It's Mental Health Awareness Week this week and the theme this year is kindness.
I write this at a time when Scotland is still in lockdown as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. How are you responding to lockdown? Many of us are attempting to work while schooling children, keeping fit and keeping in touch with those we care about. It's easy to put pressure on ourselves to be all things to all people. Unfortunately, that creates burnout and we have an opportunity to rethink how we live our lives. By looking after ourselves first, we're in a much better position to be kind and caring to others.
I run my business part-time to manage family and chronic fatigue. For me, taking care of myself has meant reducing my work time considerably and focusing on homeschooling the youngest of our three daughters. That's taking time that I'd normally be working. I've made a choice not to squeeze my normal work hours later in the day, because I still need the rest.
As I've made this shift, my energy has improved. When I'm out for exercise, I can cycle a bit further than I have before (normally a mile would be enough to tire me, I'm doing 3 now).
I do have a new coaching project that I am working on, albeit at a slower pace. This lockdown has me asking how I make kinder choices to myself when life returns to normal. How do I learn the lessons of lockdown, while returning to an active and busy family life?
What does lockdown mean for you? How are you being kind to yourself during lockdown and how will that help support you going forward?
