You thought you were exhausted before COVID-19 hit. Now, it feels like you didn’t know what exhausted was.
You’ve been hit with challenges before. But when this hit came, it came fast and it hit hard.
Sometimes it feels hard to breathe. But you get up and you keep going, no matter the effort that it takes to make that happen.
Somehow, because this is happening to everyone, it feels like you have no reason to pause, no place to stand, no space to experience its effects.
Everyone is affected. We’re all in this together. The greater good must prevail.
They’re words that are being bandied around, and they’re true … but they can also minimise the impact that this pandemic is having on each of us as an individual.
Each of us has unique circumstances. Some of us have kept our jobs, some are working reduced hours. Others have kept their jobs but have been stood down until the business they work for can reopen and start operating again. Others again have been made redundant, or have simply been let go.
With that comes a myriad of emotions as we experience our own personal journey, and also try to process the secondary stress that comes with seeing and hearing the stress and anxiety that is being experienced by people around the world.
The chaos and the noise, the power of the emotions and the fear and grief of the situation are a massive load to be carrying.
We are doing our best to hide it, but most of us are barely holding it together.
The shock that comes with massive trauma can do that to you, and it can go on for months and even years. We’re all different, so every single one of us will experienece this differently.
Whatever you’re feeling right now is exactly right for you. There is no defined pathway back to ‘normal’ life – it doesn’t exist, because what works for one person might be completely wrong for another.
A few years ago I experienced a traumatic event that forced me to stop and ask the question: ‘What if there’s a better way to live?”
I found the answer to this question in creating a simple pathway forwards.
Simplicity is the key to moving forwards in a different way.
That doesn’t mean that you have to deprive yourself of things, become a minimalist or stop doing things you love to do. It simply means that you take some time to define the things that are important to you, reconnect with who you truly are and then use that information to step forwards in a different way.
You will have heard the saying: “the simple things in life are often the best”.
This statement is true, depending on your definition of ‘simple’. I’ve found that when you find the things that are aligned with what’s important to you, they create a simple and clear pathway forwards.
So what are the three things that are the most important to you? And how can you use those things to help you find your next steps?
How can knowing what’s important to you help you to rest and recharge your energy, so that you can step forwards in whatever direction is right for you?
It starts with acknowledging where you’re at now.
We’re only at the beginning of the COVID-19 chaos, and there’s undoubtedly more to come. Life as we know it has been changed forever.
It’s hard to move forwards if you can’t acknowledge how you’re feeling right now. So, here’s a few questions you can ask yourself to start tuning in to where you’re at:
- How are you?
- What do you need right now for you to be OK?
- What are you prepared to do to make sure you get what you need?
Once you’re rested and recharged, it becomes natural to start to examine what the future might look like.
‘Normal’ clearly wasn’t working for us, or the planet we live on, so what can you easily do differently moving forwards?
The simplest pathway always starts with understanding important information about yourself.
Will you give yourself the chance to live life differently?
If you want to some help in finding new ways to start asking yourself questions that matter, you can access tips in the articles and videos in my FREE email series – it’s a great way to help you begin your journey. Simply click here to start you on your way.
Bronwen Sciortino is a Simplicity Expert, Professional Speaker and an internationally renowned author. You can follow her at her website; Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.