In our survey, The Better Normal, we asked those answering yes to "From your experience of the pandemic, do you see a "better normal" for yourself?", What is the better normal you foresee for yourself?
It's clear, most people are enjoying a better life-balance. People are enjoying new innovation.
These answers include reference to family.
"A stronger connection with nature and my family and less time wasted on things that don’t matter."
More working from home, enjoying family life more. I kept my job but lower salary; I kept my family and with more joy and love. My priorities will change accordingly
A better balance between work and family. An even clearer commitment to tackle the community’s tough challenges using evidence and collaboration. Making time for creativity.
A better-balanced life, with a focus on health, family and close friends.
A bit more relaxed and getting a lot more sleep. Spent a lot more time with the family which is good.
a clearer focus on the things that matter - family and friends and being kinder in general
a general slowing down of my life. Stopping to enjoy my family and friends and especially to take holidays regularly in Australia but mostly WA.
A healthier lifestyle. More time with family
A less frenzied and busy existence. More quality family time, more connected neighbourhoods and deeper friendships with people closest to you. Less consumerism, less commuting, and taking more time to walk, exercise, cook and do things for myself and my family.
A more flexible and balanced life, without the guilt of the previous normal. That guilt that comes from the feeling of never giving enough time to what it is that you are doing, whether it is work, family life or other. A more flexible and balanced world will enable us to achieve more, across more and feel better for it.
A more present and slower life with less materialism and more appreciation for the important things. Important things being family, friends, the simple things.
A simpler life, less commuter travel, focus on family and wellbeing, focus on workforce mental health and wellbeing
A simpler, less busy life. More focus on family, friends, community.
A slower pace and appreciation for things and being more connected to what matters which is family and close friends, not acquaintances.
Ability to execute delayed projects; spend more time with family interstate and overseas; bring friends to stay, and colleagues to head office
Ability to focus on where I’m going. Being able to work from home gives me more time in my day to now study, and a change in my relationship status to single means I’m not running after someone else. I recognised how much I’m doing in cooking, family and household duties compared to my partner, and how that steals my time and energy for pursuing my development and career
Acceptance of my choice to live and work where I love in a rural town. Acceptance that quality can be found no matter where you live. Acceptance that it is OK to take care of yourself and your family first.
An even stronger focus on family values and on contribution to the Planet and on generating profit for good - for the benefit of ALL of mankind and the planet.
Appreciate good health, family and friendships Walk more. buy less goods, travel within own state rather than overseas.
Aside from renewed gratitude of having family and friends more tolerance, kindness and giving. Optimism
Back to basics - more time with family
Balancing family and work time. Permanently living in rural Victoria and working IN PART via Zoom
Being a lot more aware of what is around me. My neighbours, local businesses, my family and friends. Not taking these things for granted.
Being able to see more people in your home not just two from one family.
Being close to family members and still be able to do my work without any guilt towards the family.
Benefit family time over business time, more home office time, less consumption
Better balance between work and family. Realigned priorities
Better balance of work and family - better connections with friends - greater consideration for each other
Better balance of work and family, creative ways to be there for my kids
Better balance of work projects; better family routines; many iterative family and friend reunions long into the future ... already planned
Better communication outcomes, easier access to people and services. More time for family
Better family-work balance Stronger sense of community Greater respect for health care workers More focus on sustainability
Better integration of work, family and leisure.
Better routines in my life every day (moving, meditating, eating clean, connecting with family, friends and laughing) Use my voice and my abilities to advocate for new business models and ways we can improve society to be fairer, my equitable, more sustainable more inclusive, smarter, more prosperous for all and more time to contribute to society as a volunteer, a learner, a carer or a tourist.
Better work / life balance. More family time, less travel, higher productivity, better connected and supported, more resilient, recognition of what is important.
better work life balance, improved people leader and family participant
Better work life balance, spending more time with family
Better work life balance. More family time. Ability to work from home. More health benefits of more time to exercise and relax.
Better work-life balance. Working from home. Appreciating family, friends, social occasions. Considerate consumerism.
Better work/life balance and quality time with family
Better work/life balance/integration Less time on technology More family time Better quality friendships Contributing more to a better world Stronger commitment to addressing climate change
Closer family life and less rushed due to less movement
Closer to my family by spending more time with them
Daily walks and time in nature Ability to undertake projects Appreciation of time with family and friends
Despite the fact that I'm 88 years of age, I always think my best days are ahead. I don't know how I'll make the future better; I just know I will. Closer family ties. Permission to not be productive all the time. Pace of life slowed down. I think some good things have already happened.
