This morning I dropped Henry (junior) and Matilda at school for the first time since March!
What a strange set of emotions!
Desperately sad to see them go, relieved they'll be back to a solid educational structure and truthfully, overwhelming grateful to have had the last six months with them every day.
You don't need me to remind you of the untold stress, sadness yet often amazing human kindness we've seen over the last few months.
We've all had to adapt to being out of our comfort zone.
It's had an effect on all of us.
Perhaps you're feeling fatigued?
Slightly sad?
Overwhelmed?
There's no doubt our online community is feeling the stresses, strains of the last few months. Many are in a 'slump'.
And it's not surprising!
When you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
-- Dr. Seuss
So true.
But you're not alone!
Here are some tips to 'whip' yourself out of a 'slump'!
1) Acknowledge it. This is the first and most important step. Be aware that it is happening.
2) Now, accept it. When you accept a situation or a feeling, it's as if you're stripping away the power it has to affect you. Accepting it will remove that uncertain feeling of not being able to pinpoint a problem, and it will help you take the next step towards getting better...
3) Make a plan. Start brainstorming ways that you will help you jump over this hurdle. What one positive thing could you do today. And I know it's not always easy to think of something.
So if you are really stuck I'll give you the one thing that NEVER FAILS. Be completely unselfish and do something for someone else. It could be as simple as a compliment to a friend to joining a local volunteer group to just calling a family member you've been meaning to speak to but haven't or just picking up a bit of littler you see and popping it into the recycling. Do something to brighten someone else's day. And when you do... it'll brighten yours more than you can imagine ...
4) Don't succumb to self-pity. Don't allow yourself to get into a cycle of negativity. If you find yourself going round-and-round-and-round thinking about the same 'stress' then it's time to do something different.
5) Talk to your closest ones. Talking about something helps, and especially when you hear that encourage response of ''Me too!''. You'd be surprised to hear how many people are going through the same thing.
6) Be more active. When you're feeling down, the only way to go is up. If you can't find a way to lift your spirits, lift your activity level. Get your energy levels up by making yourself be more active. This is the most difficult thing to do when you don't feel like doing anything, but studies have shown that physical activity has a very positive effect on our state of mine.
7) BE GRATEFUL! It's IMPOSSIBLE to be grateful and stressed at the same time. Our brains just cannot do it!
So, close your eyes, start with the things you are most grateful about yourself, then your closest family, then friends, and then keep going, wider and wider with all the things you have to be grateful for - no matter how small. You'll feel so much better ...
And keep in mind that no matter what, you are amazing!
Here to help in any I can, Tracey xx