What Comes Next: Life After A Pandemic

  As the United States moves indoors in an effort to flatten the curve, it’s time to start looking into what lies ahead of us.  What sort of things can we expect for our future?

Closer Family Ties….Or not.

Unless you’re an essential worker, you’re probably in your house with the rest of your family. This means spending more time doing things together: cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, the list goes on. You work from home. Your kids are taking virtual classes. With all the time that you’re now together, you’re feeling closer than ever. When you finally resume day-to-day activities outside the home, you’ll appreciate the time that you spent together. Right?

Or, you’ll be glad to escape being trapped in each other’s company for days on end.  John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister note in their article in The Atlantic that a life-changing event, like the quarantine, has the potential to make or break a relationship. It’s up to you to decide how to weather the storm together. Divorce rates in China are spiking and many think it’s an omen of what’s to come for those of us who are still on lockdown across the world.

More Kiddos

Many social media users are jokingly—or maybe not so—predicting a baby boom in 2021. Many couples are now stuck in each other’s company and they’re running out of ideas for things to do—except each other. Will this create a sudden influx of kids?  Time will tell.

Peanut Butter Is A Commodity

Right now, the economic landscape looks grim. Brick and mortar stores have closed. Working from home is the new normal. Restaurants that are still open have moved to delivery, to-go, or pickup. Only certain places, like grocery stores and pharmacies, are still open. Millions of people have filed for unemployment.  Across the US, now essential workers are striking for better safety conditions and the impulsive need for toilet paper and other disaster goods has created a scarcity problem. Do you really need cases upon cases of water or five jars of peanut butter? Will you be drinking water and eating nothing but PBJ’s as you social distance for the next few months? Probably not, but your brain thinks you will.

Many big box stores are adjusting their hours. They’re open for shorter amounts of time and they’re designating exactly when people, like seniors or other vulnerable individuals, can shop. Those who can’t get to the store are getting grocery delivery instead. These changes are shaping how we’ll think about mundane activities, like shopping, in the future.

Healthy Habits

The onset of coronavirus has changed how people think about social and personal hygiene. How close should you stand to a person? Do you really need to shake hands to close a business deal? How many verses of a song do you need to sing to get clean hands? Can you get by with just hand sanitizer? These are all little activities that we took for granted.

New Hobbies

Do you stress bake? You’re probably one of many right now. In an effort to combat stress, boredom, and lack of supplies, people across the US are picking up new hobbies. Activities like baking bread, sewing masks, and learning new instruments are helping them to pass time in social isolation.

No matter what the future holds, we want you to stay safe and help flatten the curve. Social distance responsibly. Wash your hands. If you are already expecting a baby, congrats! Good luck with choosing a name and make sure that you have enough room for the little one. If you’re feeling especially crafty and need a project to keep you preoccupied, consider DIY-ing a crib.

We’ll see you on the other side.