Positive things to help you feel happier about Lockdown, as restrictions begin to lift

Focusing on positives helps your Well Being

As lockdown was announced on 23rd March 2020, to restrict the spread of Coronavirus; could we ever have anticipated how much day to day living and the fabric of our lives would change?

That terms like ‘Stay Home’ ‘Lockdown’ ‘Social distancing’ and ‘Pandemic’ would be commonplace in our conversations.

It has been an anxious, and challenging time, with heart aching tragedy for too many. Businesses, schools, whole communities and cities shut and eerily quiet. So many of us missing family and friends and having a hug, being able to meet up for a meal, or celebrate a birthday, a new arrival or to grieve.

However, people have also come together and embraced the sacrifice for the greater good, and for that we should be immensely proud.

“Though we have had and still have much uncertainty and are all in the same storm, as with anything, we will have our own unique experience and how we weather it will be different for us all.”

Our Mental health and Well-being is incredibly important, and more so than ever at the moment.

Thankfully, people are more willing to talk about how they are feeling. People are having genuine conversations – which I really hope stays with us, as people find that speaking out and opening up is so much better, and a far more courageous step to take, than locking down emotionally, especially when people and organisations are so willing and able to help.

If you are feeling anxious, take things day by day, concentrate on what you personally can control and do seek help and support.

Thinking of the positive things you have liked and enjoyed during this time helps you feel happier and uplifted. Try writing them down to keep.

*Spending quality, guilt free time with your family. One young person said to me; how much they had enjoyed reconnecting with their otherwise busy parents! and how good it had been to relax and play games together.

*Having time to appreciate your home, garden and local area – including getting to know your neighbours.

*Maybe, you have read some books for the first time in a long time.

*If you are working from home, it could be how much you have appreciated not having to commute. Some people working from home have found they have been more productive and more connected with colleagues, which could bring about more flexible working in the future?

*You could be a student that has enjoyed home schooling, or a parent that has survived it better than you thought you would, with a new appreciation for teachers?!

*Is it that you can hear the birds singing on your new love for a daily walk?

*Are you one of the many people rediscovering the love of baking or cooking?

*Have you enjoyed the giving and receiving of wonderful acts of kindness and how thoughtful and caring people have been?

*Possibly you learnt how to do video calling and found getting many people together on a call has been easier than you thought, and quite a revelation?

Some people have been worried that they haven’t achieved enough! Do take the pressure off and be kind to yourself, especially as this has been completely new for us all.

Try writing a list or write a journal / story about your experience and credit yourself for the things you have achieved like:

‘I survived home schooling’ or that you actually relaxed and read some books; connected with your family; did more exercise; completed a puzzle, de-cluttered and tidied up; helped others in your family; did acts of kindness for keyworkers and the NHS; like putting art in your window to cheer people up, making masks, donating or fund raising in what way you could. Maybe you took the step to talk about how you feel, or learnt how to use video calling for work, or went on a virtual date…

As we prepare to move forward and Lockdown restrictions to relax further, think of the things you would like to preserve and keep doing.

What have you learnt?

It is important for us to focus on what we have learnt from this crisis, as it is from any crisis. To decide what we would like to take from the experience, especially as it is possible we will never have a time, or time like this again.

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying ‘never let a good crisis go to waste’. Arguably there is nothing ‘good’ about a crisis, however, there are always exceptional creative ideas born from adversity, amazing resilience, bravery and kindness shown by others and from ourselves too, which can surprise us.

This creates an opportunity for us to mine great learning and wisdom, to ensure that what we all have, and are going through, in some way is worth it.

love and light

Andrea

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