NEW YORK—According to new research from healthinsurance.com, many Americans are now ready to acknowledge that there are some pandemic-life silver linings. The national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that, because of the pandemic, 80 percent of respondents said they have been more focused on their health, while 73 percent said they worked toward improving their self-care.

It seems clear, according to healthinsurance.com, that living through the pandemic put a spotlight on self-care.

The survey also found that 73 percent of Americans say their self-care has improved since the start of the pandemic, which is an 81 percent increase from the healthinsurance.com June 2020 survey.

Respondents also are more self-aware and acting on it. Last month, 55 percent of respondents said they had packed on some "pandemic pounds," and now 49 percent say they are dieting for this summer season. The past 15 months of pandemic life have also taken a toll. Among respondents, 51 percent feel like they need some time off from work, which is a 22 percent increase from this time last year. 

In addition, 80 percent of the respondents said they received the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, 48 percent are still worried about contracting COVID-19 even though they are vaccinated. And 77 percent of respondents are still wearing a mask in public.

The survey also found that 54 percent of respondents have visited a shopping mall; 59 percent have resumed going to restaurants and or bars; 38 percent have resumed travel; 58 percent have started going to other people's houses, and 60 percent feel comfortable resuming travel for work.

Healthinsurance.com combines the nation's leading health insurance carriers and advanced technology to offer a suite of private insurance solutions and Medicare plan options.