COVID-19 has touched all of our lives, personally and professionally.
Whereas life in the UK carried on as normal just a few short weeks ago, the COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed our day-to-day lives. Regardless of the industry you work in or the nature of your regular routine prior to this outbreak, one thing is for certain – these are challenging times.
As individuals and as a society, we are collectively at a point in time where we are forced to reevaluate our priorities – not only to help prevent the rapid spread of the virus and to protect vulnerable people, but also to keep up morale in a time which could pose an unprecedented challenge to our collective mental health.
It is to be expected that many people (especially business owners or people now finding themselves out of work) will be experiencing feelings of helplessness and loss of control. Now more than ever, we should be focusing on what we can do to help regain some of that control and focus our efforts into something positive.
As a business, we believe it is important to share our experiences amidst the changes that COVID-19 has brought about – as well as the changes we have made to ensure those around us are kept as safe as possible.
Following government guidelines
The UK has been social distancing – to some degree or another – long before the recent lockdown was put into place.
At Gooey Digital, we have been taking the news and guidelines set by the government very seriously, ensuring that we are up to date on all current developments. Since the 10th of March, the entire team has been working remotely (almost a week before the social distancing guidelines were firmly set in place by the Prime Minister).
We are extremely lucky that we are able to give our clients the same personal service and continue to deliver our high standard of work whilst working from home, and it is deeply important to everyone on the team that social distancing is taken very seriously.
Of course, working remotely is an adjustment for any team, but safety has to be the paramount concern – both for our own team and for the population at large. It may be an unprecedented change, but like many others across the country we are expecting and preparing for this to be a long-term lifestyle change rather than a quick fix.
From both a business and a personal perspective, staying positive and following government advice is the only way to ensure that this period of uncertainty passes as quickly and with as little disruption as possible.
Staying positive and connected
During times like this, it may be all too easy to fall into a sense of panic and uncertainty – but it is only through remaining kind and positive that we can hope to come through the other side.
Our entire national focus seems to have shifted to a much more community-based kind of thinking. Already, many elderly and sick people have reported being reached out to by those in their local communities (many of whom they’d never heard from before, asking if they need help to buy groceries, medicine or for a friendly chat on the phone).
But it is not simply individuals that are lending a helping hand. Staying connected is our greatest tool in the fight against the isolation that can so easily take over during a period of quarantine. Many businesses are also reaching out to support those in need of comfort.
Many virtual conference platforms, for example, have lifted the cap for the number of users permitted on a single call in order to encourage and facilitate social distancing for businesses and families. Netflix has even created a group viewing experience for Chrome users. Even small gestures can go a long way.
At Gooey Digital, we are redoubling our efforts to ensure that our clients (and the customers they serve) have everything they need in order to stay connected. We are aware that just like us, our clients have also been touched by this virus and creating an environment of solidarity and support is extremely important to us during this difficult time.
Many of our clients have now shifted their focus to tackle issues created by the COVID-19 outbreak, and we’re here to support those goals in any way we can.
To that end, we have been volunteering our services in multiple ways during this period. We are contributing digital marketing help to Healthflix, a brand new volunteer video streaming service dedicated to bolstering the health of the population with free talks and presentations on subjects including yoga, meditation, nutrition science and mental health advice.
We have also been offering free digital marketing consultations to local businesses who are looking to improve their online presence in this web-centric world. For many companies, visibility on the internet has become a number one priority – and we’re here to help.
Carrying on
The phrase “Keep Calm and Carry On” may have been nothing more than a souvenir shop cliche a month ago, but as the country adjusts to life in lockdown, we are all growing to accept the ‘new normal’ and still deliver the best possible work and support for our clients.
Finding an effective new routine in this situation is not easy, and there are few businesses that will not have to make adjustments or reach difficult decisions in order to get through to the other side.
However, we are confident that by staying at home, avoiding non-essential contact and continuing with our daily routines as best we can, we are making a difference and helping the country through one of its greatest challenges.
* For more information surrounding the coronavirus and up-to-date official guidelines, please visit the NHS website.