Start Planning for Life AFTER Quarantine

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It has already been over a month since our government ordered an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in our area, and we have several days to go before it ends on April 30th (if it doesn’t get extended). Research said that it takes around 21 days to get a new habit so by now most people have already settled into daily routines designed around the ECQ.

We have to remember, however, that this pandemic will NOT last forever. Aside from a lot of us returning to office work and students returning to school, we’ll still need to finish the things that we needed to do before this all happened.

While I’d personally recommend that we continue to practice social distancing and go out only when necessary, we have to start planning for the work that needs to be done after the quarantine ends. Are there things that you need to do for your job, business, or your household soon? Do you have licenses, clearances or registrations that you need to get or renew? Start planning for them now while we still have some time!

Here’s a quick list of ideas based on what I plan to do once the restrictions have been lifted.

Start Planning for Life AFTER Quarantine

1. Keep up the good habits.

Because of the ECQ, the only time I go out is when I need to buy food for my entire family. Thanks to that, my unnecessary expenses (random snacks, coffee on a whim, etc.) have gone down and my savings have increased. I also have a bit more time to exercise and train since I don’t spend half a day outside anymore. Those are just a few good habits that I’ve developed during quarantine, and I do want to continue them afterwards.

Despite those new good habits, however, not being able to go out and explore does have its downsides. Since I usually find inspiration from books I browse at the bookstore and I get the peace of mind to plan articles when I read at the local coffee shops, I’ve had a writer’s block for some time now because I haven’t been able to do those. Aside from that, my sleep schedule hasn’t been good too. Those are just some habits I need to unlearn soon.

2. Finish job or business tasks.

Since I’m self-employed as a writer and blogger, I have to file and process my own social security payments, registrations and clearances, dividends, and a lot of other stuff. Since government offices are closed during the quarantine, I can’t do any of that. Once the quarantine ends, however, the deadlines resume and I’ll have to process a lot of those kinds of things to avoid penalties. I’ll have to help out with my family’s taxes and bills payments as well, and you probably have things like that which you need to do too.

You probably have a lot of things you need to do that you can’t do now, like registrations, certificates, licenses, and other stuff. Think about the things you need to do after the quarantine. Are there any business or government registrations and payments that you need to take care of? Try listing them down and start planning for them while you still time.

3. Review investment opportunities and other money matters.

With businesses temporarily closed due to the quarantine, a LOT of company stocks and other investments’ values have gone down. While there is a lot of risk investing while the market is on a decline, this pandemic will surely end and businesses will find a way to come back. 

It will be risky as there may be companies that may not recover completely from the losses caused by the quarantine, there will still be great investment opportunities in a lot of others. We have to watch out and take advantage of them if we can.

4. Support local businesses.

Some of those hardest hit by the coronavirus quarantine are the small local businesses and freelancers who have not had any sales or income this past month. They all have owners and employees who have a family to feed, and they’ll definitely need some income to make up for all the expenses they accumulated during the quarantine. Because of this, I’ll make it a point to buy from them and give them some business when I can.

Later on, when a vaccine has been developed or an effective treatment has been found, I’d love to personally travel all over the Philippines to give more income to my fellow countrymen and add content to my travel blog, OneAdventurer.com.

5. Prepare for OTHER similar emergencies.

Very few people expected this disaster to happen and there’s still the risk of a SECOND outbreak happening after this first quarantine is lifted. When the quarantine ends, we’ll need to stock up on some home repair hardware and electronics just in case stores close again. Personally, I’ll look for some equipment that will make working at home far more comfortable, such as a chair with a headrest, wireless gear, and others. I’ll also stock up on some whey protein because I do want to keep up my exercise habit.

If you’re like us who already spent some time in quarantine, you already know that most businesses like hardware and other non-essentials are closed. Think about the things in your home that might break down and things you might need soon just in case a new quarantine is announced.

Those are just a few of what I can think of right now, and I’ve already started writing them down on my notebook and planner to prepare. It’s very likely that people will rush to do them all at once in the first week after the quarantine so it might be a good idea to schedule them a week or two away, and to go there early to avoid the long lines.

In any case, try thinking about the things you need to do after the quarantine instead of procrastinating and potentially waste hours waiting in line because you didn’t plan your trips well. 

I hope this article helped you remember the work that needs to be done for your household! Do you have any questions or comments? Tell us in the comments section below!