# What good (or bad) habits has this situation led you to revive/acquire (or give up)? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 8, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351 "2020-04-08T15:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/1 "2020-04-08T15:49:50Z")
The reason might be anything pandemic-related, i.e., isolation/lockdown, what you have seen or read, what family members or co-workers have endured, just having more time on your hands (for good or ill), looking at the future with a different attitude than before… anything. Something earth-shattering or something very small. The thing I’ve done (something small) is I’ve started being very careful about “using things up” that can’t be easily replenished. I was a profligate user of paper towels and paper plates. A boyfriend I went with in the early 2000s introduced me to paper plates. OMG–who knew?? I buy the very cheap ones and use them for everything-- microwaving (one inverted over another), as spoon rests, of course to eat on, to scoop pet-related grossnesses off the floor. Now I have switched to using just one very pretty plate all day for everything (except pet accidents :p). I rinse it off and it’s ready for the next meal. Same with paper towels-- I now use them very sparingly. Also, I’ve been committed to walking every day for a long time, every morning without fail. I walked at the local mall until they shut it down. Now I’m walking in my beautiful and very walkable neighborhood. I usually go out by 7:30 am and do my 5K steps. Right now the morning temps are in the 60s, so that’s good. In the middle of summer, even before sunrise, it could be almost 80 with 90% humidity-- that’s what sent me to the mall in the first place. But for now, very committed. I can’t bear to miss a day. Heck, this is my ONLY time to set foot outside my house! Anything you’ve started/stopped doing due to COVID? ETA: I guess in fairness I should add “what bad habits have you acquired or what good habits have you been forced to give up?” ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/2 "2020-04-08T16:05:57Z")
My house isn’t going to win any awards for cleaniness and orderliness. But its condition has improved since I’ve become a shut-in. I see things that I didn’t notice before while I’m sitting at my dining room table for eight hours. Like random spots on the walls, cobwebs in the corners of the ceilings, dust on shelving and lamp shades, and crumbs on the floor. This morning it was raining so I didn’t go for my walk. Instead I did a load of laundry and straightened up my bedroom. So I’m definitely learning the value of reserving a block of time each day to domesticity. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/3 "2020-04-08T16:09:31Z")
I’m dedicating way more time to playing music. Will be interesting to see whether there are any dividends when I am able to get back w/ others. Have a new pup, so spending lots of time training/walking him. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/4 "2020-04-08T16:28:02Z")
For the first time in my life I moisturize regularly. To be fair, it’s the first time I’ve needed to - it’s not like the south of England has a particularly aggressive climate. But now I’m washing my hands so often that my knuckles have split; and my extra good habit of washing around my nose and mouth all the time as well (who can honestly say that they’ve managed to stop touching their face?) means I have to moisturize there too. I _guess_ this is a good habit, but it doesn’t often feel like it. j ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/5 "2020-04-08T18:20:49Z")
I also am using way less paper towels. I had some cheapy flour sack dish towels around, and started using them for wiping my hands while cooking, and to mop up the cutting board between tasks. I have a massive backlog of paper plates, so I confess to still using them now and then. Usually because (a) I’m bushed from the aforementioned grody cleaning task, and (b) my kitchen now has every inch of stainless steel polished and gleaming, I’m reluctant to splash around doing dishes which might result in water spots on the steel. I’m walking a lot because my gym is, of course, closed. I cheat a bit and drive a short distance to some county park trailheads and I go early to avoid people. So far I’ve met very few people on the trails. I’m tackling one large grody housekeeping task every other day, like cleaning the stovetop or scrubbing the hard-to-mop corners on my hands and knees. One thing I’m noticing. Since I’m never pressed for time, I’m able to do a more thorough cleaning job. When I’m working, and I only have a couple of hours on the weekend to get cleaning done, I rush through the housekeeping tasks so we can start having weekend fun the soonest. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/6 "2020-04-08T19:01:36Z")
Online shopping. I never was much for brick & mortar shopping. I just went when I had to or sent others. I ordered the odd thing off of Amazon or other sites in the past. Now, I look and dig around Amazon for bargains. I gotta stop soon. (:)) wish me luck. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/7 "2020-04-08T20:26:23Z")
This is like the [HOW ARE YOU PERSONALLY AFFECTED BY COVID](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=891513) thread. MrsRico and I have been housebound before because heavy snow. We were snowbound when COVID got serious outside China. Any non-quarantine habits we had in decades past are gone - we have none left to lose. Slight lifestyle changes, sure. No scenic joyriding, sit-down meals, shop browsing and bargain hunting, or minor socializing. Sleep patterns are maybe somewhat less irregular. That’s about all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/8 "2020-04-08T20:30:21Z")
