I think we all can appreciate just how different our lives look at the moment for a lot of us. Many of us have been self-isolating for quite a few weeks now due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictions on many occupations. Myself included. As I write this I am starting my eighth week of being at home after my massage business was shut down.

At the beginning of this, I had grand plans for all sorts of projects that would be completed! I was going to plant a vegetable garden, I was going to video a series of at-home stretches and exercises to embed on my business website, I was going to complete a course and get my finances in order and I was definitely going to exercise every day and eat really well. I was going to come out of this pandemic in control and looking like a million bucks!

Fast forward to today and the vegetable garden consists of one lemon tree and one lime tree, the series of videos are five stretching videos I uploaded to my Instagram page (check them out here), I’m one week away from finishing/redoing a six-week massage business course and I gave up on one other course that just couldn’t hold my interest. I’ve been emailed a spreadsheet to complete for my accountant to get this write off of a financial year completed but it’s yet to have the numbers input and despite the newfound skills of my husband at applying the grey hair cover up colour to my hair, I’m a long way from looking a million bucks ( I miss you, Sam, my hairdresser!!).
Basically what I’m saying is this, all the best-laid plans are often interrupted by stress and anxiety and can leave you feeling generally like crap. If this is something that you resonate with you are not alone. Many of us have a day, or even a couple, where we feel like we are in control and ticking off all of the things on our to-do list, this is quickly followed by a day/s of not being able to get out of our own way. AND THAT’S OK!!

The good news is that there are steps you can take that should help you feel a little more in control of life at the moment.

• If you are a person that likes to literally tick boxes, then make a list of tasks you would like to achieve today or this week. Add really obvious ones like have a shower, brush teeth, and then CROSS THEM OFF AS YOU COMPLETE THEM! I don’t know about you, but I always feel better when I’m ticking completed tasks off.
• Make deals with yourself. If all you want to do is sit and watch Netflix today then do it! BUT, only after you go for a 30-minute walk, or spend 20 minutes stretching. You may surprise yourself and keep on keeping on!
• Call a friend and have a mutual whine (perhaps over a glass of wine!). It’s perfectly fine to complain every now and again. Getting things off your chest gets it “out of your system”. Just make sure you are letting your friend have their turn as well and you don’t try and turn it into a game of one-upmanship!
• Make an appointment to get a massage! Do it now – here. Massage clinics are now allowed to reopen and providing you are healthy you can look forward to doing something just for you. More than just making your body feel physically better, massage is a fantastic tool to address stress and anxiety symptoms. Have a read here about my specific massage for mental health!
• Take a walk around your garden, or on a beach, without your shoes on. This is called ‘grounding’ and studies have shown a direct correlation between walking barefoot on the earth and the effects on physiology and health. These effects relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
• Above all else, BE GENTLE on yourself. These are unprecedented times. There is no rule book on how to get through this. YOU DO YOU and everything will be ok. And please remember to reach out if you need to. We are all in this together and many of us are feeling a little frayed around the edges at the moment. Lets all support one another.

My period of lockdown will be finishing very soon as I will be returning to work next week on May 18. Suprisingly the past eight weeks have gone faster than I expected! Now that it is coming to an end and I am reflecting back on it, I feel supremely grateful for the time that I have been allowed to truly focus on what is important in life. Really, how lucky are we that we live in a country where in such uncertain times we are still afforded the comparative peace of mind that we have enough money to pay our bills and the security of staying safe in our homes, free to create, learn and just be. I look forward to connecting with you again, next month.

Naomi