Life Post Lockdown – excited or anxious?

Life Post Lockdown – excited or anxious?

Find a space where you can take a moment to catch your breath.

We are gradually returning to our normal lives here in the UK. How are you feeling about life post Lockdown? Anxious? Excited? Maybe a bit of both..? I really hope this blog post will help you gain some perspective on what you can do about feeling overwhelmed at a time when we feel we should be excited about life returning back to normal.

It has been 16 months like no other hasn’t it? Life as we knew it changed beyond all recognition. We had to learn, and fast, how to manage our lives with a global pandeamic.

Our homes have been our sanctuary over this last year. Love this calming space and gorgeous Olive Tree from Charles Ted

Whatever you feel today is totally OKAY. Repeat that out loud!

How you are feeling in this moment is totally OK..

No one can take that away from you. We have all had our own individual experiences of the Covid-19 pandeamic, some good, some horrific, yet it would be wrong for anyone to suggest how you should be feeling..

 “Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”

Brene Brown

You are not alone, 1/2 of the UK are feeling anxious and overwhelmed about the changes to ease Lockdown and indeed what about life post lockdown will now be like. For many of us, we are now used to logging on from home to have meetings, workouts and order our food shopping, all online, without leaving the house.

We’ve learned that our new normal is to stay at home. The commute is as far as from the bedroom, to the kitchen, dining room or study and as we reach these longed for dates, the thought of the work commute on the tube or heavy traffic is something we’ve not missed and the heart starts to race..

Many of us will feel excited, many of us apprehensive. Lots of us maybe feel a bit of both. Join me in trying to navigate these next few weeks together..

“Self-reflection entails asking yourself questions about your values, assessing your strengths and failures, thinking about your perceptions and interactions with others, and imagining where you want to take your life in the future.”

Robert L. Rosen

Let’s take baby steps..

It will take time to find our feet again. (I can’t even remember when I last wore heels!) In all seriousness, much like last March when we were told to stay home, it took time to adjust and adapt accordingly. Now the reverse is happening and again, it will take time us time to adjust and get back into a natural rhythm. Be easy on yourself!

Keep talking! Share how you are feeling with friends, family, colleagues. (and even in the comments below) Be open and transparant, I’m sure they will resonate with you too. This whole situation has been a BIG deal. Our mental health and wellbeing is truly key.

“Journal what you love, what you hate, what’s in your head, what’s important. Journaling organizes your thoughts; allows you to see things in a concrete way that otherwise you might not see. Focus on what you think you need to find in your art.”

Kay Walkingstick

Journal. Consider writing down how you’re feeling. We have good days, great days and everything inbetween and by writing them down, we can distinguish between. Writing down can be freeing, can help figure out what you truely think and can be very therapautic. Love this journal from Gisela Graham
Leather Effect Mini Notebook A6 – Grey

You don’t have to do everything at once! Breathe, take your time.. (Although I’m trying to remain calm about the sports fixtures that are coming in thick and fast for my children and me as taxi driver!!) I shared in a previous blog thoughts about feeling a little happier and less overwhelmed. I believe these ideas haven’t dated in 12 months and so hope you may find some inspiration.

Go at your own pace – if you’ve ever been off work with an illness or had maternity leave, then you may have had a phased return to work before. Much like a return to work, consider adapting your own phasing back to your “new normal” This is a motto I’ve shared on many occaisions and especially with my clients:

Start Low, Go Slow, Aim High

Start Low – With anything new, decide what you want to achieve and start with low expectations. What is the minimal thing you’d be happy with? This isn’t a negative by any means, but by starting with low expectation instantly removes some pressure and you’re more likely to feel in control.

Go Slow – Once you have your new routine in place, take it steady before you start adding new pressures to your daily life. Get used to the new normal, adjust the sails if you need to.

Aim high – Remember the saying “begin with the end in mind?” This concept of aiming high, is similar. You may have had time over the last year to really think about which direction you wish your life to take – so go for it!

I’ve created some planners which I find really useful in keeping me focused and organised which you can find here.

I hope these will give you a little inspiration so that you can create a feeling of being more in control and less overwhelmed. You can then concentrate on the things that are most important to you.

Spend time with people that make you happy, where you can be your true authentic self. Go for a walk in the wind, rain and sun! Make time for the coffee..

Let go of the people in your life who add to the anxiety and stress, or the situations that don’t serve you. So hard to do but trust me, you deserve to be happy and not worry about the people that don’t champion you. This might help..

Pratice gratitude and being vulnerable. It’s no secret that I’m a huge admirer of Brene Brown’s work, having first read The Power of Vulnerability years ago.

She taught me that there is absolutely no shame in being vulnerable, that you don’t have to be in control of every situation.

Easier said than done, I know! Writing down 5 things that you are grateful for can really help gain perspective.

