A state of emergency was declared in Bulgaria on March 13 over the risk of a rapid spread of the new coronavirus. Some employers adjusted the rhythm of their business to the new conditions and allowed their staff to work from home before the recommendations of the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy were enforced. Many people accepted the challenge of working at home as something quite logical and applicable to the current digital world.

Bulgarians have creative thinking, psychotherapist Dr. Irina Milina recently noted in an interview for the Bulgarian National Television. We are inventive and ingenious and in such moments we come up with new things that help others. The Bulgarian inventions have already become popular enough worldwide. As for the so-called isolation, we should not speculate with this word, but try to arrange our daily activities and duties so that we include everyone we are isolated with.

Children benefited the most from the current situation, because they are now enjoying more attention from their parents. Rearranging values for the benefit of the family seemed until recently as mere utopia. However, now the happy smiles of the children communicating more with their parents are a fact. This made some parents emphasize the benefits of the forced self-isolation which shifted the priorities for the benefit of the family. Perhaps we should think whether we should be kept under quarantine all year round, a Bulgarian parent facetiously notes in the social networks.- “For the sake of the most precious thing in our lives! Tomorrow, this small virus may kill me, but the days spent together with the family are priceless! Until everything goes back to the usual rhythm! Stay healthy and strong! We will get through this as well. And then we will be grateful to our children and they will be grateful to us!”’

And here is what Dr. Milina recommends to the people without families who will stay alone in their empty homes:

Let’s remain silent. When it is quiet we look deep inside us and find many things we can change, in order to become better people. Instead of staying in front of the TV or in the social networks and become more anxious from the alarming information, we can think how to make people around us happy and help them, Dr. Milina says.

Most Bulgarians, just like the rest of the people across the globe who stay home due to the social quarantine, try to stay positive. They began sharing in the social networks the benefits of taking a breath of air and reshaping your worldview. Moreover, the recent cold and snow made many Bulgarians stay at home. Perhaps, nature also tells us to press the pause button- to stay at home, enjoy a nice movie or a book and watch a virtual museum tour or an opera show.

As for the working process, it also takes a different direction. Before the escalation of the covonavirus crisis, many employers were not inclined to let their staff work from home, but this “unexpected experiment” won a lot of supporters, especially among the parents who want to continue working, but have no one to take care of their children.

Some employers are even considering using this option in the future and provide more flexible job opportunities to their personnel. There are advantages to both sides. The employers would save on job maintenance costs, electricity bills, heating bills, etc. On the other hand, workers benefit from the free working rhythm and don’t waste time and money on transport.

Time will show whether the future of work is remote.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: lekaribg.net and library