Enjoy my family more
Family , Discipline , work practice
Far greater appreciation of the 'smaller things' I.E., quality family time. While also a greater appreciation of the things that I am missing right now which, living in a free society as Australia, I took for granted.
fitter , simpler , less rushed, priority to important things to me such as family 1,2 and 3.
Fitter, more focussed on family and friends, better perspective on the world
flexible work arrangements enabling family time and personal health/fitness
Focus on finding time for what matters most to me:, what makes me happy: family, friends, my community, my health and wellbeing
Focus on health and family
focus on the important things in life, health and happiness, family and connection
Focusing on the start simple things in life that really matter. Family, friends, taking things a day at a time. Not sweating the trivia and nonsense that was rampant in the pre COVID-19 world.
for me personally yes, more time with family, working from home. I see some positive changes in how some services are working as well
For me: tighter family bonds & reinforcement of family values, Lifestyle simplicity & focus on my life purpose. I hope it has helped society see the structural barriers in society more clearly & emerging societal issues relating to digital transformation & climate change.
Freedom to make lifestyle choices, set priorities around family and friends
Fuller flexibility. A greater acceptance for working around “human” commitments and choices to prioritise family and personal well-being.
get more time with my family - as no longer working interstate
Getting some more sleep and spending more time with family with working from home.
Great appreciation of the small joys of life; family, friends, a walk along the beach, safer cruising procedures, politer passengers.
Great work/family balance
Greater Affinity with family, truly living and role modelling flexible working, humanity has a greater influence in my leadership
Greater appreciation for time spent with family and friends. Greater awareness of the environment and my effects on it.
Greater awareness of the importance of family. Not taking for granted that the good things we have built will take care of themselves.
Greater clarity on what's important in life. More time with kids/family (not always a great thing), less travel/time away, more productive work with less water-cooler chat and wasted meetings/commute time.
Greater connection with family and friends, learning not to sweat the small stuff in life and having a greater appreciation for the environment
greater connectivity generally and access to on-line offers so I can retire to a regional area - a leap frog moment but, I am an international and need to get to see all of my blood family who live overseas and this is currently a very worrying aspect of being in Victoria, especially.
greater family balance
Greater focus on balance between family time / me time / work and chore time. More flexible working conditions.
Greater focus on the things that matter to me like health, family, friends and less on stressful issues that I can't control
Happy to be well and with family
Having a slower life. Spending more time at home and appreciating family and friends in small gatherings
Healthier, closer to family, clear headed
I am home much more and a play a much larger role in my family rather than my work.
I am more in tune with my family.
I don’t want to be busier. I want time with my partner, myself, friends and family. I don’t want to work full time either.
I have a clearer plan for our family life. This includes addressing plans for retirement, options for our kids' education, and how we organise our life.
I have come to a greater appreciation of nature, of not being overly busy, and of connecting with family and friends. I also see an opportunity for social change towards greater justice, equality and a more sustainable economy (all things I have worked for all my life).
I have settled into a routine involving walks, take away coffee, pursuit of languages online, family tree research and connecting with family and friends via video calls
I see a more family centred normal where I value pursuing hobbies at home, gathering or conversing remotely with friends and family much more regularly. I see better home- work balance and savouring simpler pleasures.
I see an opportunity to use my time better and not fall back into the old traps of dedicating time to tasks that are not fulfilling. e.g.: spending quality time with family.
I see possible opportunities in my job situation, to help colleagues with their training & in their roles, and to add value; however, it is becoming a drag being apart from my family and living in a separate country under very strict lockdown rules.
I will accomplish all my goals and end up settling in the place I wish. Can take better care of my family and can be helpful to people in need.
I've always had the mindset I have now... positive, explorative, the logical (as well as biological) family, tikun olam
it will be a life without fear and full of hope. where I can have time to work, see my friends and have time with my family.
Keeping life’s priorities in balance - family,/friends, work, spending time in nature.
Less activity due to obligation and others expectations. Time just to be at home and with nature and with family and friends. No more activity for "entertainment".
less alcohol, more exercise, better appreciation of sooooo many things - family, friends, travel, opportunities, work, general employment
Less busy, more time for family and people, using technology to achieve better life
Less commute, and working from home, more online connection on a regular basis with my family who is a long way away
Less commuting time by partially Working from home. More focus on immediate community of friends and family.
