It cut our petrol or public transport expenses. We could sleep more.

We could work with our partners.

We could have more family time. And there's no better colleague than a dog or cat. COVID-19 social distancing demystified and legitimised working from home.

We proved that working from home is possible and it can be productive.

Hopefully post COVID-19 we will have greater respect for those who need to work from home, due to disabilities or caring responsibilities.

While some people are sticklers to the work uniform, during social isolation we began to dress for comfort.

Some of us stopped wearing uncomfortable bras, others wore tracksuits during work hours.

However, style did not disappear during isolation. Style during social isolation was dictated by what people wanted to wear, not what people were expected to wear.

Social isolation provided a safe time for people to experiment.

People dyed their hair unusual colours, cut their fringe, shaved their heads, and even shaved their eyebrows with the knowledge that if it didn't work out they could fix it later.

And who can forget dressing up to take out the bins.

Hopefully we will continue to dress for comfort and expression.

Zoom calls can be draining.

It's a grid of faces and eyes with nowhere to focus.

But as groups of friends begin to relax, Zoom calls become magical, and oddly intimate.

You forget that you are on camera and act naturally.

Maybe you start cleaning your kitchen during the call.

Perhaps a friend gets tired and falls asleep.

Conversations became deep and philosophical, as there is no rush to be somewhere.

We have learnt that even when we are physically apart, our relationships are still valuable and serendipitous when we connect online.

Before COVID-19 the fear of missing out - AKA FOMO- was king.

FOMO pushed the idea that going out and being seen was more important than your health or well-being.

FOMO pushed us to have many shallow and rushed social experiences rather than being truly present at social events.

Social distancing has forced us to spend time with ourselves and make our own entertainment.

With the death of FOMO we were free to take up hobbies, learn skills, and most of all - rest.

Social distancing may have helped us reassess our priorities, be resilient, cherish our friendships and listen to our needs.

But we won't miss being scared around strangers, being scared to hug our friends or family, or being at risk of a horrible illness.

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We won't miss the devastating job losses, the huge queues at Centrelink, or the selfish panic buying at the shops.

Hopefully we will come out of COVID-19 as better people, but we shouldn't be nostalgic.

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