We can all agree that quarantine has made us all adjust to a completely new way of life. Staying home and limiting outings to just the necessities now seems more normal than our “old way of life”. While we have all been patiently waiting for life to return to normal, we may begin to realize that there are some things we have really learned to love throughout quarantine. There could be some things you have picked up in the quarantine that you don’t necessarily want to give up as life returns to normal and we start working again – and that’s okay. If there’s one thing that quarantine has taught everyone, it’s that there are many different ways to get the job done.  

During quarantine, many people have been able to find more time to do things they enjoy, explore new interests, or take the time to pursue passions that they’ve always dreamt of, but never had the time for. Don’t give this up as we re-enter the normal work routine. Continue making time for personal interests and passions. This can also flood into your career to bring you new insight and creativity into your work.

Bring some of your quarantine routine into your new routine. So, you stopped going to your favorite coffee shop every morning before work while you were working from home and learned how to make an amazing iced coffee in your own kitchen? Keep it up! Just because you’re going back to the office doesn’t mean you have to give up your new favorite quarantine concoctions. Bring them to work – it could save you a few dollars too.

Have you found that there are some things that you are actually better at while working from home? This may be something worth bringing up with your company. If there’s one thing we have all learned from the quarantine, it’s that working from home is possible. While everyone’s excited to get back in the office and see one another, there may be a particular project or deadline that you really need to isolate yourself for in order to put out your best work.  See if you can implement some of this working from home flexibility in your new work routine.

While these are just a few ideas of how you can implement some positive changes from your quarantine routine into your new “back to normal” routine, there might be some ideas that are better fit for you and your working life. Examine your routine now and compare it to your life before quarantine. Are there some changes that you actually enjoyed? See how possible it could be for these to become permanent changes or tweaks in you