Post-pandemic, people will go back to the way they were before.

 

Many of us have been wondering how many of the new habits that people developed during the pandemic will continue once it ends.

 

Research tells us that the answer is very few.

 

People don't like change.  When things change, people tend focus on what they will lose.  And because we hate to lose - we hate change.

 

If we do want to make changes then we need to do it in small sustainable steps.  Otherwise we will go right back to where we started once the pressure to change is off.

 

That's what's happening now.

 

The pandemic forced dramatic unwanted change on all of us.  Now that restrictions are being lifted we see evidence of people reverting "back to normal."

 

Specifically retail sales dropped 1.3% in May, as consumers shifted spending from big-ticket household items to goods and services related to going out.  Spending on autos, electronics and building materials have all declined.  And there's a surplus of toilet paper available now. :-)

 

On the winning side - movie theaters, restaurants, casinos, gyms and fast fashion have all seen sales increases.  (Cambon, 2021)

 

Expect to see more of the same.  Old habits are hard to break.

 

 

Cambon, S. (2021, June 15) Retail Sales Dropped 1.3% in May as Pandemic Shopping Habits Shifted. wsj.com.  Retrieved June 22, 2021, from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-economy-may-2021-retail-sales-11623701250

Have you given up on your New Year's resolutions yet?

January 19th was "Quitter's Day."

According to new research from Strava the go-to site for uploaded exercise activity, 80% of people who make New Year's resolutions give them up by January 19th, hence the name "Quitter's Day."  (Haden, 2020)

I smiled when I read that because I had noticed the same thing based on my experiences in various health clubs.  But it does make me wonder if non-athletic resolutions have a longer shelf-life. 

Probably not.

Why?  Because it's hard to change.  Change frightens us, because we are always afraid of what we will lose.   And given the chance, after we change, we will go back to the status quo as soon as we can.

So what's the solution?  Think in terms of small sustainable changes.

So the couch potato who never works out, joins a gym, and swims every day is doomed.  On the other hand, the person who creates a new routine, by getting off the bus a stop early and walking home from there, can be successful. It's all about replacing one routine with another.

Give it a shot and maybe next year you won't be a quitter.

Haden J. (2020, January 3)  A Study Of 800 Million Activities Predicts Most New Year's Resolutions Will Be Abandoned On January 19: How To Create New Habits That Actually Stick.  inc.com.  Retrieved January 22, 2020, from  https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-800-million-activities-predicts-most-new-years-resolutions-will-be-abandoned-on-january-19-how-you-cancreate-new-habits-that-actually-stick.html