No doubt about it, we’re living in a very confusing and potentially life-altering time right now.
And when I say life-altering, I mean long term. Obviously, everyone’s life has changed dramatically in the short-term but moving forward, a lot of our daily habits that we’ve grown accustomed to might change or be gone forever.
Let’s take a look at 9 of those habits that might change drastically.
1. No more handshakes.
Photo Credit: Pexels
How often do you greet someone with a handshake on a daily basis? All the time, right? It’s a practice that’s just ingrained into our culture.
But because of the current health crisis, handshakes might be gone for a while or maybe forever. What are the alternatives? Elbow smashes, nodding, the Vulcan Greeting, etc.
Whatever you can do to not get too close to someone.
2. Hand sanitizer will be everywhere.
We see it a lot in airports and outside of bathrooms in some restaurants, but we’re probably going to see hand sanitizer dispensers in a lot more places moving forward.
Public places, entertainment venues, churches, etc.
And that’s a good thing.
3. Dining out will be different.
Photo Credit: Unsplash,purzlbaum
It goes without saying that dining out is non-existent at this point and it remains to be seen how and when restaurants will reopen for business so customers can actually eat inside a restaurant.
Moving forward, perhaps we’ll see more takeout and delivery options from restaurants because people will no doubt be cautious about dining in.
Also, restaurants will likely have much stricter guidelines and establishments will likely go out of their way to post their hygienic practices so customers will be more encouraged to eat there.
4. Here come the bidets.
Yeah, you heard me. That staple of European and Japanese life has seen a surge in sales and interest on this side of the pond due to the current situation.
Toilet paper shortages have caused more Americans and other people to consider the bidet and hey, why not?
We’ll likely see this trend continue…
5. Remote work is here to stay.
Photo Credit: Unsplash,Daria Nepriakhina
With untold amounts of people forced to work from home, many companies are realizing that workers can be efficient from a remote workplace.
It also cuts down on office costs and expenses. For me personally, I can say that I’m a much more effective worker when I’m at my home base.
Remote working is definitely the wave of the future.
6. No more communal foods.
How many times have you eaten peanuts or popcorn out of a bowl at a bar? Or how many times have you dug your hands into those containers of mints at the front of a restaurant?
Probably a lot. That kind of communal food experience may be a thing of the past once businesses are open again.
It’s just hard to imagine anyone being willing to take a chance of getting sick that way after this crisis.
7. Take a few steps back.
Photo Credit: Unsplash,Dollar Gill
We’ve always kind of joked about personal space and how some folks don’t respect it, but now it could be a life or death matter…literally.
As a result of the current situation, more people, or maybe even most people, will respect the concept of personal space and they won’t be nearly as likely to let others come very close to them.
8. Should’ve been this way all along…
It’s kind of mind-blowing how many times newscasters, health professionals, and politicians have had to remind adults and kids alike to wash their hands thoroughly and often every single day.
A recent survey showed that 40% of Americans don’t always wash their hands after they use the restroom.
I have a feeling that’s going to change for everyone after this…
9. Education will look different.
Photo Credit: Unsplash,John Schnobrich
This health crisis has turned education in all forms completely upside-down. Kids are home for the time being and colleges and universities have also shut the doors for now.
All of this will mean that schools and higher education institutions will have to be much more prepared for distance learning in the future because none of us know how long this will go on for or when a similar situation will occur again. Like remote working, online learning will clearly be very important and popular in the day ahead.
One thing is for sure, it doesn’t look like things will be the same for quite a while.
Are there any other regular habits you think will change as we move forward as a society during this current crisis?
Talk to us in the comments and share your thoughts.
