We’re a full week into our new year and my stay-at-home time finally has an ending in sight. Maybe. I’m scheduled to go back to work in the beginning of April. Yay! (But crossing fingers that really happens.) There are some habits I’ve developed while being at home during 2020 that I should try to improve on before then, like brushing my hair more and changing my clothes every day. And then there are some new habits I’m definitely keeping around since I feel better about myself because of them. Here are the top three…

Spending a lot less. My Amazon, UPS, and FedEx delivery persons may disagree, but I really am! Sitting at home and not being very social with other people, I don’t feel the need for new stuff as much as before. I’m not going out anywhere so I don’t need new clothes. Nor do my kids. No need for new cosmetics since I hardly wear any these days. And I’ve become super comfortable with that change. Grocery shopping went from big shopping every two weeks to just buying what we need for the next few days. By doing this, less food is being thrown into the pantry, freezer, or the back of the fridge, only to be forgotten and wasted. Now, will I possibly buy a second Magic 8 Ball to keep upstairs? Signs Point To Yes. Or look for another Baby Yoda figurine? Yep. But for the most part, every day spending has been cut in half and I hope I can keep that up through the rest of the year.

Watching a lot less television. Here, I thought I’d watch way more TV since I’m home all day but instead, it’s quite the opposite. I’ll read, I’ll putter with chores around the house, I’ll prep food for later or for my parents, or I’ll go out to buy a few groceries for the next couple of days. It’s surprising how much that fills up a day. I’ve fallen into the rhythm of a day to day routine where TV is usually in the background, something to listen to like a radio. And it’s really nice. But don’t get me wrong, I’ve binge-watched shows like Bridgerton. Twice. And there will most likely be a third and fourth time too. And I’ll watch The Godfather I and II, Independence Day, and Spaceballs just about every time they’re on. But I’m no longer seeking TV to just pass the time.

Stopped reading Yahoo! as my source of world “news”. (This applies to all of the news pages on the internet, not just Yahoo!.) I admit, I used to look through these pages on my work computer in my free moments, scrolling thru the not-really-news articles almost every day, all day. Nowadays I’m hardly on my laptop to see it. So, no more reports about a Karsashian’s butt or a Jenner’s lips or any other celebrity bull-shiatzu. No more political stories trashing the opposing party. No more feeling that quick flash of anger because I just read about some dipshit doing or saying something idiotic that no one really gives a fig about and I just fricken read it, plus the comments! Grrr. I do kind of miss the food-related stories but I can easily substitute that with the Food Network. But overall, ever since I stopped seeing that stuff day after day, I feel much happier about my world because that crap isn’t polluting it anymore.

I’d like to think that things like these are the silver linings to all of this crazy-ass pandemic shiatzu. I’m learning more about myself. I’m changing and managing to adapt to this new way of life, plus learning my limits. As long as online shopping, carry-out, and alcohol are available, I think I’m good. Plus, I try to laugh out loud as much as possible. Gotta stay strong! We’ll get thru this!

May The Schwartz Be With You!

^–Yogurt

_{FYI: I have not received any compensation for the product(s), store(s), and/or link(s) mentioned in this blog. This content was written purely from my perspective for informational purposes only.}