The art of thriving.
Jim Morrison once said, “I’m interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos, especially activity that appears to have no meaning. It seems to me to be the road toward freedom.”
Overnight life as we know it no longer exists. We are in a day to day hour by hour cycle and for some, this is a time to step up and serve, for others it might be time to retreat. Whatever you choose doesn’t matter, because that choice can help you not only survive but thrive during this COVID-19 crisis
If you are familiar with chaos (as I am) this might be a time of strange calm, if you have suffered many challenges in life (as I have) this could be a time to shine. I am choosing to serve.
My now 12-year-old boy had a kidney transplant 7 years ago so is high risk and immunosuppressed, to be honest, we have been self-isolating since 2012 and after getting through all of that, nothing prepared me for the early arrival of baby no. 2 in 2018 at just 25 and a half weeks gestation.
What I did know is I didn’t want to implode, suffer PSD or have a breakdown – coz I have been there before so I sought out not 1 but 2 therapist to help get me through.
Little did I know I would go on a journey of self-discovery, and that self-discovery would be going back to who I always wanted to be, life just got to busy and although I didn’t smack my head on a table and wake up in a pool of blood, the universe kept smacking me across the face till I stopped and started to listen and this is what I heard.
Slow down.
Who would have thought that slowing down would give you more time, when you are slow or in a flow of nothing, time almost stands still and you know what you can do with still time? Listen.
When you unpack and offload the busy you have time to hear the whispers of your soul, begging you to get back to who you are so you can be all you can be.
Slowing down should be the new hustle that everyone is aiming for!
Doing Less.
Late last year I downsized my social media presence, which was hard for me because social media is an important part of my work.
Inspired by Derek Sivers who has NO social media presence, I thought I would give it a try, I logged out of Instagram and Twitter, on my devices and laptop, even signed out of Linkedin and you know what, my opportunities grew and my connections became more meaningful.
You see it isn’t what you are posting that counts, it is the value you add by the work you do that stands out, and if you are adding value, you will stand out and the right people will seek you out.
This premise just doesn’t apply to social media, doing less is about doing more, more deep work, more focus and attention less time wasted more time to unplug, relax recuperate and go again.
Sleeping More.
Oh, I love to sleep, I need a good nights sleep and by slowing down and doing less a days work was really a day of work so when the day was done, because everything was done it was time to switch off. Yes, it can be as simple as that!
So getting to bed on time changed from a frazzled mindless scrolling to an early night tucked in bed, no tasks left undone, no wondering mind and no needless scrolling so before you know it you are asleep and getting the rest your body needs to do it all again tomorrow. It isn’t just the sleep it’s the almost instant effects it has on your attention, vitality and health, it really is the best thing you can do for you health and even better, it is free!
It might seem like an obvious cliche but these are the foundations of building resistance to stress and change if you have space and time, a clear mind and no to much on your plate you can handle the curveballs of life better than most. We all know about Post Traumatic Stress, but you don’t ever hear about Post Traumatic Growth.
You don’t need to embrace the chaos or crisis to find a path to freedom, build a dynamic new business or become a homeschool expert. Taking care of yourself first is the best self-care you can give, back to those cliches, put your own oxygen mask on first and seek out hope, in all the noise I want to offer hope, it can be a time to reflect, withdraw or grow, in a time of great stress you may feel it, as the situation is not of your doing, but there are three things you can do here, and I promise you they will help!