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It’s time to consider life after the pandemic from an optimist’s point of view. That’s what this article will explore.
The Value of a Hug or Handshake
The price tag on these suckers is going to go up after all of this is over. We’re going to go from the free hugs movement to paying our debts of gratitude with them.
Humans are never going to hug the same way again. Every interaction is going to start with a hug from a romance movie like Sleepless in Seattle. I used to hate dudes giving me bro hugs. Now we’re going to hug it out every time we see each other.
Going Outside
Remember that pastime? Feels like a lifetime ago when lockdowns were only for criminals that stole Slurpee’s from 7–Eleven.
Who knew going outside could be so good? It sure beats looking at the screens of your devices while ignoring your fellow human beings. We’re going to rebel against technology after all of this over. Hanging in the park is going to beat “You wanna Zoom?”
When we’re outdoors, our mind resets.
Nature gives us perspective; it reunites us with our own human nature and what we were put on this shiny planet to do.
A walk around the neighborhood is a chance to have a conversation with your partner without the TV being in between your relationship. I predict parks are going to get real busy and nature getaways are going to become as rare as nuggets of gold bullion in an economic downturn.
Working From Home
It would have taken years to have working from home become the norm. Micromanagers all over the world are pissed at coronavirus.
Coronavirus has shown us that working from home works.
When this is all over, you’ll no longer need to be embarrassed when telling your team you’re working from home. Employees that work from home will no longer be considered lazy.
Us part-timers are going to use our days off to turn our side-hustles into reality and not have to worry about being absent from the office and also being given the #lazy badge of dishonor.
Thankfully, coronavirus is forcing us to change the way we work and this is a blessing in disguise for wannabe entrepreneurs, stay at home parents, remote workers, freelancers — and guys and gals that want to sit at home in their Pj’s with a dress shirt on and nothing but underwear below, while on a video call with a client who has no idea (guilty your honor!).
Washing Hands
I’m going to be honest here: my washing hands routine was lazy as heck and lacked some skills. Thanks to coronavirus, I’m washing my hands better than my dental surgeon after giving a patient a filling because they overate gelato.
We will all appreciate washing our hands after this. The gift of soap can save our lives, and that idea was lost before these corona times.
A Salary Without a Bonus
Those entitled folk who treat annual bonuses like their birthright are going to be grateful after corona times. Just having a job is going to seem incredible when this is over.
A bonus is a privilege, and I’m grateful that the coronavirus reminded us all of that.
Everyone has to give up at least one thing during these times, and those who qualify for bonuses are going to be donating them this year to their employer who has endured and hopefully survived this black swan event.
A Financial Buffer
The amount of buffer we need to survive a challenging time is going to change after all of this. Many of us have been caught out by not having put enough money aside to weather a storm nobody could see coming.
A buffer of money during a pandemic is a huge stress relief pill for an anxious mind trying to battle an invisible murderer in the air.
We will never save or invest the same way again. We will be more cautious and think about random events that could shut businesses or cause us to stay at home for weeks on end.
This article originally appeared on Medium.