It goes without saying that life as we used to know it pre-COVID-19 is gone forever! Our modes of social interactions have taken twists many of us never envisaged before now.

Prior to the pandemic, working from home on select days was not really a new concept especially for those of us in tech companies. However, with the outbreak of the pandemic, it became the only way to work. One of the few things I struggled with in the initial stages was disconnecting from the workday considering my apartment now doubled as both my workplace and home. As a result, I found myself working longer hours.

Personally, work productivity did not dwindle as a result of remote work. However, I found certain social interactions such as office banter which made workdays super interesting when we were in the physical office had significantly diminished due to the new normal of full remote work.

Reflecting on world events during this pandemic, there are a few eye-openers or key lessons:

1) The need to always have an emergency fund to last you through a few months of disruption to your regular income. The pandemic has clearly shown that the vast majority of the population was pretty much living on the edge before the outbreak and lockdowns.

2) The need to constantly maintain a healthy lifestyle; eating right and exercising frequently to reduce your risk of health conditions such as heart diseases or diabetes. In the event of contracting diseases like COVID-19 which have no vaccine, your best defense/survival is dependent on how strong your immune system is.

3) The need to continuously acquire skills that are applicable across diverse sectors as we never know what disruptions might hit our current workplaces.