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[title]Melbourne – you’re all bloody legends. After getting through more days in lockdown than any other city on the planet, Melbourne officially lifts many of the current stay-at-home orders from 11.59pm on Thursday, October 21. And hopefully, this will mean no more lockdowns ever again. While a few restrictions will remain (to be eased at a later date), it’s the first step into our new “living with Covid” reality and will allow us to get back to some of the things we’ve missed most – visiting friends, travelling, going to events and dining out.
Problem is, it’s been a while, and if you’re anything like us you might be feeling a little rusty about how to function outside of your essential stores, workplaces and travel bubbles. And that’s OK, because we’ve written you a light-hearted refresher on all the once banal activities we’ve now completely forgotten how to do.
How to dine at a restaurant
Luckily, Melburnians have been able to continue eating from our favourite restaurants thanks to our hospo industry pivoting to takeaway like the absolute legends they are. But there are some quirks to dining out in public that you may have forgotten about when stuffing your face at home.
Apart from the normal table manners, it's more important than ever to make sure you honour your booking and treat hospitality staff with kindness and respect. They might be understaffed or managing additional health and safety protocols – if you have the means, you can consider tipping to show your support. If you don’t, compassion and patience are just as good.
How to dress
While we won’t stand for anyone fashion-shaming – wear what makes you feel good inside and out – you might be having trouble remembering what you used to wear into the office on a day-to-day basis. Going out to dinner, parties, work and events can mean explicit or implicit dress codes and that probably means changing out of your comfiest clothes.
Our advice? Be gentle with yourself and focus on what aspects of your lockdown wardrobe you’d like to continue. Did you love not wearing makeup every day? With a few exceptions, there’s no reason you need to start applying it again. Got really into stretchy-waist pants? Consider looking into relaxed office wear that is comfy but not going to raise the ire of the HR department.
And finally: many of our bodies may look different to when we entered lockdown. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need to change your body in any way if you don’t want to.
How to greet people
The key here is discussing your boundaries with people. Comfortable with hugging? OK! Comfortable with hugging, but only if you’re both fully vaccinated? Also fine! Prefer no physical contact? Completely hunky-dory. Also, be conscious of what the person you're greeting is comfortable with – maybe offer an elbow first before you go in for a two-armed squeeze.
Physical touch has always required consent, but awareness of this has increased in the last 18 months. Everyone is dealing with this new “living with Covid” world differently and might be more (or less) concerned about certain aspects than you are. It’s fine to set boundaries, and it's important to respect others’ boundaries as well. When in doubt, a wave is both friendly and contactless.
What to pack for a day out
Leaving your house for more than an hour now feels like you’re preparing to trek Tasmania’s Overland Track. What do I bring with me? Will I need snacks? Water? A blanket? Emergency flares?
The basic tools you’ll need to go out in Melbourne are your wallet, phone, keys and mask. We’d also hasten to add that a jumper and umbrella are also wise additions given Melbourne’s rep for changeable weather. Sunscreen, too, if you're outdoors. And maybe a bottle of hand san for good measure.
And importantly – if you’re planning to visit any non-essential venue you’re going to need proof that you’re fully vaccinated, such as your digital vaccine certificate on your phone. Here's how to link yours to your Service Vic app if you haven't done this yet.
How to use public transport
Wait, so do I tap on and off on trams or just on? Or just off? Where does my train change for the city loop again? WHAT SIDE DO THE DOORS OPEN AT THIS STATION?! Many of us have been avoiding public transport for a few months, and it is really easy to forget how it works.
Check your regular routes before you start using them again as there might have been changes to them that you haven’t noticed while at home. And once more for anyone who has forgotten: you only need to tap on with trams; don’t hold people up trying to tap off when disembarking. Keep in mind that masks are expected to remain mandatory on public transport for some time as well.
What is time?
Melburnians collectively agreed to do away with the concept of time for the lockdowns. Oh, there was a vague sense of morning, lunchtime and night, but otherwise, the only actual time we had to mark was curfew.
It’s led to even the most punctual of us being a little groggy about moving back into a world marked by train timetables and timed restaurant bookings. Give yourself more time than you think you need when getting ready to go places and be kind with yourself (and others) if you’re running late or if things are taking longer than you'd expect.
How to socialise in person
It’s normal to have some social anxiety coming out of lockdown. After all, there is no button to mute yourself or turn the camera off in real life. We probably sound like a broken record at this point, but be kind to yourself – take it easy, and don’t feel bad if you’ve forgotten how to make small talk with people outside your household. It’s OK to not accept every invitation as you ease back into the world – you don’t run a marathon the day after you learn to walk.
And don't feel under pressure to accept every single social invitation just because we can now. Sure, freedoms are great and we've missed them, but you don't want to burn out because you're hitting the town too hard.
How to travel
Many of us probably haven’t travelled further than five, ten or 15 km in the last few months, and almost all of us haven’t left the city limits. Navigating airports can be stressful at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic when each state in Australia (not to mention countries overseas) have their own requirements regarding entry.
Check in with the rules in your destination when planning your trip – you may need to download a certain app, complete a travel permit or even produce a negative test result in the days before travelling.
Someone is always there to listen. Here are some great services you can connect with right now:
Lifeline Australia (13 11 14). This national crisis support service offers advice and short term support 24/7. If you’re not ready to call, did you know that you can also text someone from Lifeline from 6pm until midnight AEST? The number is 0477 131 114.
Beyond Blue (1800 512 348). Non-profit Beyond Blue provides support to those experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. The organisation has set up a coronavirus support service which you can access here.
Eheadspace. This service offers free online support and counselling to those aged 12-25 across Australia.