[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.8″ hover_enabled=”0″]

Despite most news headlines currently focusing on the gradual release of lockdown, our emotional journey is far from over. As individuals we still need to gauge whether the government’s advice is right for us and we’ll almost certainly experience another flood of emotions associated with change, for the same reasons we experienced them at the start of this crisis.

For the past few months, my conversations with clients, friends and family have all involved talk of ups and downs and the feeling of being on a rollercoaster ride. It might not surprise you to know that the main reason we are all over the place in this way is due to our natural response to change.

In order to feel safe and comfortable, we need to experience a few basic things: we need to know we can trust people, we need consistency in what we see and experience around us and we need a relatively level amount of emotion in our lives.
Of course, when it comes to times of crisis, not much of any of these things applies.

Trust means reliability

Let’s look at trust first. We need to see this trait displayed by those in charge and we need to know we can trust our own instincts (tricky when we’re facing an unknown crisis and have no experience to fall back on). Trust, at a time of crisis, quickly and easily translates into reliability. We will naturally search for a source of information we can rely on. We might determine something is reliable – or trustworthy – because it’s being delivered regularly, by an expert, or through a sufficiently unbiased channel. None of these things are easy to find at the moment.
In fact, this type of crisis forces us to behave unreliably. We might have changed how we do things; we might shy away from some responsibilities because we’re scared; we cross the road to avoid walking past people. All necessary reactions but none reinforce trust.
Routine creates calm
Of course, another major aspect associated with being in our comfort zone is routine. Even the smallest routines are important to our state of mind because we need to think less while we are carrying them out. We use this time – on autopilot – to process our thoughts. So, by combining a lack of routine with a huge increase in weird and unusual experiences, it’s easy to see why we all feel like we’re riding the big dipper.
Initially, we might have felt a little excited by the thought of lockdown. Maybe it felt almost like a holiday: new experiences beckoned, we had the chance to have a huge clear out at home or learn a new skill. But, even when you’re on the holiday of a lifetime, it always feels good to get back home and that’s what we’re missing from this experience so far. We miss driving to work and listening to music in the car; or commuting by train and reading our book each day.
Without routine, we risk neglecting ourselves. We’re not superhuman; we don’t need to learn new things or undertake massive projects at home. We need to look after our minds, especially with these ups, downs, twists and turns in emotion. And, just because we’re reaching the potential end of lockdown, that doesn’t make this go away as, in fact, we have to readjust again and learn to go back out into a very different world.

My 3 top tips to survive (and even thrive)

1. With all this extra emotion comes tiredness. A lack of energy or motivation is a common problem for people at the moment. Try setting yourself a couple of small goals each day. If you’re applying for jobs, try to do 1 a day; or, if you’re working from home, promise yourself you’ll have a healthy lunch as you now have more time to prepare it. Simple things like this will start to restore your mood.

2. Notice your moods as they change and check in with what you might need in that moment. Some options you might want to choose could be:

• Listening to some uplifting playlists or even playing your own music
• Calling a friend to chat about what is going on for you
• Spending time taking care of yourself – this will be different for each of us, for some it might be about reading a book, for others, taking a walk, having a bath or taking a nap

3. Spend time each day focusing on what’s gone well or what you’re grateful for. We can easily get seduced by the negatives. This practice allows us to gain perspective and see the whole picture.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]