In many ways, the pandemic has made it more challenging to navigate our daily lives – including day-to-day responsibilities such as shopping for groceries and going to work or school. When it comes to working in a business environment, the adjustment from working in the office to working from home was for many a bumpy transition. Here are five helpful tips for doing business in a Covid-struck world.

Tip 1: Communication is key

Now more than ever, it’s crucial to stay in touch with your coworkers. You might be used to saying hello in the office, but now’s the time to send a kind instant message or email to let them know you’re thinking of them. For some, the pandemic has given us more time on our hands, but many others have found themselves to be busier than ever before. Be sure to let your coworkers know how you’re doing with deadlines and to communicate with them just as much as – if not more than – you would in the office.

Tip 2: Put the “social” in social media

Going hand-in-hand with good communication between coworkers is having a strong social media presence. Reaching out to your audience to let them know how you’re handling the pandemic, what precautions you’re taking, as well as how you’re maintaining “business as usual” is paramount. Quarantine has led to a dramatic increase in social media use among all demographics, so the chance of broadening your audience is high.

Tip 3: Be flexible

Flexibility is such an important skill – especially now. As humans, we’re designed to be able to adapt to our environment. Adaptation is the only way we’ll grow, so being flexible means becoming better versions of ourselves. Being resistant to change helps no one and will more often do your harm. There are things in life that we cannot control, so the only option is to control what we can and move fluidly through hardship. This could mean learning more about apps to stay connected with clients and how to have effective virtual meetings, or staying in touch with your needs and recognizing when you might need a quick break from the screen.

Tip 4: Nothing lasts forever

The pandemic will not last forever, and neither will others of the seemingly permanent types of change we’ve been experiencing. Though we’ll continue to feel the effects of Covid-19 for a while as this is our “new normal,” there will be a time again for safe in-office procedures and face-to-face communication in place of face-to-screen or mask-to-mask.

Tip 5: “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear”

This quote from the award-winning novel “The Hunger Games” (Suzanne Collins, pub. Sep 2008) is the perfect sentiment for these trying times. We all share a common fear of the unknown, and we are left asking when all of this will end and what the world will look like on the other side. This fear, however, can be trumped by hope. If we trust that everything happens for a reason and think positively about what is to come, we’ll find ourselves banding together as a true team and family to overcome any obstacle we face.