As we head towards the lifting of lockdown, I challenge you today to pause and reflect on both the GOOD changes that have taken place because of it, and the LESS POSITIVE ones.
From a personal perspective, I’ve had lots of positive time with my girls over the last year (particularly in the summer when the sun was out), my life has become simpler in many respects, I’ve certainly spent less money, and I have much more clarity on what’s important to me.
What hasn’t been so great has been the separation from friends and family, the mental and emotional stresses that come from feeling penned in and the constant changing of rules (particularly from a business perspective) and the blurring of lines between home and work. Also the sheer volume of things to juggle (let’s not even start on homeschooling!) which has led to many a late night, very little time to unwind and far too much time stuck inside my own head.
But things are changing. Slowly, but surely. And now feels like the time for all of us to give ourselves a break, to be kinder to ourselves with our self-talk and to be less judgmental if we’ve fallen into any bad habits. Don’t dismiss just how challenging the last year has been.
So as we look to a brighter future, think about the boundaries that will support you in this. They’ll be different for each of us, but mine include:
- only taking on things I want to do and saying no without guilt to anything else – time is precious and so is my sanity!
- building time into my working week for my workouts, relaxation and business planning (not just keeping the plates spinning). Oh and not working every evening!
- building time in my week to actual connect with my husband again – long Friday lunch breaks together now the girls are back at school is top of the list. Plus generally investing more in the relationships that matter to me.
- asking for help when I need it. I don’t have to do it all myself.
- stepping away from my phone! I am officially an addict and people really don’t need a response instantly.
- finding the positives in each day rather than reflecting on the things I didn’t achieve or do so well.
- creating a vision board with some family goals and adventures on and working to make them a reality.
What’s on your list? I’d love to hear.