25 Habits That People Started Because Of Quarantine That They Say They're Still Doing Today
It goes without saying that the pandemic really disrupted our lives, making us change how we did many everyday things. While things have — for the most part — gone back to normal, there are some changes we made that have stuck with us.
Recently, Redditor Background-Layer6195 was curious about those new habits when they asked: "What’s a habit you picked up during quarantine that you still maintain?"
The thread went viral, getting over 8K responses. Below are the top, best, and most-often repeated habits people said they have kept up since quarantine:
1."Having a wardrobe of nice 'work pajamas.' ??"
2."I'm sure I’m not the only one, but my work/life balance was forcefully re-prioritized in the best way, and I don’t think I’ll ever give an actual fuck about a job or money ever again. I mean I care to the extent that I want to try and do good work, and obviously I care about money to the extent that my bills need be paid, but I realized there are plenty of jobs out there and plenty of time to advance my career. I only have one family though, and my kids are kids for a very finite amount of time. I’ll never again skip a family outing for an extra shift, nor stay late because 'this really needs done.' Nah man, it’s 5 p.m. and that can be tomorrow’s problem; I’m late for home."
3."Going to sleep way too late."
"This is the worst habit I've picked up and one I cannot seem to quit."
4."Comfy bras only!"
"I cannot stand underwire [bras] anymore. I tried once for a dinner out and rushed home so I could take it off."
5."Not wearing makeup, not doing my hair. Basically started working from home and my looks went to complete shit. However I'm happier somehow."
"I stopped wearing makeup every day. OMG, my skin is so much healthier."
6."Doomscrolling."
"I always think a lot of how people feel mentally different after the pandemic because they picked up a social media addiction that they now cannot get rid of! That’s on top of all the hardships from the pandemic itself, of course."
7."I picked up cooking new recipes, which has become a fun and creative outlet that I still enjoy."
8."Meal planning based on fridge and pantry holdings every week — I started when we had limited access to basic elements of food in early lockdown, but have kept it up because of how much it cut down on food waste."
"I've been doing meal prepping for years now, it has cut my grocery bill down by like 1/3, and I have virtually no waste. I even turn things like bones into stock and freeze that."
9."I've become a low-key prepper. (No, I didn't hoard toilet paper or anything else for that matter.) It's actually helped me save money in the long run. And we now have plenty of food stocked up. This has helped some of my anxiety if times are lean that we won't go hungry."
10."Flossing daily, or almost daily. I started because my regular checkup was delayed by months and I felt the need to be proactive. I continue because cleanings are SO much quicker and easier now."
"Same! I started just because I was looking for ways to take better care of myself in times of uncertainty. I’m thankful the habit has stuck with me."
11."Wash my hands more often."
"I’ve washed my hands so much that I uncovered nightclub stamps from the '90s."
12."Wearing a mask when I’m under the weather."
"Wearing a mask when I'm sick. It makes me happy because I feel like I'm looking after people. Also, drives me wild because I'll have people tell me, 'You have COVID? We had COVID last week and didn't wear no goddamn masks.' Oh my God."
13."Not eating at restaurants. If we want food from somewhere, we just get to-go from everywhere now. One of the best things to come out of lockdown is almost every place has delivery or take out now — even in my tiny little town. I much prefer fine dining when I can do it in my pajamas watching Netflix, lol."
14."I picked up the habit of regular mindfulness meditation. It started as a way to manage stress and anxiety during such an uncertain time, and now it’s become a daily practice that helps me stay grounded and focused. Even just 10–15 minutes a day makes a big difference in how I approach tasks and challenges. It’s one of the more positive routines I’ve kept!"
15."Reading an absolutely insane number of books for fun. I was such a bookworm as a kid but grad school killed it. The last thing I ever wanted to do in my free time was read for fun. But with COVID, nowhere to go, and the library doing curbside service, I got back into it in a major way and never stopped. My husband just accepts now that when he comes to bed his side will be covered in books that I fell asleep reading, and he needs to move them before he climbs in."
"Almost the same story as mine. I used to read a lot from very early age. Stopped after high school. I picked back up in 2020. Granted I wasn't in grad school then, I just graduated. But I started grad school in 2022, and still read more than my undergrad days. I picked up audiobooks during quarantine for the l first time. They're amazing."
16."No blowing out candles on the large birthday cake that you're going to serve to other people. If I want to eat your spit I'll lick the inside of your mouth."
"Yes! My previous office still does giant cakes for birthdays. I'm the only one that still wears a mask. When it came time for my cake, I'd take a blank page from the printer and use it as a fan to blow out the candle. If anyone ever noticed the courtesy, they never adopted it."
17."More self-care habits that don’t make me feel selfish. I can’t fill anyone else’s cup if mine is empty."
18."Buying literally everything online."
"Ordering groceries online and having them left at my door so I do not have to interact with people."
19."The divide between indoor clothes and outdoor clothes. The moment I'm back home, outdoor clothes are gone and it’s indoor clothes/loungewear. Something that touches the train seats never touch my bed."
20."Wearing flat shoes. My feet can’t handle heels anymore and I used to wear them every day to work."
"When I started to go back to the office/travel for work again in late 2021, I was shocked at how used to not wearing any shoes at all I had gotten. I still call shoes 'foot prisons.'"
21."Saying 'NO' to social engagements I don't want to attend."
22."I get like zero FOMO ever now."
23."Whisking my coffee to make a 'dalgona' coffee. Almost every day."
24."Staying home."
"I can’t leave my house without spending at least $100…so I just don’t leave. Saves money."
25.And lastly, "I always have a some extra toilet paper stashed in the closet."
"I always have a ton of TP now, a ton of paper towels, and boxes of Kleenex on hand since COVID. I never want to have TP anxiety again."
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.