This lockdown has given us—the privileged few—a chance to read, pick up new habits, "upskill", etc., all by just being connected with the world virtually, like never before. We're all seeing people connecting with faraway family and friends through video conferencing, who had rarely reached out to each other in the pre-Covid-19 world.
During this period, I was reading a bit about habits and how do you automate it into routine. Came across multiple articles, books, podcasts etc. which talked about how fast you can develop something into a habit - right from the "21 day myth" to a study which says it takes on an average 66 days to pick up a new habit. But one study that really gave me a perspective was done a 2012 study that was published in the British Journal of General Practice.
Habits are defined as actions that are triggered automatically in response to contextual cues that have been associated with their performance.
Some of the examples provided included automatically washing hands (action) after using the toilet (contextual cue), or putting on a seatbelt (action) after getting into the car (contextual cue).
These examples got me thinking how will life be in a "Post-Covid19" world.
Some of the habits that, I guess most of us will pick up is, washing the hands with soap all the time, limit travel, do a lot stuff online, etc. So with that, I'm putting together my idea of how a typical day might look for most of us in a Post-Covid19 world.
I reckon some of these habits will be short-term, while some are here to stay (italicised text):
- You wake up in the morning and the first thing you do before you brush your teeth is wash your hands with soap. In fact wash our hands with soap regularly
- If you are a physically active person, you would avoid going to a public workout area and rather enrol into a virtual or online workout regime
- Reduce the possibility of touching the appliances or devices around the house by either using touch / based interface or find unique ways to interact with the appliance
- You will avoid stepping out for non-essential items. If you are stepping out, you will cover your face a mask or something and travel in your personal transport instead of taking public transport
- Try getting work done remotely, whenever possible to avoid unnecessary travel to work
- Start buying groceries and essential items online often, and ensure that once it is delivered you will disinfect it
- Online grocery stores will use novel ways of delivery using UAVs, drones etc.
- Shops and your regular "mom & pop" stores, will not allow you to typically handle a product and put it back. They will put posters everywhere that is forbidden to touch something unless you are buying it
- These shops will also start accepting more digital payments, which will reduce their contact with money
- After a visit outside, you will not just wash your hands, if possible take a bath and disinfect the clothes before you put it out to wash
- You will not step out for a coffee rather have a virtual coffee "date" with your friends while sitting at home
Well these are some of the habits that I think we may pick up during the lockdown and follow it in the post-covid-19 world. I'm not trivialising the ordeals of people during the lockdown, but see a possibility of how the world will change a bit post the ordeal as some of these habits are here to stay.
In my next article / post, I will try to put some of my thoughts on how major industry sectors might change their ways of working in a post-covid-19 world.
Let me know your speculations in the comments?