During stressful times, people tend to pick up habits to help them cope with difficult situations and emotions. The coronavirus pandemic was no exception to this rule.
According to a recent survey by ValuePenguin, over half of Americans picked up habits they are trying to kick before heading back to the office.
Full survey/study findings: https://www.valuepenguin.com/pandemic-habits-survey
Key findings:
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61% of Americans are trying to break unhealthy habits developed during the coronavirus pandemic. Namely, 30% cite too much screen time, 22% cite poor eating habits and 21% cite sleeping too much or too little.
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Gen Zers and millennials are most impacted by unhealthy pandemic habits, especially related to work-life balance and substance abuse. 22% of Gen Zers cite poor work-life balance, while 20% of millennials cite alcohol struggles.
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The good news is about two-thirds of Americans (65%) developed a healthy pandemic habit that they plan to continue. The most common habits consumers will continue are frequent hand-washing, staying connected with loved ones and remaining home when sick.
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One habit that won’t stick: Less than half of Americans will wear face coverings post-pandemic, even while sick. In fact, 58% won’t wear a face covering while sick and 63% won’t in crowded areas.
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The usage of hand sanitizer and cleaning agents — like disinfectant wipes — remains high. 52% of Americans are using hand sanitizer even more than they were a year ago, and 47% say the same about cleaning agents.