.

I accepted my current position early 2020, with the understanding that I would move to The Big City eventually. Then covid came. Yeah, that aint happening. As much as I enjoy cities, I prefer to live somewhat in the middle of nowhere where my mortgage is less than 10% of my monthly income

100%. I'm in the office 1x a week. Usually for hardware swaps/pick-ups/rework and I'm not giving any more than that full time. My boss knows this, and even though higher ups want everyone back in the office, to see faces, I'm pretty insulated from it, and have gotten a few others to switch over.
We moved from the Capital District of NY - which i loved - to the Midwest where my wife is from because money goes about three times as far here and I was still making NY money at the time.

Lots I miss from “back east generally, but not the prices.

Wearing a mask whenever I am around people I don't trust to stay the fuck home when feeling UnDeR tHe WeAthEr.

Also, I either work from home or I don't work.

.
While that’s getting harder - RTO vibe is strong - I’m on same page.

I’ve had to pass on a few interesting opportunities, but Its served me well.

If I go out, it’s because I need something that can’t be shipped or door dashed, and/or it’s imprudent to pay the vig for delivery.

2x $4.99 bottles of wine? Yeah not paying $40 for that, I’ll take the risk.

Working on that POV, it’s basically always worth paying the vig to minimise my human interaction.

Edit: have WFH since c. 2012, so it makes zero sense to take the medical and driving risk to do otherwise, except for gig work in a pinch.

Demanding hybrid (“hybrid in Arizona”) is a clear sign the company is working towards RTO, and you’d have to wave a pretty big carrot to get me to move quickly anyway. OOP max met for the year, so…

Now that I’m $7k in on that stuff, why the hell would I make a move in May? I’ll suffer until the Sept deadline and peak season we suffer through, and then start looking.

Well, I’ll start looking before that, demo my loyalty by pushing out start date, and go from there. Like everyone else.

Wouldn’t cry if nothing else presents though, it’s not terrible company given that it’s non-union. Damn, I miss the CWA, but I was maybe twenty at the time and didn’t grasp the value fully.
- Wait what? Are you saying that you still don't leave your home even though it's 2024?
  
  I mean, props to you I guess. I just don't see how it makes sense to do so indefinitely unless you are seriously immunocompromised like if you're undergoing cancer treatments or have AIDS.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I utilize and love delivery services. But it's because I'm lazy and don't mind paying for the convenience lol.
  
  To be clear, I'm also not an anti vaxxer, anti masker, or lockdown denier. I have advocated for all of these things at one point or another. But I'm also able to recognize the evolving nature of a global pandemic. Your risk of severe illness or death when leaving your house now is basically back to pre pandemic levels.

Covering my cough or sneeze with my shirt collar.

I was taught inside of my elbows but yep, will never cough into my hand again. It's so gross, why was it ever a thing?

Always wear a mask on transit. People are fucking disgusting lol.

What I find interesting is how many people will be on there clearly sick and not wearing a mask or trying to distance themselves from others. Just selfish people who don't care who they infect.
The best part, is people wont sit near you if your wearing a mask because they think your sick.
- Really? I should totally give it a go some time. Sounds like the ideal life hack for me.
- Well normal surgical masks are designed to protects others from you, they don't protect you from others.
  
  A KN95 or N95 mask will protect you.

Baking my own bread. I am completely spoiled now and can't go back to cardboard.

Masking. Not really for hygiene reasons. As an introvert, it made me less shy. I feel naked going outside without one.

I do not still wear a mask, but I really loved having my face covered when I went places during covid. I just felt free. I don't know why as I don't have a problem going anywhere or doing anything normally, but covering my face felt good (except on 100 degree days in summer).
- Same. I'm a socially anxious person, and it felt so much more private and comfortable for me to be masked.
  
  I still mask when I'm sick or when traveling by plane tho.

I stopped chewing my fingernails. What a disgusting habit. Glad to be free of it.

I finally kicked it too... Though, If I could stop picking at my cuticles I'd be soooo happy

Not sure if a good habbit or just paranoia at this point, but I'm more concious what I touch outside and bring desinfectant to use when I touched too many (or one too frequently touched) things.

Also mask up when therebisntoo many people insiand respiratoty diseases are going strong.

I miss the availability of hand sanitizer everywhere.
- The dispensers are still around, just all empty. So frustrating. I'm not worried about covid but I don't want a cold or the flu either...being sick is not fun. Let me keep my hands clean!

I now have infinite patience with essential workers. When they get an order wrong, or they have a bad attitude, I let it go

I found it quite ironic how most of the essential workers get shit pay.. Says a lot about our society I think.
- They're essential, but they're also numerous. The barrier to entry for a lot of these jobs is "went to school for some time" - which means pretty much everyone is qualified.
  
  Supply and demand.
  
  Notice how when service staff were allowed back to work, a lot of them didn't, and that drove up zone wages.
  
  And to be clear - I am not advocating for below living wages, nor saying that people doing these jobs are unskilled. You can tell the good from the bad, and I think everyone should be paid at least a living wage.

I got rid of all the snacks in my house, and have kept them out. I lost 25 pounds too. :)

Avoid touching door handles as much as possible. The best defense is to just never come into contact with germs in the first place.

i use the bottom of my shirt as a doorknob mitten
Brass is antibacterial, it's fine

I learned what without hired help and a mother that got incapacitated, a house can turn into a sloppy mess real quick.

Learned to cook real meals, do laundry, and give the house a good vacuum and mop.

Went from a 105kg manchild to a 93kg still-a-manchild. Who knew that controlling your own food and regular physical activity would make a potbelly shrink.

It surprised me too how much my parents did as my parents got older and needed more support. Cleaning and cooking was only the tip of the iceberg. They did so many little things for everyone, I still don't understand how they had the time to do that, raise kids, and work.

Washing my hands using the WHO method instead of randomly.

Avoiding catching viruses.

Meditation.

Oh yeah and iota carageenan nasal spray. My sinuses love it.

I am such a better cook than I would've been otherwise, due to necessity. But I also enjoy it, because usually what I will make is going to be far tastier (and healthier) than other options.

I started cooking, period. My wife used to cook, now I do. It's weird, but the pandemic totally flipped our roles.

I'm much more strict about not seeing people if I feel unwell even when it is likely something minor like a cold.

Holding my breath when walking next to other people. I get sick less.

My wife bought a weight set a few years ago. I started using it during the lockdowns and have kept up with it ever since.

I kept working two jobs. You people had spare time?

(let's be clear: I was relieved I could work remotely for my newest job, the same as I've been doing for my oldest job for decades. I worried about my friends and family who could not, but none of my peer group understands the "I was out of work and didn't start so I took up an expensive new hobby" people!)

None of the answers in here are about hobbies tho.

Is there something good in keeping people locked in their homes?

I have improved my abilities to distinguish between good and evil, between who the real enemy is and learned how to navigate through a life full of compliant persons who don't understand what they comply to!

I personally learned a lot!

Oh and I ditched a lot of "compliant friends" too...

Hope we have learned something useful for the "Next plandemic"! 😉

Is there something good in keeping people locked in their homes?

Yes, that's why we did it.

Do the opposite of what Dr. Fauci says

Ok magaot