So life has changed, A LOT, in the last few weeks. In fact for me its unrecognisable, I can’t treat patients face to face, I don’t see my parents, and shopping is an absolute nightmare- I mean queuing to enter the store!!
More than ever some of us are feeling the pressure and stress of “lockdown”.
Working from home is what I do… but now it’s totally different. Thank goodness for Zoom!!!
But working from home is hard… I mean it really is… when do you switch off?
Now this isn’t a moan… because I love it, and in fact I wouldn’t change a thing, but for some of us the idea of combining home life and workalike under one roof does not paint an appealing picture. If you are staring at a laptop all day long, without a meaningful conversation then it can lead to you feeling lonely and isolated… especially if you live alone.
But actually for me, I’ve never been so connected. In fact this past week I have connected with complete strangers and had meaningful conversations, and reconnected with dear friends and colleagues from around the world that I haven’t seen in a while, one of these for almost 2 years. How could it have been that long, it felt like yesterday! So it doesn’t mean that we have to be lonely.
So indeed for me, life has slowed down, but sped up in other ways!
This whole social distancing/ isolating thing isn’t so bad. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel overwhelm and when I am left with my thoughts for a little to long, they do run away from me. And, yes that can lad to becoming emotional, and a few tears.
Feeling emotional can make it all seem such a struggle… but remember its just perception if the event, not the reality. Lean into it, feel what you feel and then let it go, for this will pass. Be gentle with yourself, take it one step at a time.
I mean, would you believe that 2 weeks ago, my idea of doing a live video call was complete hell! But I sucked it up, thought whats the worst that could happen, and I went for it… I’ve done so many now that actually it’s kinda fun.
So I’d say you need to prioritise time to stay connected and if you can Facetime, Zoom, Skype or call someone then definitely DO IT! It may seem obvious but the reality is they probably need t as much as you do. In fact I’v had 121’s with patients, coffee dates with friends, Carpool karaoke with mum and sister (I was home, they were hands free), networked nationally and launched a project involving international speakers… so I’ve been around this past 10 days!
It could be as simple as chatting over the garden fence with a neighbour… obviously at a socially acceptable distance.
But just like Linda Hamilton in T2… she didn’t panic. She didn’t sit on her ass eating Cheetos and pizza. She prepared herself mentally and physically for what was to come.
Get up in the morning don’t stay in bed, try to get into the routine of getting up and ready. Routine for those of us that are set employed is not a way of life, but for those of us that are 9-5ers this time can be super daunting (I’ve been there also).
Try to stay in the present, don’t be afraid to ask for help of you need to, talk about how you feel, accept it then move on. Remember, there are ways to feel connected to the world if you are feeling the stress of lockdown.
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Reach out if you need to.
