I have been working from home for at least half a year now.
Before the Circuit Breaker (CB) period kicked in, my company decided to put in place work-from-home measures to limit interactions between people and hopefully, keep the dreaded virus at bay.
This also means that in the past six months, I have oscillated between the various phases of energy spikes/ lethargy, which I’m sure some of you are familiar with:
- general excitement (“yay WFH!”),
- sheer laziness (“I’m just going to order food online instead of walking downstairs to get it...”),
- renewed vigour (“I will be productive! Exercise! Cook things! Wake up early!”),
- and eventually, potentially alarming levels of lethargy and inactivity from growing accustomed to the homebody life (“zzz”)
Now, even though we are well into phase 2, I have grown so comfortable with staying at home that the prospect of heading out, especially in the middle of a pandemic, just doesn’t seem all that great.
It’s not just the risks associated with being out and about, though – there are also inconveniences that come from safe management measures in public places.
Having to put on a mask and scan a QR code every single time I enter a location is enough deterrence to make me think twice about stepping out.
In short? The inertia to leave home is very real.
2 in 3 Singaporeans no confidence to resume life in new normal: Survey
Apparently, according to a Manulife Singapore survey involving 1,000 respondents aged 21 to 64, I’m not alone in thinking this way.
Some 65 per cent of Singapore residents are not confident to go outside as much as they used to before the CB period, and 60 per cent surveyed also said that they are not confident to be part of crowds.
Even though 83 per cent regularly dined out before the CB period, only 53 per cent of respondents said they have the confidence to eat out now.
Aha! Given these inconveniences, of course it’s preferable to just stay at home, I thought to myself as a self-proclaimed introvert. Why go out when I can order food in? Why leave the house when I can stay in bed?
But then it hit me.
After months of staring vacantly at my screen and wondering if there’s more to life than just endless, mindless scrolling, I reached the conclusion that I really should be getting out more.
Needing to be more active aside (no, walking from my room to the kitchen does not count), I actually missed going out and returning to a semblance of “normal” life. Well, as far as normal gets in such extraordinary times.
There’s something about having a shared experience with other people in the real world, as compared to interactions within the digital realm, that can never be easily replaced.
Transitioning into a new normal
Certain habits are increasingly being ingrained in our consciousness. We instinctively grab our mask before leaving the house, and it has become second nature to instinctively whip out our phone to scan the SafeEntry QR code before entering a mall.
As we gradually transition into this ‘new normal’, some of us may need a little nudge to get our butts off the couch.
If you’re at a loss as to where to start but are also hoping to revisit some spaces in our community, Manulife’s Life Goes On campaign might just be an answer.
Their online Sneaker Drop, which will be launched on Aug 31, gives you the opportunity to win limited-edition sneakers, which will hopefully give you the confidence you need to get out of your house to showcase your new kicks.
How does this Sneaker Hunt get me off the couch?
Starting Aug. 31 (Monday) to Oct. 4 (Sunday), 2020, Manulife will unveil seven pairs of limited-edition sneakers to be won.
Every Monday at 9am, the week’s winning kicks won will be unveiled.
All you have to do is answer a simple question to enter the digital draw. To get the right answer, you could choose to head out to look for it (but please do so in a safe and responsible manner).
Winners will be announced at a weekly webinar on Sunday at 8:30pm, featuring local sneaker personalities who will also discuss tips and tricks to resuming life in the new normal.
But first things first, you will need to register your interest via this web page.
The digital draw runs for 5 weeks from 31 Aug to Oct. 4 (five weeks only) with a total of seven pairs of sneakers to be won.
Follow Manulife Singapore on Facebook and Instagram for the latest details.
If you love sneakers and need a push to get outside more, this is it.
Top photo credit: K8/Unsplash
This is a sponsored article by Manulife written by a homebody who needs to get out more.