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Easing yourself back from lockdown

Jun 28, 2020 | Parenthood, Well-being

Easing yourself back from lockdown

Jun 28, 2020 | Parenthood, Well-being

As things gradually begin to settle, and the immediate crisis begins to subside, beware of the delayed response that you may have to everything that you have been through. A lot of people have been in survival mode during recent months. Doing what needed to be done. Getting by one day to the next. As things begin to shift again, it is normal to expect that things may feel easier, but don’t be surprised if you actually feel fatigue, a lack of motivation, a lack of mojo.

After you have been in this standing strong, survival mode, your whole being needs some time to recover.

It is normal to slump. It is OK to not be productive. It is OK to not be making the most of children-free time.

If you had run a marathon, or climbed a mountain, what would you be expecting to feel for the following few days?

You would probably be expecting to be feeling pretty depleted, and needing to replenish your physical self.

It is similar, when you have been going through challenges / crisis / a worldwide pandemic.

So, whenever the time comes when you feel like ‘normality’ has returned, factor in the time to recover before expecting yourself to ‘be on it’.

In the same way that you wouldn’t be running out the door to attempt another marathon the next day, this is the time you need to replenish the stocks. Then the creativity, inspiration and motivation will naturally return. Your natural resilience will return. You know you are strong and capable, you have just weathered the storm, so give yourself permission to rest for a little while.

Life may feel exhausting

As you begin to spend more time with people outside of your household, returning to workplaces and going to shops / restaurants / pubs again, you may find it more tiring than you remember it being before. This is normal. It will take time to adjust to the level of interaction and stimulation again. Be gentle with yourself and lower the expectations you have for your capacity.

As tempting as it is, to book lots of things in your diary and soak up all the things that you have missed, try and pace yourself. Leave space in your week so that you can go home from work and hibernate again for the rest of the day. Be mindful of the social commitments you put in the diary, and ensure there is space to continue to replenish yourself.

Allow yourself a gentle, readjustment where you can.

What is it that you do that nurtures yourself?

Take some time to think about all the ways that you can nurture yourself in this time of readjustment. Try and have a mix of things on your self-nurture list – you are a multi-dimensional being, and all those dimensions have different needs. Consider the whole you – emotional needs, physical needs, cognitive needs, spiritual needs.

  • Is it that you need to catch up on sleep? Or go for a long walk on your own? Or a long walk with a friend you haven’t seen?
  • Do you really want to immerse yourself in a book? Or in some learning? Do you need to seek out inspiration?
  • Do you need sometime to reflect on how lockdown has changed things for you? Are you needing to consider some lifestyle choices?

By pausing and listening to your body and your mind, it will help you recognise what you need in this next phase. Remember it will be more than one thing, and you can take your time with this.

It can be really useful to ensure that you have a mixture of ‘being’ and ‘active’ things to help replenish yourself. Movement and stimulation is important for our health, as is rest. You need both.

You’ve got this!
 

 

Sam