Less mental clutter with renewed focus back on family, community and self.
Less stress More flexibility, better balance. Focus on what is truly important, for me that is family
less time commuting, more time with family
Less time driving in traffic and more time with family and in my home.
Less time in the cbd and less time on transport More activities with the family
Less traffic and driving Better benefits from the government for people in need More family time.
Less travel commuting, more time with the family, more focussed on what really matters
Less travel time to work, greater opportunity to share quality time with family and maintain if not improve efficiency at work
Less travel, more family time, more focus on societal impact
Less travel, more time with family, a greater appreciation for modest pleasures.
Less travel. More time with family. More productive working remotely.
Living sustainability on my property and working from home with my family. Face to face where needed. Slowing down. Buying only made-to-last products, buying in bulk, community centred living. Working 4 days a week. A retirement pension should be enough to live on except that Morrison has vowed to get rid of the retirement pension
Mix of work and home - less commute time, better use of video and other options for meetings, better ability to contact regional and other colleagues, ability to structure family commitments around a broader work day where start and finish times are flexible
More acceptance of flexible, diverse and inclusive workplaces and work practices. Less unnecessary travel. A smaller footprint on the earth. A bigger place within my family.
More appreciation for what I have, respecting the freedoms of travel and engagement with family - it can all be so quickly taken away!
More aware about how busy I am. More conscious about hygiene. More willing to negotiate with my boss over working from home on a regular basis, which is better for my family life.
More business opportunities. More time with my family. Better control over my children's education.
More clarity about the role of family and community in our lives.
More communication with friends and family
More connection to family
More conscientious, more time spent on family, better diet and exercise
More content with the simple things and with family
More content with what we have - our 'disaster' was so much better that WW1 & WWII of my immediate family
More efficient in time, more connected with my family.
More efficient use of time. Better engagement with my family while working at home.
More efficient working environments. Less commuting = more time for family and better and more personal relationships
More emotionally connected with my friends and family, more focused on health and well-being
More family time with my work Being just as busy as it was before corona
more family time, less spending
More family time. Less travel /commute time. Better hours at work so less adversely impacting on family time.
More family time. Slow down.
More flexible working arrangements, spending more time with my family, less general illness from greater hygiene
More flexible working arrangements/acceptance and hence greater balance, making more time for family and friends.
more flexible, business growth, moving next to my mother - focus on family.
More focus on family and things of importance
More focus on family connection, better prioritisation of health - having been able to walk everyday with my son has been wonderful and not wanting to give that up. Being focused when I do need to work is also great.
More focus on family needs and less frenetic efforts on external responsibilities so better work life balance especially with working more at home.
More focus on family, less on business. More focus on my team's wellbeing, less on profit. Greater emphasis on business purpose, less on competition
More focus on health and connecting with family and friends. Less work and leisure travel. More local visits. Less accumulation to keep up with the Joneses. More internal focus. More gratitude. More health. Simplification
more freedom, less travel getting prepared to go to work, more time with family, more time to exercise and just that white space to think
More opportunities. Hopefully more reliance on "homegrown", more involved in day-to-day family life,
More quality time with family
More quality time with family and friends. Lower environmental footprint. Stopping to smell and appreciate the roses of our immediate local environments before considering global travel.
More quality time with friends, more time experiencing live music and theatre, a better-quality relationship with my significant other and being closer with my family
more reflective on my family and friends
more relaxed, greater family time, work life balance
More relaxed, less rushed, healthier lifestyle, less money wasted on entertaining, eating out and drinking, more time with family.
more sleep, more connection w family
More time for family and self-care
More time for family, better integration of time with kids and time at work. Potentially even a different structure to the working day and working week - same outcomes, same total hours at work, just a very different break-up of the days and weeks.
More time for family, better sleep, less carbon footprint
More time for family, health, and things important to me, less time commuting and travelling for work. Working more focussed from a comfortable home office instead of a distracting open plan office.
More time in nature , more conscious living, maintaining better contact with friends, family, more activism for worthy causes, more local connections
More time in reflection and more time with family and closest friends. Less rushing from event to event
More time to appreciate and enjoy family and friends. Carpe Diem
More time to spend with family
more time to spend with family, and on my personal hobbies, and things like self-care, cooking, gardening, listening to music and reading
More time with family Work flexibility Less commuting
More time with family and less face-to-face meetings
More time with family at home, less business travel, more recreation.
More time with family, less focus on materials things
More time with family, more efficient, less stress.
