FEELING A LITTLE LOST OR OVERWHELMED AFTER LOCKDOWN?

Many a conversation over the past few weeks have included shared experiences over the last lockdown here in Melbourne. And I wanted to share a bit about my experience with you.

After our last lockdown here in Melbourne I began to feel far from my usual self.

I was feeling lost, sad, overwhelmed, confused, vulnerable and so many other different emotions.

So much changes literally overnight with a lockdown in place:

- Rescheduling clients at work and life events and catchups,
- Jumping back into virtual schooling and juggling working from home with everyone at home,
- Picking up routines for family life in lockdown,
- Not being able to travel far and see family and friends,
- Emotions being triggered from previous lockdowns,
And so much more.

Then we're suddenly back out of lockdown and all routines and life changes again and opens back up.

As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said "change is the only constant in life".

And when change is happening at the rapid pace that it has been, it can feel so jolting and ungrounding to those of us humans who love the comfort of routine and consistency. I am one of those for sure.

There was so much going on during the last lockdown and coming out of lockdown that I noticed I began to isolate myself socially. I pulled out of a dinner with girlfriends, hid from social media and took a long time to reply to another friend about catching up because I felt like hiding away.

And sure, there is absolutely a time for retreating and going inward and having alone time, but I knew this wasn't that simple. I felt stuck.

So I asked my intuition what I needed. 

"Take action and create a simple schedule" was her answer.

I knew immediately I needed to look at the 4 arenas of self care (mental, emotional, energetic and physical) and check out where I wasn't nourishing myself.

I grabbed my journal out and scheduled in all the things I needed to do.
Some of these included:

- Socializing with friends. I organized a spa evening with a dear friend, a breakfast date and beach walk with another beautiful friend. A soulful morning 'play date' for a gorgeous friend and I where we played with oracle cards, essential oils and drank tea while our collective 6 kids played for hours together, and said yes to a fun evening with 3 of my beautiful school mum friends with our 11 kids running around and we had a ball! This coming week includes a road trip to visit a beautiful friend in the country and a virtual catchup with another dear friend who lives in the country too. It's times like these that we really need out soul tribe around us.
- Taking my vitamins and medicinal teas each day,
- Drinking 2 liters of water a day,
- Reading books to support my resiliency (I highly recommend 'The Happiness Trap' by Russ Harris, and Lisa Messengers 'Life and Love' (I have 2 copies of this uplifting book in clinic if you're interested at $29), 
- Daily movement of yoga, nature walk, scoot with the kids, barre class,
- Daily midday meditate and chill time,
- Daily inspiring mantras from Lisa Messenger's 'Daily Mantras' book that I freaking adore! (also a few copies in clinic for $17),
- And an evening wind down routine of no phone after 7pm, skin care routine, in bed reading by 9pm and writing down a memory of the day in my journal.

It's quite amazing when we focus on one simple task at a time how it can bring us back into the present moment, back into flow and slowly back to our 'usual' selves. While also allowing us some space to feel and process our emotions and help us move out of overwhelm and feeing lost and stuck in life.

I hope this supports you if you have been feeling those things too. After many a conversation this week it is seems to be a bit of a common theme right now.

Take care and I'll see you soon:)

Sending you all so much love and big hugs,
Steph xx