Every night when I get home from work my wife and I take our dog for an hour long walk. We walked him often before but now it’s become a daily ritual to help assuage our panic and to spend quality time together. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/9 "2020-04-08T21:14:13Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > This is like the [HOW ARE YOU PERSONALLY AFFECTED BY COVID](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=891513) thread. … I won’t deny it. There is overlap. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/10 "2020-04-08T22:03:21Z")
I will ponder your question as I sit here having my first double Caesar of the day, to be followed by a vat of wine with dinner and then perhaps a vat of rum. 😉 [Here is a CBC article on the subject](https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-alcohol-sales-physical-distancing-1.5520433). It includes the sentence “… Canadians — already identified by the World Health Organization as being some of the heaviest drinkers per capita in the developed world — may increasingly turn to alcohol to dull anxieties and fear during the global crisis.” Below that is a picture of some goody two-shoes “expert” implying that keeping liquor stores open (“making liquor sales ‘essential’”) is “risky”. She appears to have time-traveled from 1920, but I can assure her that it’s not nearly as “risky” in terms of policy and its consequences as the government deciding to close all liquor stores for months. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/11 "2020-04-08T22:26:26Z")
I’ve begun using paper towels for sanitizing. I haven’t bought any in years, preferring to use cloths. But if I’m at a restaurant and there are unused napkins at my table, I grab one and take it home rather than see it get thrown out, so I have a small stash which only ever gets used for cleaning car barf. Until now. I still feel guilty. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/12 "2020-04-08T23:51:58Z")
The carbs are back, bay-beee! A line from our minister’s latest sermon:“As you can see, [pats belly] I should be keeping six feet between me and our refrigerator.” I was on a really healthy diet, but as I mentioned in a weight loss thread: > [@moi](#): > > But thanks to the pandemic, I’ve gained a few pounds back. > > Hey, the gym’s been closed and the last few weeks were too cold and rainy for biking… (and with being on the brink of both depression and panic, the carbs are back!). > > My point: a toast to everyone managing their weight loss… I’ll join you soon, after I finish my own toast (Therapeutic Sourdough with homemade jam). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/13 "2020-04-09T04:25:47Z")
> [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](#): > > Every night when I get home from work my wife and I take our dog for an hour long walk. We walked him often before but now it’s become a daily ritual to help assuage our panic and to spend quality time together. I’ve never seen so many people walking dogs in the neighborhood. The dogs look delighted. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/14 "2020-04-09T05:05:18Z")
Yeah. My sister in Georgia tells me her two cats and two dogs are thrilled that my sister and her husband are home all the time (Sis still has to work, but there’s no going anywhere afterwards). ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/15 "2020-04-09T05:52:50Z")
I’ve actually reduced my drinking. That’s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/16 "2020-04-09T06:05:21Z")
I just thought of a change-of-habit: I hand-wash longer and more thoroughly. Might keep up with that. Another change is only coincidentally related to COVID. I acquired pricey but worthwhile Costco hearing aids not long before California flashed into crisis mode. Now I Q-tip my ears every morning and perform the WiFi remote ritual. Any neighborhood turmoil will no longer go unheard. I may resume carrying the cane with the spiky tip. I’ll damn well enforce six-foot separation! ETA: Oh yeah, I’m also drinking less because bargain-shopping for booze is no longer on the agenda. Gotta make it last a little longer. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/17 "2020-04-09T12:43:21Z")
On the good side, I’ve started doing daily yoga practice. Before I might have done once a week. On the bad side, I don’t walk as much as i used to when I had to commute. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-or-bad-habits-has-this-situation-led-you-to-revive-acquire-or-give-up/851351/18 "2020-04-15T20:01:32Z")
We’re being a LOT more careful about wasting food - while I doubt the supply chains will ever fail to the point of people not being able to get food at all, I’d really rather not waste what we have. Plus, fresh fruit / veg are harder to come by since we’re avoiding in-person shopping and delivery slots , and I really hate wasting that stuff (we wound up with a ton of apples this last trip, and my husband is taking it as a personal challenge to eat as many as he can; we keep reminding him that a) they need to last nearly 2 weeks, and b) some of the rest of might like some :D). Better / more thorough hand-washing. Replacing the towels in the main level bathroom daily. A lot less reliance on disposables: I tended to grab a paper towel for minor stuff such as hand drying or a quick counter wipe; now I keep those waffle-style dish cloths handy and use those. I also bought a bunch more everyday-style cloth napkins and we are using those instead of paper. A once-a-week load of kitchen towels done in hot water and we’re covered. My alcohol consumption has skyrocketed - probably 4 to 8 times what it normally is. Of course, “normal” for me is a hard cider every 2 months or so, so one a week is unlikely to be problematic 😃