More time with family, opportunity to rethink what is important
More time with my family and time to exercise since I’m not commuting 3 hours per day
More time with my family, more flexibility in my work practices, shift to an outcomes-based work arrangements
More time with my partner and family. A renewed concentration on what is important in my work, rather than just what I do. Opportunity to take stock on personal health and wellness. Respect for the new communalism that has arisen in some communities through a shared adversity.
More working from home, less travel, less going out because I feel like I should, valuing more time with close friends and family, more commitment to fighting for climate change action in Australia and around the world.
Moving to permanent working from home will give me more family time and avoid commutes
Much greater Government focus on investment in community Connection and family wellbeing Alongside Existing spends for economic development and productivity. In that context I see a better future for our children and our people. That would be a better normal for me.
Much more work and meetings online, and those more productive, meaning less travel, less commuting, more family and personal time
My better normal is to put my family and myself before other people's expectations of me.
New business opportunities as a result of online meeting technology and more connection with friends and family via these platforms - we were used to working this way with colleagues but family, friends and clients weren't familiar with it until COVID
no commuting working longer days but have the flexibility to work around and with the family also.
Obvious stuff like less commuting & more time with family but it may also enable a general reset to focus on what is truly valuable.
one that takes time to breathe and not work as hard. Enjoy the small things, take time with family.
Ongoing working from home freeing up so much time to do other stuff with family at home
permanent home office, family affairs and residence visa resolved..
Personally ... it's been a bummer - I became a grandmother as isolation set in ... I have held my grandchild 3 times in total ... he is now 3 months old I have missed significant bonding time ... New normal - more time with family - less with work!
Priorities better aligned to what's important - family and friends
Prioritising time with family above all else.
Prioritizing the things that give me happiness - and finding a better balance with work and family and friends, exercise, etc!
Quality time with family Caring for important and non-superficial matters Enjoying more my time, my life. Doing more of what makes me happy
Reflection over the direction of my life. Discovery true freedom....e.g., not being a hostage to consumerism. And being closer to family,,,
Regular Exercise, improved eating habits and more time for family sharing food, emotion and better understanding
See family and workout. More life/work balance
shift of balance to more local/family time
Simple plans for the future. Conservative, practical financial planning. More focused on family and personal relationships.
Slower more time with family. New perspective on what is important. Grateful.
Slower pace, making the time for the important versus the urgent, consistently connecting with friends and family, stronger connection with the environment, less travel, more home cooking, more rest and play.
Spending a lot more time at home with my family.
Spending more time in nature than in crowded areas. Currently forging closer bonds with friends and family through frequent communication, but not sure if those will stay strong as restrictions ease. I am seeing very quick technological advancement at my job (teaching).
spending more time with family
Spending time relaxing with family
spending time with the family. resetting priorities
Strengthened the habit for healthier me (physically & spiritually), closer to family, explore/challenge the untouched/unseen part of me, seeing the world in more positive way
Stronger connection with family and friends.
The Covid-19 experience has made us all more aware off our relationships with family and friends, on both an emotional basis and also on a physical distancing aspect. This is obvious, but I feel that it has also increased people's valuation of themselves as an entity and the value of others, so may be a greater degree of respect has developed in community.
The further opportunity for flexible, remote working and even more enhanced family life
Time with family
To slow down Think Make clearer decisions Say yes to the things of benefit to me and my family. To have everything change and taken away from you given then the mental ability to rise and be grateful for a roof over our heads the warmth of our house comfort of food and support of our family.
To spend more time in family, to think in myself, to work more green, to spend low money, to think about the necessity to consume things without value
WFH means a better balance between work and life (allowing myself breaks during the day to get up, out and exercise with the dog). WFH gives me the space to be creative, both at work and at home. With a/h activities stopped - we are less stressed and have more time with the family. So, we will revisit which ones are really necessary when everything resumes. In general, the pace is less manic, life feels simpler and I like it.
working for anyone in the world from home running on the beach each day seeing more of the family
Working from home has freed up time from travel to spend with my family, with the kids. Priorities have shifted including where we are more conscious of exogenous shocks like COVID & climate change, and our need to co-exist with them, not deny them.
Working from home is a huge benefit to our family.
Working from home more often, reducing travel and being more available for family
Working from home, more time with family, more flexibility
Working from home, saving travel, flexible for family life
Working from home. Less busyness. More family time.
Working more flexibly to balance home / work commitments (by working from home one or two days per week I can be a bigger part of family life)
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