While we are starting to see an easing of lockdown restrictions and more people will start heading back to work we are still a long way from any kind of normality to it’s time to set your own roadmap for the future – set some goals and challenge yourself.
The green light for more exercise is great news on a physical front but mentally there is also plenty you can do.
Personally I think everything comes down to goal setting of some sort. The human mind needs to be challenged.
When we are in a normal environment of working five days a week, this is often enough to keep you happy, focused and with some stability, routine to your life.
The day to day challenges of, getting up at a set time, dealing with work projects, lunch times, communication with other and what you will do when you finish work is often enough.
Add to that any plans to go to the gym, go for a run, manage children and animals, it gives us all a structure, and like it or not, that challenges our brain.
For those who are furloughed with no specific reason to get up, no set times to eat, no commute and with no work to do, can find it incredibly easy to become lethargic, down and a bit lost! Suddenly not only have you got an extra 40 plus hours a week back into your day but the time outside of those work and commuting hours are suddenly empty too because you have had all day to do what you would have done before or after work.
The only real way to keep sane, to keep your mind active and to care for your mental wellbeing is to challenge your brain.
Keep to some form of routine, set goals for the day, actually write down what you will achieve that day, that week, over the weekend.
Replace your daily work to do list with your new goals in life then put times to those goals. For example, on Thursday I will get up at 8am and strip the bed before breakfast. Or, at 1pm after lunch I will clear out the cupboard under the stairs and throw away anything that I haven’t used for a year.
This is a perfect time to declutter your home and mind. It’s hugely therapeutic and clears up space for creative thoughts in our brains. The action of emptying that man draw (you know, the one where everything goes that doesn’t have an actual home) genuinely clears space in your head and heart. It makes you feel lighter and allows you to fill that space with creative thoughts.
Clearing out and decluttering your actual mind is a process I do regularly and encourage my clients to do too but that’s a post for another day.
If you sign-up for my newsletter, I will send you a PDF of a Daily Planner and a Habit Checker that you can print off and complete yourself. It’s a great tool to focus the mind!
