Living in regional Australia we didn’t really feel the effects of lockdown like many other areas of the world. We watched on feeling somewhat detached. That’s how it felt as the first year even though we had just over one school term of lockdown we didn’t have any cases in our town. A couple of drive through and fly through but still no cases. We felt for our families, friends, colleagues and even those we didn’t know across the globe but until it affects your locality it feels so unreal.
Bring on mid-year this year and it got real. Our town and then many around us had numbers rising every day for a few months. We started to see the impact on our families and community.
By mid-December restrictions are easing to a point that we can resume, mostly, our daily lives.
Like many I have had my ups and downs through this new existence and I wanted to reflect on what I have learnt or become more aware of and how it has influenced me, my family, and my business.
- To up my grateful
Gratitude never goes out of style!
As a life and business coach for mums in business I do this, I coach this; what I found was it can always be upped!! Going into another lockdown and having my younger child’s behaviour escalate during that time really did a number on my focus on being grateful.
So I stepped it up, about everything in the now, past and future. How does that make sense when it isn’t in the now? It could have been a thought, a visualisation, a comment or a person and I would, and do, take the moment to be grateful for the thought, event and action that took place.
The little things make the bigger picture. Grateful energy vibration is up their with Love!
Totally transparent, there is so much happening that we don’t want to appreciate. Human minds tend to go to what is wrong, not what is right. And yes, being in the moment is also very important. However, what being grateful does, even in times of great challenge and negativity and upheaval, is lowers stress, reduces pain and improves immune systems; along with raising your own vibration.
When you are in a state of gratefulness it activates neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and causes our brain to release oxytocin which enhances your positive emotions and empathy, makes us more optimistic, and increases our self-esteem.
What can you be grateful for today? I challenge you to write down 3 things each day that you are grateful for. Do this for 21 days without repeating and you’ll have 21 things to be grateful for.
I’d love to hear from you about how you found that process and how you feel after completing it.
- Be Real
Be Real. I wasn’t the only one going through ‘stuff’. It wasn’t just my town or my country, it was worldwide. So much is out of our control, the impact so wide-spread.
One step at a time. Be aware, be educated, be true to self. We all have differences of perspective, therefore opinion. Respect others rights to their own beliefs.
More empathy came out of lockdown than I could have imagined. Especially with many businesses and government department employees working from home and having to balance work and children. Many small businesses closed up, larger business closed stores, people losing their jobs, new businesses emerging and people started using their creativity to get their products, services and parodies out on the web.
The art of resourcefulness certainly has shone through.
I also found being real in the face of ‘I have to take a step back’. My darling other half works long and varied hours so much more is added to the role of mum. Having a minor stroke in February helped put things into perspective and I took time off to recover, reprioritise and feel my soul. So grateful I had this time as I found lockdown this year my undivided attention was paramount with my son’s behaviour escalating and I could be there for him from a different space.
I had always sensed my son was with me on a different level, and after a trip to the paediatrician a few months ago it became all too real. He had a diagnosis of Autism 1, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) plus Anxiety. How I support my daughter would be different for my son. I am in learning mode and self-care mode because if you have a child with ODD or been around one you know that life will never be boring. How awesome I get to have two amazing little people in my world and nurture them on their journeys.
- Time and space to grow
A lot of myself work has been around self-belief, which has led me to be passionate about working with mums in the same area.
I have always been known as an outgoing person. I would be drawn to parties, vibrant people, on committees, and generally where the action was happening.
Things did change over the course of having children, however, over the various lockdowns I have realised that I truly love the peace and energy of being in my company and that being an extrovert was a learned behaviour for me. Oh and that I have a little more OCD than I would like (especially in a small house with kids!!) but that is a work in progress!
I unplugged, again, from social media. I unplugged from my business. I unplugged from the media and their case updates. I did plug into anything that uplifted me. Helped me hold my space and live in the now.
Living with an ODD child means being aware and managing MY vibration 1st. I have utilised this time to get back to the basics. So grateful.
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I could share many other lessons or awareness, but I’ll hand the floor over to you.
What was the most empowering lesson you learnt during the pandemic and lockdown/s?
Let me know.
To Your Success!
Cheers
Kate 🌷
