The world has not been this stunned in the last ten decades. A rabid virus tagged COVID-19 has ravaged the world, infecting about a million people and killing 50,000, in just 90 days.
The virus has been able to spread rapidly through person-to-person contact or contact with surfaces contaminated by an infected person. The stunning spread of the outbreak provoked the recommendation and directive by the World Health Organisation and various governments that everyone stays indoors and shun social gathering for a limited period to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Consequently, families and work colleagues have had to close the doors to each other world over, as social distancing takes effect. Businesses were constrained to either close day-to-day operations or activate a limited but crucial offline continuity mode. The world has closed its doors to the virus, keeping its fingers crossed in the hope that the impact and spread of the virus will reduce to the barest minimum, and finally contained.
This new indoor reality has precipitated an evolving pattern that previously bugged by workload had been oblivious to many. Many people are bored, lonely and stressed. However, this new paradigm provides an incredible opportunity for new possibilities.
- Use Collaborative tools: Entrepreneurs are now forced to embrace the future of work that leverages collaborative tools to ensure business and operational continuity. Even the Presidency, the Lagos State Government and the United Kingdom leadership have publicly showcased their capacity to work with several teams remotely. Do not waste this knowledge, retool your office to assume this mode on a going-forward basis easily.
- Social connection is still possible: Do not let this social distancing morph into emotional distancing. Do you know you can even host a TGIF get-together with your friends using social media tools? WhatsApp, for example, has a capacity for a group call of up to four people. Also use video communications platforms such as Google Hangout, Zoom, Microsoft Teams to have a live video hangout with friends and families. This pandemic-attributed lockdown demand that we connect even more with those we hold dear.
- Bolster Your Relationships: Now locked-in with minimal distractions from work and friends, take this period to reignite your relationships by enjoying your presence and peace. In an era characterised by fear and panic, use the moment to build hope between you and your loved ones. If you are working from, form a tag team, the unseen collaborators that help each other meet your respective deliverables.
- Cherish the Parent to Child moment: While these goings-on seem to flutter the adults, most children, on the other hand, cannot believe their luck. Many of them cannot believe that they have been waking up to see their working parents still in the house with them until bedtime. They are excited but are you leveraging these times to share parenting moments. Are they happy to see both of you are home? This is the time to get to know them. Inquire about their best friends, the subjects, their teachers they fancy and the social skills. Use this period to be buddies.
- Re-evaluate: There is no gainsaying the fact that COVID-19 has caused massive global panic. Analysts are still trying to figure out the extent of socio-economic damage this virus must have brought with it. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET), for instance, has warned that the year 2020 might witness over 240 days of rainfall out of the 356 days of the year. We must understand that this may easily result to flooding disasters for businesses and household. It is smart to acknowledge these realities and ensure that your mind is at peace, whatever the outcome would be.
Leadway Assurance, with about five decades experience in risks management, has a team of well-trained advisors to help you plan and safeguard your life, that of your family, your assets, and all the things you love and hold dear through these rough patches.
In the meantime, please stay safe and adhere strictly to every guideline and directives issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant authorities and institutions as they relate to efforts to curb this pandemic.
Most importantly, you can rest assured that Leadway Assurance has put in place protocols to ensure you can reach us for advice or service delivery even in this period of lockdown. You can always call our hotline on 08088578050 or send an email to [email protected].
