Depending on help for life skills such as cooking and cleaning is a clear no-no in such times. This can be seen as a positive, although for those who are saddled with other responsibilities, such skills may be an additional burden. But for those who have generally missed hobbies like cooking, this time couldn’t be any better, where one could spend hours improving their skills and adding newer ones to their repertoire.
Although morning meetings haven’t yet disappeared, the medium of communication has changed. From crowded meeting rooms, to an overcrowded chat room, this change has been a boon to some, and a bane to many. Work from home has been a demand for years together, but now that it has become a reality, not many would still vouch for its benefits over working in office. Maybe one can now avoid all the time spent in travel, but that same time has led to increased amounts of work, causing the same group of people to demand getting back to their offices!
Personal hygiene is something we’ve all been accustomed to, but COVID-19 has brought about a whole new set of guidelines which have become a part of our daily routine. A fresh mask to be work outside of home at all times, social distancing and frequent washing of hands - just some of the many personal hygiene habits all of us have adopted. When the world reopens in its entirety, it would be interesting to see how many of these habits actually carry on into this almost new era.
Gone are those friendly hugs, the corporate-like handshakes and the general form of greeting which we’ve all become accustomed to. Admittedly, changing such an innate human act is hard, but the current situation demands other forms of greetings, which on the other hand, seem very basic. Just a courteous hello, accompanied by a wave, that too with at least a distance of 2 meters. Well, until we overcome this pandemic, looks like this is going to be part of the new normal.
Perhaps, the new normal that we speak of today, becomes the “standard” normal of the future. Only time will tell, but until then, let’s ensure that we all stay safe and sound in this whole new world.
