In case you needed a reminder, it’s now the end of September. Sep. Tem. Ber. 2020… That leaves only 3 months in this unprecedented, unpredictable, and all around strange year.
2020 has been hard. We had to learn how to work and learn from home, prioritize our health in a new way, be anti-social, cook literally all the time, and, of course, wear a mask. But there have been silver linings, like spending more time sitting around the dinner table with family, or watching the Netflix shows we never thought we would get around to. We also learned to treat ourselves (reasonably, of course) and how to let an Amazon delivery get us through the week.
Which led me to wonder: What things have been helping everyone make it through the pandemic, by instilling a little joy or a little normalcy into their week? For me, it’s definitely my supersoft (and super on sale) Splendid sweatpants, my tiny yet functional IKEA desk, and, honestly, TikTok.
Our HerMoney Facebook group members have been relying on some tangible (and some no so not tangible) items to get them through 2020. We asked them to weigh in on their favorites, and they didn’t disappoint.
Fern W. is living for her morning bike rides. “I ride first thing every day and it has kept me sane, gotten me out of the apartment and through my neighborhood, connected me to nature, prevented Covid weight gain, and preserved my mental health and blood pressure,” she says. Sounds like a win, win, win, win, win.
Rebecca W., Amber L., and Courtney Z. are also uber thankful for their workout subscriptions. Whether it’s Peloton, Les Mills, or one of the other thousand out there, getting your heart rate up is a great way to pass the time.
Krista V. has found a new appreciation for her coffee maker. She’s getting the daily caffeine she needs and saving money. Check and check.
For Jennie M. and Sari C., quarantine would have been a lot more miserable if they had to focus on reality. So they stuck their noses in their — err — Kindles and have traveled to many new worlds over the last 6 months.
Since we’re walking everywhere, Emma K. has been super reliant on her Lululemon fanny pack. She keeps all of her essentials — cell phone, wallet, mask, hand sanitizer — in there for easy and hands free access.
Shilpa U. has also been walking a lot, and is so thankful for her Gel Asics shoes that she happened to buy the weekend before the shutdown. “I have walked many many miles in those shoes to keep me sane during this crazy time,” she says. Me, too, Shilpa.
For Jane G., our resident NYC girl, Central Park has been everything and more during the pandemic. “The beauty and simple grandeur and variety of the environments never grows old,” she says. So nice someone is still stopping to smell the roses.
Andrea E. rediscovered podcasts during the pandemic. “So many new ideas, studies, and stories. I’m medical, so they’ve kept me up to speed with Covid. As well as personal stories, financial conversations during the crazy economic times we are in, therapeutic advice, and daily news,” she says.
And Kendra V. can’t live without her high quality earphones to listen to those podcasts. They have been saving her life every day to escape the noises of reality and tune into music and podcasts.
Emma S., among many others, are so thankful for the new WFH setup they invested in. Whether it’s a nice chair, a brand new desk, that high quality monitor, or, yes, a butt cushion to comfort your caboose, it’s worth it and will make the work day that much easier.
Rachel R. found love in house plants and the accompanying community. “I have only purchased one plant this year and have still managed to fill my house from gifts and trades. I have them all around my WFH area and they bring me joy on hard work days,” she says.
We’ve all been spending a ton of time in the kitchen, and La A. is loving her air fryer in 2020.
Finally, the truest answer to this question that totally goes without saying. Maria M. wouldn’t have made it through this global pandemic without her dog Bentley, who she adopted in November.
Oh, and wine. Everyone is thankful for wine. And a lot of it, obviously. Cheers to a brighter 2021!
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