I’ve got much better at being kind to myself over the last few years, so instead of forcing myself out of bed immediately I took my time, had a long bath and told myself ‘It’s ok not to be ok.’ I was actually quite proud of myself!
And then… checking in on Facebook over breakfast, I saw a post in a fabulous women’s networking group I belong to.‘I am burnt out‘, it began. Her words resonated strongly with me so I read on…
The writer was looking forward to her first day to herself in four months. The first day without a toddler to entertain. At the same time as running her business from home. She was going to have a long, uninterrupted bath. The first opportunity she’d had to do so in months. An experience that most of the women who commented on her post shared. How they all longed for a bit of time to themselves. For a bit of space.
And there was that little voice back in my head (and I know exactly whose voice it is!): “You don’t know how easy you have it! You don’t have kids to worry about. You’re only working a few hours a week. You’ve still got (some) money coming in. Other people have it so much harder than you. Get a grip!…”
The last few months of lockdown have been incredibly hard for everyone and right now it feels like none of us are ok. We ALL need a break.
And while some may welcome the feeling that we are effectively being made responsible for making our own decisions about what/where/how is safe, for others it may feel like the last straw.
But you know what? It’s ok for me not to be ok. Just because someone else’s situation and challenges are different from mine doesn’t make my experience less valid. And it’s ok for YOU not to be ok too. However your life looks from the outside, only you know how you feel on the inside. Only you know what you need, right now, to help you feel a bit better.
The fact is that – at least where I live, at least for now – things are opening up again. The new normal may not look like the old normal, but nor does it look like total lockdown any more.
So if you possibly can, take this opportunity to start making a bit of space for yourself on a regular basis. A few minutes a day, an hour or two a week, a day a month… whatever works best for you. Create a space that you can escape to (physically or mentally) and breath. Just be. Just knowing it’s there will make a difference to how the other hours/days/weeks feel.
It’ll reawaken your creativity and intuition too, which in turn will provide inspiration and insight around whatever you have to – or choose to – focus on during the hours, days or weeks between your space making. Now that’s got to be better than spending that time scrolling through Faceb… – I mean answering emails and researching new business ideas – hasn’t it?! ?
You’ve got this.
Even – especially – when you think you haven’t!
If you’re a Facebook user, and if you’d like some support as you work out how to make the space that you need, somewhere to hang out with like-minded people and access to a growing library of practices to help you when you feel in need of something more than (or as well as) a long bath, come and join my Making Space group.
And if you’re not on Facebook, or would like to find out more about working with me on in person, contact me now and let’s have a chat.
