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Tax day is right around the corner after another year of having the due date pushed back to the pandemic. Personally, I’ve greatly appreciated the extra time these past two years because even though I may be 23 and a college grad, I still procrastinate and have a hard time knowing what to do to get my taxes done right.

When it comes down to it, this is most likely the last year’s tax day that will get pushed from April to May. That’s because, from the looks of it, our world here in the US at least may be working itself back to normal.

At least, a new normal.

This year’s students are now graduating and while some celebrations may be online, other students get to graduate with in-person ceremonies after a year of primarily online classes. Some families got to see one another for Mother’s day last weekend after a long time of limited contact. And as summer creeps in while the outside heat dials up, mask mandates are beginning to change with Covid protocols.

 So, I wonder, what more change is headed our way? More importantly, what do you plan to do with your new normal?

 Countless workplaces have sent their employees to work from home, giving them the equipment and necessities to allow them to do so. Companies like this have to decide what they will do as the choice to bring employees back to the office is back on the table— work from home, from office, or offer something new like a hybrid option?

Much like children’s education has changed drastically this past year, pushing parents to adjust to having their kids home during the day while some adults still had work in person, our routines have changed. Maybe gyms closed down and you developed your own version of home workouts instead, something that’s become a habit after weeks or months of doing it. Maybe you spent more time with your family or— like a whole lot of people— you got a pet that sooner or later, you will probably have to spend a bit less time with.

These are just a few ways in which some of us adjusted to the pandemic, some of those adjustments being positive and others, not so much in the long run. As people begin thinking about moving forward and masking up less, they will also be going through other lifestyle changes. For those who are immunocompromised, they may choose to still wear masks for their own protection, and for those who choose not to get vaccinated, they will have their own new normal as well.

My question is, what about your new routine is something that you wish to keep?

After all, if my job were to tell me tomorrow that we will be back in the office by June, I would have to adjust my priorities and my idea of what a workday looks like. As of now, my “coworkers” at home are our cute little birds that walk around or hang out during the day if they come to my room, with the coming addition of a chocolate lab puppy. I’ve planned my exercise, entertainment, homework routine, and family time around being home to work. Commuting to and from work, packing lunches, and being away all day will look very different— my coworkers definitely will too.

I need to know what I want my new normal to look like, what my priorities are for me, and find a way to make it work. There are things like watching tv with my parents, and the necessity of doing homework, that I still want to have time for.

I mean, if there are certain things you have felt that kept you going, sane, and happy this past year, aren’t they worth trying to maintain in some way?

I say this because as I look at my taxes and recognizing that I’ve had extra time to do them this year and the last, I realized I’ve also gained a bit of time to spend with my parents and my siblings by moving back home after graduating. Had we not been in a pandemic, my path may have been incredibly different, and I have no idea if I would have followed the jobs I had in mind, many of which were based in New York.

Instead, I am here and little pieces of nightly routines surrounding the people and the things here with me are here too. As we move closer to summer, to things slowly opening up, and begin to find a new normal, I hope we all have a few things we plan to take with us into whatever comes next.

If you want to share some of the things you’ve changed or done that are different for you over the pandemic, I would love to hear about it. Share your pandemic comfort habits in the comments or on socials, let’s start a conversation!

Otherwise, take care of yourselves and enjoy your comfort habits, but don’t forget to do those taxes if you haven’t yet! Have a lovely weekend and I’ll see you later.