I don’t need to tell you have the current Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has shocked the world and to be honest, no-one was prepared for it. I think we have all been so focused on problems like terrorism, in the UK its Brexit and in the US it is the presidential elections – no one could image that one virus can affect the whole world. But it can also bring us together.

I’ve been pleased to see how the British public have come together at times of immense stress and confusion. I’ve also been surprised at how scared and chaotic things have been – the bulk buying and panicking – I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but Covid-19 is nothing like we have experienced before.

Even the way we communicate has changed, what worked for charities before, doesn’t work now. The usual fundraising tactics have changed – no fun runs, no galas, no concerts in aid of charities. It is a very scary world and we all won’t last unless we change too.

When we get out of this, the world will look like a very different place.

This is the most significant thing in our lifetime.

Then you take part in the NHS clap last Thursday, it was so emotional and suddenly I realised we were all together and can get through this. We are lucky in the UK, we have the NHS and we will do our bit by staying at home and make sure that only those that need the NHS will use it.

We should also remember that many millions of people in other countries are not so lucky. Some countries like Syria are war-torn and have barely any health services. India, Kenya, Mozambique and many other countries are dealing with so many other issues, that Covid-19 will cripple them. We must help them too. The whole world needs to pull together to get through this crisis.

I started this post to talk about resilience and I guess I just had to tell you how I’m feeling right now – there is no shame in talking about what scares us – that is the start of coping isn’t it?

Will there be light at the end of the tunnel?

Yes there will be. We will come out the other end and we will be stronger and probably different. At the moment, we are all coping with massive changes to our work and family life.

One month ago, I was talking with colleagues about flexible working and hot-desking and I remember quite heated discussions and people refusing to share desks or even just move from the desk they have been sitting at for years. Two weeks later, we are testing working from home, with laptops and having training on Microsoft Teams. I have to say, how impressed I am with my colleagues, not only are we all working from home, we have going Teams crazy , collaborating and communicating so much! And no one is complaining – we get it – there isn’t a choice. The choice is to survive and we are lucky that we can work from home. So we put up and shut up.

I can give you loads of tips for working from home: getting the work/life balance right; take regular breaks; get fresh air; exercise and make sure you finish on time. Also more importantly, remember you are not alone in this. Ring your friends and colleagues, have a chat about what you are watching on TV, do the things you normally do together. I meet with my team at 9am every day for a chat – not work related but more about what you did at the weekend or last night. This Friday I have a 4pm social with my old work colleagues – even with reunions we are innovating. Call your family members at lunchtime – they will love it. I have video called so many friends over the past two weeks and it took Covid-19 to get us together!

How can you do your work better and more effectively? Do you have to do 9-5? Are you an early bird or a night owl? Try a time that works for you – obviously if you have a team you work with, you should compromise so you can collaborate. I’m happy for others to start at 7am because it suits them and their family and I’ll start later because it suits me.

What digital tools do you use to work closer? Teams? Trello or others? It might take a few tries before you find something that suits you.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to try new things – have hope, work together and we will come out better and stronger (I hope).