Sarah Taryam, Arts Editor

Who can believe it has been almost a year since this pandemic started? We are trying our best to look on the bright side and this week we are looking at the five habits that we have developed during the pandemic that we should keep for life.

The first thing we do is to keep on taking care of ourselves. Self-care is vital even though you might think it is difficult. Self-care can include anything from doing some yoga to going for a run to listening to a new podcast. While things are semi-normal here in terms of shops and everything being open, most of us are still keeping ourselves inside to be safe. So it is important for your mental health to take some time for yourself.

The next tip is to do with accountability and being responsible for your own actions. Obviously we need to still be wearing masks, that’s the most basic thing to do. Social distancing needs to be worked on however. If I ever do go out people do not leave space even though there are signs clearly stating to leave a space between yourself and others.

Have you ever heard of a health pod? Neither had I. The idea is to form a group of friends who will inspire you and keep you on track. You can arrange weekly meet ups and go for a coffee or even a jog if you are all sport. It is a group to rely on and stems from Japanese culture.

From a young age in Okinawa in Japan, people form a social network group called a moai. A moai contains a group of five or more friends who offer social, logistic, emotional and even financial support. They are basically friends for life and studies have shown this is a very healthy way to live. Try to form group of friends who will be there for you throughout the pandemic and even after it.