What is important to you, I mean truly important? Over the past few weeks of the lockdown, I have noticed, both in myself and my clients, that many of the more superfluous aspects of our lives are taking a well deserved back seat, like the stress of commuting and running from one place to another. As one of my client’s said, “I am no longer the taxi driver to the kids, I am now a passenger in their lives.” Now, maybe for the first time in our lives, we have greater clarity on what really matters.
Some families have more available time to bond and do the things they perhaps spoke wanting to do for years; going running together, playing chess, doing jigsaws and painting etc. The thing is that positive memories of doing these simple things are now being laid down for years to come. “With every deed, you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.” (Ella Wheeler Wilcox).
Many people report feeling calmer and have experienced a sense of relief, as quarantine by its very nature has removed many of the triggers that can cause anxiety; social occasions, presentations, constant busyness. The Coronavirus pandemic may have forced most of us to physically slow down, but without having a quiet mind you may still feel overwhelmed, no matter where you are. Can you find and tap into that inner stillness now so that you sustain it in a post-COVID-19 world?
My task for you, dear reader, is to make a list of ‘the wheat’ in your life and to dispose of the chaff, the unnecessary. What insights and experiences from the lockdown do you want to carry with you when life returns to ‘normal’, whatever that is. I have divided the list into two areas that reflect both your internal and external worlds. To help you with this, I have shared some of my own thoughts and I would really love it if you email me with yours.
Make your ‘Wheat’ list now, don’t put it off or it might never get done.
Feelings:
- Having presence and being open to the moment as it is
- Being at ease with uncertainty – let go of the need to know the future
- Accepting that everyone responds to the same situation differently
- Hope – always, hope!
- Having gratitude for each moment of ‘face time’ I have
- Facing sadness with courage
Behaviours:
- Having increased patience with myself and family
- Taking solo time – time alone
- Carpe Diem – living life to the fullest I can and not hesitating if I want to do something
- Self-care – crucial for body, mind and spirit
- Resting when I need to with no guilt attached
- Doing hypnotherapy on myself every day
- Not counting days, rather making the days count