It’s already been a year since China was hit with its first wave of Covid-19. I remember the ignorance of thinking it will never reach the UK — that we will be safe. When rumours of a national lockdown started spreading, I didn’t want to believe it; I refused to agree that it really was something to worry about. I thought it would be over by Summer. Boy, was I naïve!
Boris declared Lockdown 2.0, lifted it and then put another tiered system in place this Christmas — anyone having Deja Vu? It’s safe to say, “normal life” is still on the backburner. Despite this, 2020 hasn’t been a lost cause. We’ve discovered some life-changing factors that may continue to exist after this is all over, from social to work conditions.
To commute or not to commute…
Let’s face it, now that we know we can WFH, will you be willing to trek back to work? Statistics show that not buying lunch or paying for travel means you can pocket an extra £44 per week! Surveys have also revealed that you save an average of 2 hours by not commuting each day. This precious time means you can put it towards a nourishing breakfast, better sleep and feeling less rushed.
Zoom meetings might not be revolutionary, but there’s considerably less faff involved. Why would you travel 2 hours for a 20-minute meeting? Not only are you wasting time, but also money on petrol or train tickets, especially for commuters who are travelling from North England to London. Technology will quickly catch up to our demands, so if this is the path we choose, hopefully, the connection will be better…
Working hard or hardly working?
Since the transition to remote working, 26% of UK workers plan to continue this after the pandemic. Multiple surveys have also found that over ⅔ of the working population think they are more productive by WFH. Naturally, when you remove the social aspects of the office vibe, there’s no other option than to stay focused. You may wander to the kitchen for a cuppa, but you’ll have no one to chat with by the kettle anymore.
Now that we’ve adjusted to this life, change isn’t so bad. Nationwide surveys have found that work-life balance is up by 67%, meaning that we’re less susceptible to burnout. This has a positive effect on our overall well-being. Before, we may have been more likely to sacrifice our mental and physical health; now we’re finally learning how to relax and enjoy it, whilst still working effectively.
Saving Mother Nature
Lockdown prompted travel restrictions worldwide, we waved goodbye to jet-setting and admitted defeat — summer was cancelled. However, this wasn’t entirely in vain. It turns out that since fewer people have been travelling (by air and road), our carbon footprint has decreased by 3.8% globally (equivalent to 150 tonnes of oil). This is arguably the biggest drop in decades. NASA even revealed that the Ozone layer that opened over the Arctic actually healed itself due to the serious reduction in C02 as a direct result of lockdown.
Professor Mike Berners-Lee admitted that “Covid-19 is a re-evaluation and re-wiring opportunity. It won’t be much fun, but it does give humanity an enforced chance to stop and think.” And it’s hard to disagree with him. Scientists admit that this reduction has significantly helped our environment, actually shaving off 5 years of the destruction caused by humans to the planet.
We can’t deny that the air even feels cleaner. You can actually take a breath now without fear of contaminating yourself or wondering what disease you’re going to catch. Whilst I’m not suggesting you should never travel again, consider alternative ways you could get from A to B. Potentially invest in a bike or electric scooter,
No more PPE?
Before Covid-19 maybe you shared a silent snigger with others who were wearing protective gear on public transport. However, since wearing facemasks and regular handwashing, the spread of coronavirus has dropped by 4-fold. Masks aim to trap droplets that are released when the wearer talks, coughs or sneezes. Some designs have become quite trendy, with several businesses such as MaskMe making customised ones so that they don’t clash with your outfit.
Now that we’re more aware of how bacteria and disease spread, it would be hard to forget these conditioned ways to prevent illness. Even the tube and train stations now have hand sanitiser units to promote cleanliness. Personally, I’m a huge advocate for this, and I hope they stay!
We all hate touching tube poles, wandering who previously infected it when you realise it’s still warm. In fact, London Under the Microscope project found London’s tube lines to be the grimmest, finding at 9 of 12 of the world’s deadliest superbugs back in 2017. So let’s consider how this may help us in the future, for example, against the common cold.
Maybe it’s not so silly to protect ourselves even after the pandemic is over. Masks and anti-bac might not be mandatory forever, but they could be a saving grace.
Stop being so anti-social
One thing is for sure: we’ve all missed our friends and families 5% of working adults confirmed that they’ve felt really lonely. However, it’s also made us question who our true friends really are. Since the beginning of the pandemic, you’ve probably confided in people a lot, and have come to realise who is fake and unreliable.
During this time, it’s come to my attention that there are select people who I can trust, and who I should share my time with. I think many of us are realising that the quality of friendships outranks the number of friends we have. So, if you’re thinking about having a social media cleanse, you’re probably not alone.
A lot of friendships and bonds have strengthened, whereas others have fizzled out. Some of us might feel more “connected” virtually despite the physical disconnection. Of course, it’s normal to feel fatigued by virtual calls, but once lockdown lifts, you’ll have a better idea of who you want to meet up with face to face.
On the other hand, maybe you’ve also realised how much you value your personal time and self-care. We’re often so busy trying to make others happy that we forget to put ourselves first. A survey carried out by GSK Consumer Healthcare found that 65% were more likely to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing daily, to prevent burnout or other work-related issues. So, don’t feel guilty if you actually prefer staying at home rather than forcing yourself on a trip to the pub.
Long story short…
Despite all the inconvenience and grief that Covid-19 brought, there have been some fundamental changes made across the world. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic for us to realise that: actually, we were overworked, the environment was in danger, and we do take things for granted.
Everyone is waiting for everything to “go back to normal” — but maybe we should be asking what exactly we’re going back to…The fact is, life won’t be the same after this. However, we could come to a happy medium with the knowledge that we have to make significant changes that overall, support our wellbeing.
Written by Naida Allen
WellBe is spearheading the way to a brighter future for corporate wellness. Our innovative portal is scientifically designed and tailored to each individual employee to improve their wellbeing. We specialise in a range of services from coaching and therapists, to meditation and reading materials. Our aim is to reduce workplace stress that costs UK businesses £42 billion per year. Get in touch with us by visiting our site wellbe.global for more information.