Empty the mind – many struggle to sleep, with the brain starting to whirl the minute you turn out the light.

Keeping a notebook by your bed so you can scribble any thing you think you might struggle to remember in the morning can really help.

How pretty is this one from LifeStyled Planner? The Journal is an A5 bullet journal with high quality pages printed with dotted graph for all of your planning needs. Great for creative bullet journalling and making notes.


“Journaling is paying attention to the inside for the purpose of living well from the inside out.”

Lee Wise

Take care of yourself today, tomorrow and all 365 days of the year.
Beautiful flowers from Bloom and Wild

I really hope this blog post has helped you gain some perspective on what you can do about feeling overwhelmed at a time when we feel we should be excited about life returning back to normal. I’d love to know your biggest take home / lightbulb moment in the comments below, together with how you’ll take action this week.

What will you be keeping in place from our Lockdown days? Maybe you’ve opted to continue to work from home? Maybe you’ve decided to change career altogether?

So that you don’t miss next weeks blog, sign up to receive it straight to your emails, it’s quick and so simple to do, simply follow the link

Whatever you decide to do, stay happy and healthy – those two things are priceless.

Sending love and best wishes

One thing that is magical for your mental health..

One thing that is magical for your mental health..

ne thing that’s magical for your mental health and that is setting boundaries. This weeks Blog discusses how to set boundaries and the benefits to your mental health and well-being.

Over time what we deem to be “OK”, gets blurred.

On occasions the we are treated or spoken to by work colleagues, friends and even our partners can cause upset, yet the need to do something about this situation may be delayed as you worry about the repercussions, regardless of how this makes you feel on a daily basis.

It’s no secret that I love Brene Brown’s work and her research on boundaries is amazing. (She’s one person I’d love to meet & have on my Dinner Party Wishlist!) Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. She’s funny and shares a deep insights from her research in her many books. Research that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.

Maybe you run your own business and the boundaries around your working hours have become blurred, meaning that you’re trying to juggle work and home life, whilst going the extra mile for your clients..setting Boundaries are magical for your mental health.

Whatever your situation is, being mindful that creating boundaries of what’s OK and not OK can have such a powerful effect.

Mini Mission

Join me on a mini Mission. Grab your journal or notebook and consider a situation that is causing upset and worry to you in your life. How does that situation make you feel? Have you thought about setting clear boundaries. Read on for how to resolve the issue.

I’m not as sweet as I used to be, but I’m far more loving”

Brene Brown

They say if you want something doing, ask a busy person! Yet, how often to we feel ourselves saying yes to something when really your head is screaming “no!!”

Why?

When your default setting is to help out, It’s not easy saying no, it makes us feel guilty or judged. . Yet by saying yes, you know that it will be adding more to your plate, causing increased stress, resentment and maybe even a sleepless night or two..

So how do we fix this?

Brene Brown shared her top three tips on how to create your boundaries: (direct quotes)

Make a mantra. I need something to hold on to—literally—during those awkward moments when an ask hangs in the air. So I bought a silver ring that I spin while silently repeating, “Choose discomfort over resentment.” My mantra reminds me that I’m making a choice that’s critical for my well-being—even if it’s not easy.

Keep a resentment journal. Whenever I’m marching around muttering cuss words under my breath, I grab what I lovingly refer to as my Damn It! Diary and write down what’s going on. I’ve noticed that I’m most resentful when I’m tired and overwhelmed— i.e. not setting boundaries.

Rehearse. I’ll often say, to no one in particular, “I can’t take that on” or “My plate is full.” Like many worthwhile endeavours, boundary setting is a practice.

I find this really powerful and wonder if you do too?

setting Boundaries are magical for your mental health.

Like a candle or rose petal, our wellbeing and mental health is delicate, something that should be treasured. If looked after well, it will give you years of joy and happiness. If you fail to look after the little things, setting boundaries, being kind to yourself, then they will in turn become bigger things and eventually your mental health and well being will suffer.

“Compassionate people ask for what they need. They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it. They’re compassionate because their boundaries keep them out of resentment.”

Brene Brown

setting Boundaries are magical for your mental health.

I love these mantras and have over the years, integrated them into my daily life.. Not easy, it takes practice, but remember every time you say “yes’ to someone else, you are saying “no” to you.

Writing your boundaries down is really powerful, it cements the “why” and as Brene says, what’s OK and what’s not OK.

If you have 5 minutes, take a look at Brene’s famous TedTalk that I believe you’ll love..

I’d love to know your thoughts about this one thing that’s magical for your mental health. Will you be joining me in this Mission of setting boundaries? Let me know in the comments below.

Feel free to share with a friend who you think would love this Mission too.  Furthermore, I’d love you to subscribe to receive my blog straight to your inbox.

With love