When stuck in the details- It’s easy to miss what’s important

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

This global pandemic continues to demand more of us. 

Here in Melbourne, Australia we are still in lockdown. On October the 4th we nudged past Buenos Aires and are on our way to earn the title of most lockdown city in the world with 246 days of stay at home restrictions by the current end date of lockdown number 6 of October 26th 2021.   This is not a T/Shirt I’ll be wearing! 

There is a sense of  hopelessness, fatigue and frustration requiring people to dig deeper than before (and we were already digging deep) to remain optimistic.  Businesses remain closed, WFH and home schooling is well and truly the normal status.  

Finding ways to decompress, switch off, and regain some space and control is much needed, critical self-care that supports sustainable living, mental and physical health while making progress towards delivering on our work projects.  

Here are 4 ideas to help: 

𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬: These are small regular pockets throughout the day. Whether it’s sitting in some sunshine and reading a book for a short while just because it brings you joy, preparing a beautiful lunch break for yourself, or putting your favourite song on and dancing like nobody's watching. 

𝐖𝐅𝐇 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐞:   At the start of your day, walk around the block, grab a takeaway coffee and prepare yourself to arrive at work. Yes, you are in the same place physically however you may find you arrive in a different place emotionally.  Rinse and repeat at the end of the day.

𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥:  Focus on the most important things only. Give yourself permission to drop the balls you are carrying.  Let them go for now or forever.  Ask yourself does this really need to be done/achieved today?  Or at all?

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐦:  Each morning take 5 minutes to think about what would make you feel great about today?  Martin Seligman, known for his founding work in positive psychology talks about scheduled optimism as a strategy to cultivate a positive perspective.  Ensure that your personal priorities are also in the picture.

This is incredibly helpful to reverse the impact of feelings of hopelessness which send us deeper into the abyss.  Remember to keep the focus on what’s achievable.

𝐖𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 within us. Micro habits of self-care, combined with the acknowledgment of what we have accomplished can bring happiness, balance, and a feeling of optimism to our inner world. 

It's my hope that this article supports you and provides some ideas to try today, wherever you are in the world. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.  

Share what’s working for you, where you feel stuck and words of encouragement for others. 

#wfhstrategies #selfcaretips #selfawareness #motivation #positivepsychology #coaching