Well Sh*t.

Hello my lovelies! It’s a lot to take in. I never thought a crisis would come where already being a bit mad would be a competitive advantage. Anxiety, depression and a sense of isolation are not new companions for me. But they may be for you. NZ, and a number of other places are in lockdown. This is going to be a difficult time but there is a lot you can do to ease things and build resilience. Today I’ll share some of the things that will help. Soon I’ll also round up some recipes that are low impact – both for your pantry and your concentration – so keep an eye out for that post soon.

I’m heading back to work on contract from next week, and I don’t want to burn ingredients testing new recipes just now so it might be a little quiet around here for a bit. If you need any help with recipes just comment on the recipes or send me an email. Take care of yourselves and each other xx

Adjust your Expectations

This situation is just plain tiring. Stress and heightened emotion are draining. And we’re all adjusting to a lot of sudden change. In how we spend our days, where we work, our finances, our kids’ needs. All this stuff burns energy. Don’t expect too much from yourself. Practice self-compassion. What you’re feeling is legitimate. It’s happening to everyone. Give yourself time to get extra rest. Be prepared to suddenly feel sad or angry from time to time. Give your loved ones the benefit of the doubt right now. It’s time to be gentle with each other.

Well-being is Number One

The way to make your way through this more comfortably is to look after yourself. That means rest, exercise, fresh air, talking to friends and family, eating healthy and find ways to enjoy yourself. It is your top priority. It sounds dumb but make yourself a routine that includes these things. It feels odd at first to put time in your calendar for calling your mother. But over the years I’ve gotten to the end of many a week feeling rubbish because it’s too easy to let these things slip by or put them off because they’re not “work tasks”. All of these things are more important than ever to keep you going.

Create Structure

As I mentioned above, creating a routine is super helpful. Even if it feels awkward at first. It’s important for both general well-being and for working from home. One of the biggest hurdles to switching to working at home is that absence of the structure to the day that going to work provides. So you have to make it for yourself. Get up at the same time. Go for a walk. Shower and dress neatly and put on make-up/shave. Start working at a set time and give yourself breaks at set times. Then when the work-day is over, stop working. If you physically get ready for work it can help put you in the headspace for working. Equally important is the end of the work day. You need rest right now so have a ritual that puts you into after work mode. Put your gear away, get changed, and go for a walk around the block.

A Sense of Space

I have spent years learning how to live and work in the same house with my partner. This will be a new experience for a lot of people. One of the keys to this is creating a sense of space. Even with limited physical space there are ways to give each other breathing room. Schedule some time each day for each of you to do things on your own. Perhaps an hour of quiet time in a bedroom or on the couch. Or take separate walks. It’s ok to need time apart from each other and it can be hard to identify that if your normal routine has been giving you that without you needing to think about it.

Be Kind

Be kind to yourself and your bubble companions. This situation is just plain hard. It just is. It’s going to put a lot of pressure on all sorts of little niggles. And your patience and resilience. Being kind does mean treats from time to time. But it also means giving yourself (and others) what they need. Which is rest, routine and being conscious of how you’re feeling and making adjustments.

Kia kaha my lovelies xx