Three months into 2020, and we already have "Can we uninstall 2020, this version has a virus in it" memes swarming us in social media. With countries and cities getting into lockdowns and lives pulled into a standstill, Coronavirus, or more sophisticatedly titled as COVID-19, has made communities stay away from each other for survival.
It’s easy to lose your hopes and be stuck with the negative side effects of any event, especially when as a community we’re battling a global pandemic.
For every low, there’s a high and it’s true that even this current scenario has a silver lining to it. We are going to survive this and when we do it’s a different world that’s waiting for us.
7 Positive Impacts to Come Out Post COVID-19 Lockdown
And these are the 7 best things that I truly anticipate to be there. A few trends that are blooming or have already surfaced & going to stick even when all this is done.
1. Helps you Build Genuine Relationships
We all have been so busy living the 'life,' many of us have lost those real, genuine moments we have with our loved ones. It could have been the busy schedules, running around to make ends meet, & rushing to be in urgent meetings.
Sure, maybe you were lucky enough to go for family vacations every now & then. But even then, weren’t you hung up on the pending files waiting at your workstation?
Now, with this quarantine, you get to spend your time with your family and plan your work better. Reconnect with yourself and your loved ones.
We as a community are fighting this battle against this pandemic. It has made us care about how our family or colleagues and roommates are doing and we have found ways to stay connected to them.
2. Entire Lifestyle Changes to Practice Better Hygiene
Being hygiene is no longer just a good habit, but the very skill you need for survival.
Times have changed, and people are now aware of how important it is to keep yourself clean. As social animals, humans are wired to be connected with each other. That's not going to change, and that's something we cannot change. But these recent times have made us all aware of how to do that more hygienically.
From shaking hands to namaste, we all have had a lifestyle change for the good. We're going to remember to cover your mouths when we cough, to sanitize our hands after touching anything else because we know what can happen when we don't.
3. Innovations to Stay Connected & Help Each Other
This quarantine welcomes ideas, hacks, tips, & tricks to beat these lockdowns & help our communities. Companies across the world have started thinking about coming up with product & service ranges that enable you to be as connected as you are with your teams and also your loved ones. Finding creative ways to not let the boredom of four walls get you is the newest trend and rightfully so!
This has opened a new way of thought. Organizations cannot just stop functioning altogether, and each is coming up with the ultimate ideas to attract & sustain both their customers & employees.
This may as well lead to breakthroughs & innovations. You see, innovation happens for nothing, but when the environment demands it! And let's wait for the coolest ideas that can take the world by a storm.
4. Blue-chip Stocks Becoming the Safe Bet to Invest
Investing in blue-chip stocks does have a reputation for being plain boring, stodgy, and is sometimes considered a little outdated. It isn't an accident that they are overwhelmingly popular amidst the wealthy investors and almost every rock-solid financial institution.
The current trend suggests that the blue-chip stocks have minted money in store for owners who are prudent enough to hang on to them with tenacity through thick & thin. Economists predict that you might be able to double your money in just two years.
With economies across the world taking blows, blue-chip stocks can be considered somewhat of a relatively safe harbor.The reason blue chips are considered relatively safe is that the dividend-paying stocks tend to fall less in bear markets.
5. A New Wave of Tools & Software
Companies are in need of tools & software that can help you make this shift to digital classrooms & virtual office spaces seamless.
This has opened the doors to any applications that let you identify & enhance the workflows & processes that are crucial when you have to run your teams or for teaching/learning digitally.
From Zoho coming up with their Remotely suite to SurveySparrow giving out a self-help portal for employees to stay connected in these difficult times, organizations are coming forward with new/updated product ranges.
From self diagnosis bots to automated emergency protocols, this trend has also paved the way to touchless biometric attendance systems, time tracking or other collaborative tools that can essentially step in and be an alternative to your existing workflow to run your business virtually. Workaround tools are no longer stay just enhancements; they are going mainstream!
A major line of tools & software that can help you survive another pandemic or one that can help you work around your established workflows are going to be welcomed. These major lockdowns have ushered organizations & factories to take a step towards the robotic era as a thoughtful move to defend such a pandemic halting the manufacturing industries a second time.
6. Remote Working Turning Mainstream
From Zapier to Aha to Invision, there are many companies already who have gone entirely remote with 100% distributed teams- with little to zero physical offices at all. With cities locked down, organizations across the globe had to make this obligatory shift towards this realm of working remotely.
The investments made for larger spaces are going to decline and companies are actually going to not let geographical locations stand in between while hiring their talents.
A partially remote environment sometimes hinders you from reaping all the benefits of remote working. The quarantines have made all businesses go 100% remote. This has also helped the teams to trust each other. Companies are getting into the culture where they trust the integrity of their employees & that they will loyally work even when there's no one to look over their shoulders every now & then.
7. Affordable Real Estate in Tier 1 Cities
Running businesses remotely is no longer something that we think is impossible & can also bring about this massive wave of change in Real estate, especially in the tier 1 cities. With businesses realizing they no longer need a fancy, large physical space in the city center to run their business as smoothly as ever, the demand for 'hot' places is going to come down.
The ones who do need physical spaces are going to stick with smaller spaces and it wouldn’t matter where they are located. Distances are no longer a challenge; companies get to hire talents beyond zip codes as long as there are enough resources.
This downfall in demand for physical buildings is going to make the prices come down, letting real estate be affordable for the ones who really need it.
Every coin has two faces. With bad comes the good, and these are some of the predictions that I think would stick when all this is done. Countries everywhere are still fighting this pandemic, and we sure are going to overcome this.
We're a race of survivors, and we're going to win this too. I agree the battle is hard & long. But let's look forward and focus on the brighter side for all we have through these difficult times are these & nothing else.
I would love to hear your take on this and please share the trends that you think are going to emerge to welcome this new world.
Stay physically distant but socially connected. Please take care & be safe.