Over a year ago, we were asked to make some big transitions in our working and social lives, moving from the world of physical interaction we took for granted to one in which we had to stay inside and conduct business almost exclusively online. Much has been written and shared about these difficult and challenging times, but as we move out of lockdown, we are turning our attention to the next transition and the things that might support us as we adapt our way of living once more. We have a few reflections for you to ponder as you make this next move, whatever that might look like for you.
1. Can you move closer to fulfilling your dreams and plans?
There may be practical or financial reasons why we can’t have exactly what we want right now this very minute, but the pandemic has shown us how precious our time is. Although on one level it may seem that life is on hold, on another level, maybe we can begin to plan and dream for the future. Having something to look forward to helps with general mood and motivation, and motivates us to translate our goals into actions and outcomes.
2. Live in the here and now
Having just talked about the future, we also know there is much happiness to be found in everyday things and in the here and now – a conversation, an interesting book, a picnic with friends or family or just time spent contentedly alone can all contribute to our sense of wellbeing.
Staying focused on the present can help to manage background anxiety – you can only do your best with what you have and where you are right now. Mindfulness meditation is one way of staying in the present moment.
3. Remembering taking breaks is vital, no matter how busy you are!
As we adapted to zoom culture, many of us working from home found that our schedules increased as we plunged even deeper into an ‘always on’ culture, perhaps partly backed up by the argument that there was no commute, so we could be even more productive (although of course, many people continued working on their commute).
For those who were furloughed or sadly lost their jobs, the pressure will still have been on to show productivity in other ways. The high expectations that go with this no doubt added to the backdrop of anxiety and stress that came with the lockdown and other restrictions.
Taking a break, whether 10 minutes between zoom calls, half a day to re-charge, or a proper break away from your daily situation, will help you stay on top of your mental health and make room for you to get in touch with the other things in your life that need your focus and attention.
4. Take time to reflect
As we move out of lockdown, it feels important to make time and space to think about what we have experienced and learned. Here are some questions we’ve been asking ourselves at Cerulean to help us reflect:
- What do you value?
- Were there any good elements of lockdown? What were they and how can you make space in your life to include them as you move forward?
- What do you want to remember about this time?
- Is there anything you’d like to let go of?
It is inevitable that people will have different reactions to this change as we shift to the ‘new normal’. Some may be desperate to get back out there, however, some people may feel more hesitant. If we have become comfortable with this new way of living and working, it might be difficult to reconnect and pick up our old lives. For some people, this might not even be possible – things may have changed irrevocably. Finding a way forward into this new stage may take a bit of time, and perhaps that is the ‘new normal’?
Finally, we have new Bite-size Learning sessions to support your learning and development:
We hope you are managing in these challenging times, and as always, we are here to help with all your learning related queries – please get in touch and we will be happy to help.
