The pandemic has brought about drastic changes in our lives. Living arrangements, habits, and the jobs of many people have taken a turn, for better or worse. Many things are now deemed to be the "new normal", but people are more than ready to go back to what used to be as soon as the pandemic is declared to be over. However, here are some things that will never be the same ever again, even if everything else did go back to normal:

1. Personal Hygiene

Many people have taken personal hygiene much much more seriously since the start of the pandemic. Soap usage in toilets have become a norm, and hand sanitizers are as essential as (if not more than) a bottle of water when heading out. After 2 years of hand washing and hand sanitizing, the habit will most likely stay with us.

2. Work and Jobs

As the situation requires many of us to stay home just to flatten the curve, people have now realized that their job might not have been as essential as they have thought. Not only that, companies now have a better understanding about which departments needed to be physically in the office and which jobs can actually be done all over the country.

Hence, we might see smaller company footprints (offices, factories) even after the pandemic and jobs that don't require physical presence might get outsourced to cheaper labor in other countries.

3. Shopping

Although online shopping has been here for quite some time, many people have only had their first taste of online shopping during this pandemic. These people have now come to realized a world where a few extra Ringgits can save them from having to makeup, dress up and head out. We believe that many new online shops that sell everything from groceries to ice cream to tech products will be here to stay.

4. Money

Besides practicing good personal hygiene, the government - through various incentives and policies - has urged the public to choose e-wallets and other digital payment options over cash. As the e-wallet battle in Malaysia continue to heat up, we start to see more and more retailers (even roadside stalls) accepting a range of digital payment options. Whichever you decide to stick with e-wallets or the traditional credit cards, cash should be the last option for us post-pandemic.

5. Businesses

Sadly, the pandemic paired with multiple Movement Control Orders (MCO) has forced many business to shut their doors for good, with more and more businesses falling each day, especially in the Food & Beverages (F&B) industry. Even if the pandemic has subsided, it is very likely that we will not see these businesses come back. Instead, it will make way for a series of new shops and retailers which will hopefully bring some freshness to the area.

So, what else do you think will stay the same post-pandemic? Do you think we'll ever go back to "normal"? We'll just have to wait and see.