We’re almost two months into lockdown and we’ve adapted to the changes fast. With your health, the health of those you care about and a lot of negativity, there is plenty to worry about. But despite this, we have seen many people step up and positive things have come out of it.
Here are just some things that we’ve seen that we think should continue after lockdown ends and this all blows over.
Community spirt – the world seems to be getting more and more divided by the day, but this crisis has brought out the good in a lot of people. Companies and individuals have been donating time and resources to help fight the virus. Tech companies from Ireland and Northern Ireland have been involved in great projects from inventing a cost-effective new ventilator, to running webinars with business leaders to help keep people motivated. We’d love to see this sort of ‘giving culture’ remain post-COVID-19.
Video calling – pre-lockdown, video calls were mostly for senior management teams across various locations (although RealTime has been using video interviewing technology for two years), but now they are mainstream, having replaced the typical phonecall. Whether it’s with a client, family or friends, it’s nice to see people’s faces and get a better grasp of how someone is feeling.
Travelling less – travelling is currently limited, both locally and internationally. Going hand-in-hand with video calling above, more meetings are taking place on video calling apps instead of face-to-face. Future business travel will be dictated by necessity as it’s been proven that video meetings can be highly effective? This has both environmental and financial benefits.
Working from home – those who have been forced to work from home and those in management who have had to take the plunge and trust their employees to work from home have seen that it’s possible to be productive. This would have several benefits including cutting down on travel, saving on the cost of office space, and improving the work-life balance of employees.
Appreciating people around you – there seems to be a deeper appreciation that has developed as a result of not being able to see anyone whenever you feel like it. People are wishing that they could go and visit friends or family, but they can’t. Perhaps after this is over, we might remember this and be more appreciative of one another and the small things we do that we take for granted.
Getting exercise – many people are exercising more now than they ever have before. Maybe it’s the additional free time, using the office commute time or likely a new-found concern for our wellbeing and the need to stay healthy. Whatever it is, we think it is worth keeping as the benefits are too many to mention but are incredible!
Cooking – whether highly nutritional or fun, cooking and baking have become a mainstay the past 2 months, with shops regularly low on all types of flour – who would have thought? People are finding their inner ‘Bake Off’ talents to showcase their culinary skills and it’s something the children can also get involved in and enjoy the fruits of their labour!
Washing hands – the amount of advice out there telling everyone to wash their hands and be mindful of spreading germs through coughing or sneezing would make you wonder how common these practises are in everyday life. What, in reality, is a common sense approach should be present in a pandemic or normal life.
Gratitude for key workers – where would we be without the healthcare workers, the sanitation workers, the supermarket workers, the truckers and everyone else keeping the world turning during this pandemic? Maybe afterwards we will learn that these people are the ones keeping our own lives on track even after the rainbows come out of windows and the clapping outside the front door stops.
Things we can probably leave in lockdown – there are several things we would happily leave in lockdown, firstly the COVID-19 virus but also quizzes every other day, queuing for everything, death toll counters, snacking throughout the day, and being scared to be within 2 meters of anyone.
Want to spend your lockdown more productivity? Read our blog about upskilling during lockdown and you might make some improvements that will stick with you after lockdown.
