THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR

SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.

PEOPLE often ask me what will change for the good after the pandemic. I don’t want to see fundamental shifts in our society like some, but I do think there are lessons we can learn from the last 12 months that would improve our lives in the future.

There are things that lots of people will not miss. Commuting is the first one that comes to mind. Will countless people make their way into central London five days a week on crammed Tubes and trains? I’m not sure.

Companies may try to find a way to make it work but the old ways are simply unsustainable. If the last 12 months have proved anything, it’s that remote working is possible. Maybe not full time but for much of the week.

The extra time spent with families will be difficult to replace with the old daily commute. Certainly travel across the country won’t be necessary for one 30-minute meeting.

Naturally, having spent so much time away from my family in the past I know there will be a new-found appreciation for time we can spend with them. Sitting in a pub garden having a Sunday lunch with my wife and grandchildren is something I will never take for granted again.

One change I hope to see is an end to the culture of people dragging themselves into work with a nasty cold out of embarrassment. I’m not suggesting social distancing for decades, but if you’re feeling terrible perhaps it’s best for all to stay at home.

Most importantly, I hope that everyone will just be a bit nicer to each other. We’ve had a bumpy few years and disagreements have never been far away.

The last 12 months have reinforced my belief that there are far better things to do with our time than drag each other down. I hope we can all agree on that.