What are you going to do now that we are all becoming ‘freer’
We hear endlessly about the ‘new normal’, usually in terms of the broader economy and population-wide changes to how we will do business ahead.
But what about us as individuals, the so-called microeconomic level? All of us have either been locked down or restricted in our movements. Slowly but surely, that regime is ending.
So how do you think your everyday habits may change due to the pandemic and its fallout? I’m talking about the likes of taking care of your health, dining out, holidays, working from home - even walking the dog.
It’s hard to change our ingrained habits, and look how hard it can be to adopt better ones in terms of eating or exercise. But many pundits predict the pandemic may be a turning point.
Let’s look at some of the more personal areas and if there will be a change for you, how much control around it you may have.
As we have been bombarded with health messages, it could be supposed we may now value the maintenance and improvement of our health more highly.
In the lockdown Sydney is emerging from, and hopefully Melbourne soon, people maybe walked and exercised more than usual, and it will be fascinating to see if this keeps up.
Alternatively, there have been stories about us drinking and eating more and putting on weight, so there may be some ‘bad’ habits to moderate, and I find these can be tougher to change.
The pubs and eateries around me last night were packed, and punters were happy to queue. The demand for food delivery has been massive.
Yet I’m not so excited about the endless indulgence of going out or dining in quite so much. Maybe it’s age, but I quite like being at home, particularly over winter, although having a choice is vital.
Travel, too — the prospect of all those tests, added costs, congestion and indeed uncertainty about future restrictions mean I’m not banking on Bali quite yet. The ease and often low expense of international travel might have ‘gone west’, at least for a while.
Where we can or choose to work will be a big one. Certainly there will be more flexibility, but if I was younger, I think I’d react with horror at being told I never needed to come back to the office.
It should be my call within limits, at least while the spectre of COVID still haunts us, but there are a few benefits of going to work — not least you actually find out what is going on.
Some dogs may be relieved they are not being walked so much but will we want so many pets now that we mightn’t be at home so much?
Share with us how you think your life, in significant or trivial ways, might really change post-COVID-19 restrictions, and how you feel about it? For example, will I return to the barber or continue using my home-cut clippers investment?
Any information contained in this communication is general advice, it does not take into account your individual circumstances, objectives, financial situation or needs.
