Have You Gotten Into The Post-Corona World?

The post-pandemic paraphernalia have forced us into imagining “normality” in a different sense.

 Till the early months of 2020, the only big bad C we all dreaded was cancer, till corona grappled the world and dynamics changed. A crisis that turned into a pandemic and questioned the human worth and societal diktat.Needless to say, ‘social distancing’ , ‘self-isolation’ and ‘quarantine’ became the most Googled terms. And suddenly, we were thrown into #thenewnormal. Given the unprecedented health risks, the virus did ring an alarm bell and disrupted the human race. However, deep down, I, would like to succumb to the fact that it humbled the human mind forever. What started initially as #21daystogoodlife has gradually turned into a quarter of a year of some mindful thinking, self-introspection and coming to terms with ‘the new normal’.  

 

While laboratories across the globe are battling it out to find a vaccine to eliminate Covid-19, the human mind has had to deal with its own share of battles. So, what is this ‘new normal’? And, the questions is, where do we go from here?  Here’s my take on how I see the post-pandemic world:

 

  • The new hello: Imagine you are meeting your friends in a post pandemic scenario, what is the first question that would pop in your head? “Hey, have you washed your hands,bro?” or “hope you are carrying your sanitizer with you” Conversations will change; gestures will change. 

 

If your way of greeting people was by giving the best bear hugs in the world, wait till you hug someone the next time; for the new normal doesn’t entail close contacts. Annoyingly enough, the warm, fuzzy feeling of a hug is a thing of the past. The idea of not having physical greetings suddenly, looks alien. Lets not forget, that, hereon, the human behaviour will be constantly under the scanner and people will have to come up with new, innovative ways to let each other know that ‘we care’. While, rebuffing the handshake will no longer considered as rude, the Indian signature ‘Namaste’ will rule the world. Moreover, it’s time to connect with people more on the emotional front than physical. 

 

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  • The new work stations: Lets face it, the work  life has taken most of the beating. Some jobs have gone, some salaries have been cut while the lucky ones are battling their blood and flesh out and working tirelessly to run their homes. By now, our beds have been transformed into our work stations. The cosy, comfortable sheets of our beds have provided us the extra warmth and helped us get past and kept the salaries rolling in these months.But, are we ready to say goodbyes to our new working setup? Clearly, the virus has overthrown the traditional approach of corporate life.  As long as businesses are seamlessly operating from the safety of the employees homes, companies should come forward and willingly accept work from home as the new norm. For if we resume normalcy and get back to our cubicles, there would still be ‘the fear of the unknown’ lurking around us. 

 

In addition, ‘freelancing’ could altogether get a new lease of life and more entrepreneurial opportunities could open exciting avenues could easily be the way forward and flexible, the new lifestyle. Well, you may miss the physical office space and ‘hanging out’ with your co-workers for after hours , but, who said, things were going to be the same in post-corona world. For now, it is time to upgrade your WiFi connections , get under the sheets and log in for the day because your HR would still be monitoring you remotely. 

 

  • The new digital: No secret that coronavirus has driven our lives online. From remote working to Ludo gigs and dumb-charades to online fitness classes, we have seen and done it all! The kids in the house have bloomed overnight into tech wizards thanks to  their classes shifting online. While binge shopping took a backseat, binge watching ruled the roast. With social distancing, gone are the days where a sporting event would draw thousands of crowds to the stadium or wait till you buy tickets to your favourite artists concert. Instead, in the new normal, you might end up buying tickets for an online event. The assumptions that certain events can only happen physically has been completely challenged.

 

With the augmented dependency on virtual life, imagine hoteliers giving you a virtual experience of restaurant dining. From gaming to social meetups, adapting the new digital life are set to throw challenges for the service sector. However, many of us have rejected digitalisation owing to privacy concerns but hasn’t the virus taught us to have faith in the system? Eventually, digitalisation will transform human behaviour, robotics and artificial intelligence will take a new leap and we will have to make way for endless integrated technologies. 

 

  • The new travel : It’s been months but seems like ages since we all must have packed our bags to escape our corona-hit lifestyles and head to some exotic locations  to beat the boredom. In other words, just ‘travel’ somewhere. But, when the world gets back its normalcy, travelling won’t be the same as earlier. Masks, gloves, PPE kits would find space in our suitcases like your second skin. Airports could be eerily empty. Forget the duty-free shops, the ‘hand-washing’ stations/kiosks would be your first choice of ‘go-to’ places at the airport. 

 

Instead of the palmists, the airport authorities would rather be more interested in your hands on account of hand hygiene and along with the immigration stamps, how about getting a ‘safe to travel’ or a health approved stamp on your passports?. Also, don’t be surprised if you get the business-class experience on your economy ticket as the seats next to you would be vacant and airlines would only allow 1 person per row going forward. Perks of social distancing? 

 In the new normal, with the possibility of remote working and less travel would mean fewer vehicles on the road. This means, we can expect less pollution and more green recovery. While we may take some time to come to terms with our new post corona world, where even common flu can raise eyebrows, rest assured, a new human race would evolve in the aftermath. Positively, the pandemic has given us scope to prepare for a future where gratitude  shall overpower and humbling would be the new normal experience. 

 

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