by Sarah Monk | March, 2021 | COVID Life, Sarah Monk
Celebration in isolation A number of my family members and friends have birthdays near the beginning of the year. The usually joyful question of; “What are you doing for your birthday this year?” has recently been met with; “Well we can’t really do anything can we?” In the UK we are in our third Covid-19 lockdown so, admittedly, opportunities are not as abundant as usual. An exercise I often use with coaching clients, called A Beautiful Day (adapted from Proyer et al. 2016) might provide some help, not just for the big days but when you need an unbirthday pick-me-up too. I hope to explain this exercise, talk about what insights it can bring and outline some of the science behind it. Planning a beautiful day To plan a beautiful day for yourself, you start by thinking about what things really bring you pleasure. I know many of the people and things we love may be out of reach at present, so it’s important to stick within the realms of what is possible. If I had a magic wand I would miraculously be able to fit into a size 8 swimming costume and be teleported to a beach in Mauritius where I would swim in the crystal clear ocean and eat the most delicious seafood with all my close family and best friends. But this exercise is not about wishful thinking, it is about realistically interrogating the who, what, how and why of what brings us joy in our everyday life. We are actually not always good at predicting this, but I invite you to think about it and...
by Nicola Morgan | February, 2021 | COVID Life, Nicola Morgan
It is fair to say that most of us were not expecting a worldwide pandemic to strike or to go through lockdowns, tiers and constant speculations – nor to be catching up with alarming statistics everyday, speaking of infection rates, death rates and admission rates. It has created a background noise of social anxiety topped with personal anxieties about our jobs, businesses and finances. No, we were not expecting a worldwide pandemic. We can be sure that good times are on their way; for although we have seen the darkness, we have also seen the light of resilience and hope shining through. So many businesses have had the rug pulled from beneath their feet. One such category is Sports Coaches. Used to seeing their clients face to face and being able to monitor close progress, they suddenly found themselves unable to coach in the way that they have been doing – many for their whole careers. I talked to two sports coaches about how they have adapted. This required some real resilience; perspective-taking, exploring possibilities and commitment to a change with an uncertain timescale. I have also considered a wide range of other businesses and projects and this is what I have observed around me about those who have continued to thrive in a precarious environment Major unwelcome change comes along as a threat to your livelihood and your way of life – Absorb the shock; Start to be creative about what other opportunities might be available to you to create something different – Breathe in the possibilities; Consider what is going to be best for you and those...
by Kelly Seaward - Ding | November, 2020 | COVID Life, Kelly Seaward - Ding
‘Love, as it turns out, nourishes your body the way the right balance of sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, and water nourishes plants and allows them to flourish’ (Fredrickson, 2014, p. 4). As the schools shut on 20th March 2020 and the teaching world embraced a new challenge of remote learning, what had been my ‘normal’ for just under two decades was turned on its head. The routines I had in my ‘teacher identity’ had abruptly stopped and as the whole world embraced the unknown due to the Coronavirus. The path ahead was unclear and unpredictable. The Nourishment of Life The ‘new normal’ of working from home had its challenges and pressures, but the reflection time gained when life had changes so much was priceless. As the whole world slowed down, the retreat nature of lockdown opened up the internal gates to review life. It is exactly this process that resonates with the above quote from Barbara Fredrickson. In her book Love 2.0, Fredrickson offers her research on the positive emotion of Love. This idea of the ingredients of nourishment is what I started to pay attention to. What does nourishment look like in my life? And am I getting enough of it? I feel that the nourishment of life will differ from individual to individual with some similarities on the way because it relies on our unique journey of life. So, during this reflection time, this is what I found out. Some I was completely aware of and some I had let fade into the background of my life. Exercise is really important for physical and mental health. I know...
by Sarah Cramoysan | September, 2020 | COVID Life, Sarah Cramoysan
The challenge A couple of years ago, I decided to set myself a challenge of not buying anything I didn’t really need for a whole year. For me the main challenge was not buying clothes – I’m not a shopaholic, but I’m a female who likes to express myself through what I wear and will happily fall for the lure of a dress from my favourite shop or a bargain from TK Maxx. My main reason for setting myself this challenge was environmental. According to statistics published last year by the United Nations Environmental Programme, the amount of clothing produced annually has doubled in the last 15 years, and the clothing industry globally was responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions, more than all international flights and shipping combined. Scary statistics like this often dominate the headlines, so I was keen to set myself an environmental challenge and also explore the other side of sustainable living – could a change in lifestyle that benefits the climate also benefit me psychologically? How did it go? A year is a long time, but I managed to buy nothing new apart from a couple of pairs of socks. At times I missed the fun of shopping and novelty of having something new, but did I feel badly dressed? Not once! A new attitude ‘Shopping’ became a new experience. Although I didn’t go shopping by myself anymore, I still went out sometimes with my teenage children. Now instead of wandering off to search for something for me, I spent more time talking with my children, or just taking in the general scene. On...
