People Are Sharing The “Pandemic Habits” They Still Have 5 Years Later, And TBH, Some Of These Sound Lovely

During the pandemic, many of us started new hobbies to pass the time and stay sane — and some of them stuck. From taking daily walks to baking new masterpieces, these pandemic pastimes have turned into lasting parts of our lives.

SteppingOnMines on Reddit asked, “What habits did you start with the pandemic that you still do today?” And it seems that a lot of these pandemic hobbies have been super beneficial.

1. “Two combined: daily walks and listening to one album a day. I’m still fat, but at least I’ve learned a lot about music!”

—HelloMyNameWasTaken4

2. “Baking my own sourdough bread!”

—CuriousEngineer11

3. “Isolation. I rarely socialize and I avoid huge crowds like the plague.”

—ChileMonster505

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4. “Generally hating people.”

—geek_fit

5. “Wiping down shopping cart handles with a wet wipe.”

—Direct-Ad2561

6. “Wearing a mask when in waiting rooms at the doctor’s or hospitals. Using a lot more hand sanitizer.”

—El-ohvee-ee

7. “I quit smoking, which is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. The threat of respiratory disease and the forced isolation were just what I needed to commit.”

—mismocanibalismo

8. “I stopped being loyal to my job. I was a server/bartender and was let go when everything shut down and deemed ‘nonessential.’ Now, I definitely only work for my wage or what I feel I’m worth! I use my PTO and sick days, and never work on my days off. I do only what my wage is.”

—alwaysrunningaround1

9. “Grocery delivery.”

—missymae27

10. “Working from home. I’m a mental health therapist and video therapy was very rare before the pandemic. Now it’s the norm and I even see my own therapist that way.”

—babyrabiesfatty

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11. “Keeping my home tidier on a daily basis instead of going through the big mess/big clean cycle. I started it to protect my mental health when I was in hermit mode during the pandemic, and made it a habit enough to keep it going!”

—effyourinfographics

12. “Stocking essentials.”

—solemnSycamore519

13. “I actually stopped biting my nails because of COVID. Real positive in my life.”

—Matthew_C1314

14. “Working out every day.”

—Legitimate-Neat1674

15. “Comfortable clothes. I’m not going back to restrictive clothing, even just tight jeans and underwire bras. No thanks.”

—babyrabiesfatty

16. “Cutting/coloring my own hair.”

—zoloftandcoffe3

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17. “I feel a lot of people picked up sh*tty driving habits during the pandemic.”

—Ramadan_Steve_134

18. “Running. Peak pandemic, I was 60-plus lbs heavier than I am now, and I was drinking pretty significantly multiple times a week. One day, I just decided I was sick of being stuck inside and went on a ‘run’ which was more of a slow jog, a hundred yards or so, then walk, for about a mile total, but it was a start. Now two marathons and literally thousands of miles later, that afternoon was the start of really turning around my personal physical health.”

—muerteman

19. “Eating in the car. Makes my inner introvert happy.”

—EternalSKY13

20. “Duolingo.”

—AcrossOlimpico

21. “Taking my shoes off at the door when I come home.”

—SaveALotNYC

22. “I mastered barbecuing. Now everyone loves my BBQ.”

—Jinks_Cash01

23. “Weekly video calls with my family! They’re the absolute best thing to come out of that dark time.”

—erinissleepy

24. “Hoarding toilet paper.”

—ChairRip7

25. “Washing my hands properly. I make it a point to finish the 20 seconds nowadays. Back then, it was at best 10 seconds, on average probably five seconds. I feel sick way less often now.”

—Joesr-31

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26. “Not getting my nails done in the salon.”

—ResponsibleSky1529

27. “I give people an ample amount of space when standing in line.”

—Elmnt65

28. “Not going to church.”

—Vega_79

29. “I bought a bidet due to the toilet paper shortage, and now there’s one on every toilet in the house.”

—reload88

30. “Binge watching Instagram reels. Five years later, I feel like an addict trying to get that dopamine hit from endlessly scrolling.”

—rnedia

31. “HelloFresh and cooking from scratch!”

—Aurorinezori1

32. “Listening to interesting podcasts.”

—spaceblanc

Do you have any hobbies you would add that weren’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments!

Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.

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