A Post-Pandemic Social Routine: Aligning Your Time & Values

A beautiful outcome of the extreme change we’ve gone through over the past many months is that we’re now given a reset of sorts. One thing that’s been at the top of my mind personally is my post-pandemic social routine & more specifically, how I spend my time. Perhaps you’re like me, and your insane schedule of socializing, events & obligations came to a screeching halt when COVID hit and you now have the chance to mindfully create a new routine with that empty slate.

As old routines & activities come available to me again, I’m realizing some of the routines I had before just don’t fit in my life anymore. I feel this friction between who I was in my free time before the pandemic & where I’ve come to realize my joy lies now.

In these tough times, I’ve gained this rare clarity of what serves you. Who brings light into my life? When do I feel abundant? What are the things or who are the people that I leave & feel bigger, brighter than before? I’ve realized my time is so limited & I want to spend it in a way that surrounds me with joy, learning & love.

There’s something about movement, discovery, or doing something that focuses you (whether it’s a game, an activity or a conversation) that let’s me connect more deeply with my people, so this is the attitude I’m trying to center when thinking about my time this summer & in my post-pandemic social routine. How do I spend that time in a more enriching way? And because I’m a list person, here’s how I intend to do just that:

• Create a collection of activities that bring me joy that I can share. You can do this too by using your Notes app, writing them on little slips of paper and pulling them out Bingo style or creating a Pinterest inspiration board. Here are a few of mine:
  • Share the place & movement I love and bring a friend to Fly (obvi ) & support a local coffee place afterward
  • Take a walk in one of our beautiful local parks or discover the details in the homes in neighborhoods new to me (bonus points in my dog Humphrey’s book)
  • Invite someone on a bike ride to anywhere & pack some fun refreshments
  • Host dinner and make a theme for the menu for a small group at my house
• Create a list of people I love spending time with (yes, maybe it’s a little creepy). Not only does this give me maaaajor serotonin just to see all these people laid out on one list, but it helps me remember to reach out to the people in my life. This is maybe more for the notoriously bad texters & the easily distracted (guilty).
• Invite your people along. If you’re already going to class, text a friend to join you, and if they’re busy, text another friend. If you need to get groceries, invite someone to join you at the farmer’s market, we are social creatures – pair those things together for a more joyful activity!
• Keep your routine. As you plan trips or your schedule changes, pick 1, 2 or even 3 things that are part of your non-negotiable daily practice & do your best (without judgement) to uphold them on vacation, when your schedule changes, or when work, kids, or life just gets busy. I remember Jenni (Fly’s founder & all-around fitness/psychology queen) telling me that every day of vacation, she makes sure she gets to move, get a good coffee & spend quality time with her family for at least one hour every day. When you start building your days around these, every day can be more joyful & you create respect around them for the others in your life.

I’ve realized that if I don’t prioritize the people and things that enrich me, the things that don’t enrich me so much end up filling that time instead. Here’s to centering joy in your post-pandemic social routine & recognizing that time is one of our most valuable resources.

Morgan Horton is the Chief Operating Officer of Fly and teaches cycle, HIIT & barre at both Fly Lincoln studios.