Better Normal: 4 Good Things to Adopt from the Pandemic

It’s time to say “better normal” instead of “new normal”. 

Now that we’re two years into the pandemic, it’s safe to say that we’ve already acclimated to this new way of living. One might think that everything related to the pandemic is a detriment to society. You’re not entirely wrong. 

However, there are actually a lot of good things that we can adopt after this pandemic is done. Here’s four:

1. Proper Hygiene Habits

You’ve probably been living under a rock if you didn’t see this coming.

Hygiene is THE most efficient defense that we have right now against COVID. It literally oozes Better Normal. Not to say that we didn’t have any hygiene before, but it wasn’t exactly top-of-mind everyday.

After the pandemic, everyone became a hygiene freak. People suddenly started wearing masks, PROPERLY washing their hands, and started applying antibacterial solutions on literally everything. That’s actually a good thing because these habits of simply cleaning up hinder the spread of contagious viruses and bacteria, beyond COVID.

Imagine if we were doing this even before the pandemic. There might not have been a pandemic at all, right?

That’s why one of the best things to adopt for the Better Normal is improved hygiene. It promotes health, cleanliness, and a worry-free lifestyle.

2. Alternative Transportation

It’s only proper to talk about the planet’s hygiene after talking about our own.

With gas prices up, it’s evident that we need to find alternative modes of transportation for a Better Normal. Bicycles are a great example of this. The rise of cycling is one of the best things to ever bear fruit from this pandemic. Not only do they provide moderate exercise, but they also help the Earth breathe. Zero emissions!

Additionally, another example of this comes in the form of e-jeepneys. Powered by electricity, e-jeepneys require no fuel and emit an almost non-existent amount of gases in the environment. This is a breakthrough toward a Better Normal and a sustainable livelihood – and the government knows it. Local Government Units are now sending out e-jeepneys on various routes. Some Filipinos are even planning to totally switch towards electric vehicles to mitigate pollution!

It’s about time for us to switch towards eco-friendly vehicles for a Better Normal. Climate change is still a dark, ever-growing cloud that looms over our planet. It’s our responsibility to take care of the Earth and reduce pollution, emissions, and our carbon footprints.

3. Plantito/Plantita Fever

Home gardening was HIP during the pandemic!

Everyone knew someone who was hit by this fever – and their gardens were beautiful! Did you know that it helped our environment as well? How? Well, let’s take a trip back to science class: more plants = happy planet. It’s as simple as that! 

Imagine if people went back to planting their own vegetables and fruits? It would help the environment a lot because people will not be so heavily dependent on processed foods anymore! It would also greatly help the environment because dotting the city-scape with plants is beneficial in mitigating pollution.

Additionally, it’s also therapeutic, so that’s a bonus for people who wants to take care of their mental wellness. That’s why this fever should be one of the things to adopt for a Better Normal!

RELATED: 2021: A Promising Year for Urban Gardening in the PH

4. Working from Home

Working from home works for the Better Normal!

The pandemic proved that some industries can still function even if most people work from home. Of course, a lot of industries like construction need people to physically be there for it to work. But without a doubt, millions of people are still working in industries that can function from home!

You see, most of the working class take public transportation to their workplaces – and that’s not a bad thing.  But what about Filipinos who take their personal vehicles to ferry individuals? Of course, it’s going to be in the hundreds of thousands in our urban centers alone. And we saw what it was like during the pandemic. The roads were clean, there were no traffic jams, and energy consumption from offices was lessened.

That situation was favorable for the planet because it was sustainable. One can argue that the pandemic was the Earth telling us to let it breathe. It was a pause in the incessant, abusive lifestyle that we humans were so accustomed to. Now, it’s about time to think about the Earth so that we can transition into a Better Normal.