Is anyone else feeling a bit lost? A bit lacking in direction and perhaps just stuck in a rut or treading water at the moment? Is it normal to feel this way after a pandemic? I don’t suppose we will ever know. Hopefully, there won’t be a ‘next time’ to compare this one to despite the fact several parts of the country went back into lockdown this week. 

As we head into autumn via a quick swerve through an Indian summer, some of us might be wishing the end of the year away. Yearning for Christmas and talking of “getting this year over and done with” and “I’ll do that next year, there’s no point now”. A full stop and a line firmly drawn underneath what has to truly be an ‘annus horribilis’. But while we can’t pretend it’s been easy juggling school and work, flour and loo roll, it would be madness to give up and chuck the rest of the year away without giving proper consideration to what we’ve all been through and what we’ve each achieved and what more we can do.

Of course, we’re not really alone in being in the midst of our first pandemic. It’s been said many times that while it’s a strange and awful time, at least we can take comfort in the fact that everyone’s going through the same stuff too. A sense of loss – whether family, friends or jobs. Confusion as to the latest rules. Apprehension over trying to resume “normality” or explain the world to smaller children, and then just when we feel we have handle on it all, another lockdown, a rising R number and more doom on the news. The planet for once though has a common goal and a reason to all pull together.

Let’s take a quick look at the recent Tour de France for a second. A sport close to our hearts having worked in the broadcast industry for decades and actually watched the tour come through the French village we were staying in a couple of years ago. It’s a massive event but it’s won in stages and it’s won in teams. One day taken at a time. The sum of its parts rather than a whole. 

So what can we all do as part of the team?

1. Breathe! Take a second to look and acknowledge how high up your shoulders currently are. Breathing is a real skill despite it being something we do without much thought our entire lives. You can read more tips here on the kind of breathing we should all be doing, and if your anxiety levels are higher than normal, take a moment to listen to the 5-minute ‘Magic Magnet’ body scan.
2. Stay safe, protect yourself and others and be sensible! This leads us into point 3 as well — you can only do as much as you can do. Leave others to do their thing.
   
3. Control the controllables — you can only control what goes on within your own 4 walls. 
   
4. Tune out — turn off social media and the endless news cycle. Try a new book or listen to a podcast. 
   
5. Get crafting! Keeping our hands busy helps to take our minds off our problems. Plus there’s the benefit of knowing we have created and made something unique. Support your local craft or sewing shop — many of them have put their items online or via their Facebook pages.
6. Journaling — there are many benefits to journaling. The sense of pride in starting a new clean page or perhaps you’re one who likes to write neatly with a familiar pen. Making lists, detailing thoughts, reflecting on your day whether good or bad -it all helps get it out of your head and onto the page where tomorrow is a clean page and a new day.
7. Keep moving! When the national lockdown came into place we were encouraged to take one hour of exercise per day. What a great habit to keep up!

Remember — whether you’ve strived or merely survived through 2020, it’s something to take stock of and be proud of.

We have a new book out! It’s very exciting and beautifully hand-illustrated and called Who Am I? You can read more about it here.

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If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, addiction, panic attacks, feeling overwhelmed or just simply want to talk, please get in touch to book a one-to-one session with either Jo or Liz. Sessions are either in person or via Skype and are completely confidential.