“Can we uninstall 2020, this version has a virus in it.”
Pretty sure all of us got to see memes like this on different social media channels. With countries and cities getting into lockdowns and lives pulled to a standstill, COVID-19 has made communities stay away from each other for survival.
It’s easy to lose your hopes and brood over the negative side effects of any event, especially when as a community we’re battling a global pandemic.
But for every low, there’s a high – and it’s true that even this current scenario has a silver lining to it. Here are the 8 positive impacts of Covid-19 pandemic that we must look forward to.
We are going to survive this and when we do it’s a different world that’s waiting for us.
8 Positive Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic, Post-Lockdown
These are the 8 best things that I truly anticipate to be there. A few trends are blooming or have already surfaced and are 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, and rushing to be in urgent meetings.
Sure, maybe you were lucky enough to go for family vacations every now & then. But even then, didn’t you dread those pending files waiting at your workstation?
Now, the COVID-19 situation has positively impacted the way you emote and maintain relationships. You get to spend your time with your family and plan your work better. This actually helps you build a better future for both your work and family.
As life slowed down, we have found ways to stay connected with people, even if it’s virtually. Reconnect with your loved ones and retrospect.
2. A New Wave of Tools & Software
Companies are in need of online tools & software that can help you make this shift to digital classrooms & virtual office spaces seamless.
This has opened the doors to applications that let you identify & enhance the workflows & processes that are crucial for teams to teach/learn 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. We at SurveySparrow used our employee NPS surveys, employee engagement surveys , and Covid-19 symptom check-bot to check our employee pulse and health during this pandemic.
You can sign up for FREE on SurveySparrow to design Covid-19 bots and surveys like these.
14-Day Free Trial • No Credit Card Required • No Strings Attached
From self-diagnosis bots to automated emergency protocols, this trend has also paved the way for touch-less biometric attendance systems, time tracking, and other collaborative tools that can essentially step in for your existing workflow to run your business virtually. Workaround tools are no longer 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 is going to be welcome. Multiple lockdowns have ushered organizations and factories to take a step towards the robotic era as a thought-out move to prevent such a pandemic halting manufacturing a second time.
3. Lifestyle Changes to Practice Better Hygiene
Being hygienic 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, the very engineering of humans is the ability to emote & connect with fellow beings. 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 our mouths when we cough, to sanitize our hands after touching anything else because we know what can happen if we don’t.
4. Innovations to Stay Connected & Help Each Other
This period welcomes ideas, hacks, tips, & tricks to beat the lockdowns, work from home & help our communities. Companies across the world are thinking about product & service ranges that enable you to be as connected as possible with your teams and also your loved ones. Finding creative ways to not let the boredom of four walls get to 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 doesn’t happen for nothing, but when the environment demands it! Let’s wait for the coolest ideas that can take the world by storm. And by coolest ideas.. we mean to act right.
5. 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 with wealthy investors and almost every rock-solid financial institution.
Current trends suggest that blue-chip stocks have money in store for owners who are prudent enough to hang on to them through thick & thin. Economists predict that you might double your money in just 2 years. The reason blue-chip stocks are considered relatively safe is that the dividend-paying stocks tend to fall less in bear markets.
The economic impact of COVID-19, as we know, is severe; like the blow of a sledgehammer. Even if the economy comes to a standstill, blue-chip stocks become a relatively safe harbor. Wise investments are one of the ways to ride the COVID-19 economic crisis, safely.
6. Remote Working Turning Mainstream
From Zapier to Aha to Invision, many companies now work remotely with 100% of the workforce functioning virtually – with little to no physical offices at all. Even we, at SurveySparrow, have undergone the transition and built a remote team. With cities periodically locking down, organizations across the globe had to make this obligatory shift towards remote work.
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. Quarantines in certain areas have forced all businesses to go 100% remote. This has helped the teams to learn how to trust each other. Companies are also getting into a culture where they trust the integrity of their employees & that they will work even when there’s no one to look over their shoulders every now and then. Well, then, the future of work after COVID-19 definitely looks good!
7. Affordable Real Estate in Tier 1 Cities
Running businesses remotely is no longer something that we think is impossible. It can also bring about this massive wave of change in real estate, especially in Tier 1 cities. With businesses realizing they no longer need a fancy, large physical space in the city center to run their business smoothly, 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 reside. Distances are no longer a challenge; companies get to hire talents beyond zip codes as long as there are enough resources.
When the need for physical buildings drops, naturally, the demand for it does as well, which drops the prices. Thus, it becomes affordable to all.
8. Education becomes Digitized & Affordable
The pandemic had posed a threat to the whole education system. Schools, universities, and colleges had shut down. Yes, it is saddening but have you looked at the brighter side yet? Educational institutions have found a way to overcome this immensely challenging series of events. Classes have begun again, thanks to technology.
Online classes have become the new norm for educational institutions and it has come with a few benefits too. Institutions can now save on the infrastructural costs and as a result, the students needn’t bear the brunt of the costs, making it more affordable.
Moreover, parents will get first-hand knowledge about how classes are taught and can directly understand how their child perceives concepts. As the online education system grows, we can expect an increase in the reach and accessibility of education within every section of society.
Every coin has two faces. With the bad comes the good, and these are the predictions that I think will stick and become the norm. Countries everywhere are still fighting this pandemic, and we 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. Because all we have through these difficult times are these & nothing else.
I would love to hear your take on this. 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.
