So how are you still doing?

The Blurt Foundation have written a brilliant piece this week that I would like to share with you.

Our brains are always working. They are constantly processing and scanning what’s been and what might be. In times of uncertainty, they struggle because they’re trying to settle on the safe option, what’s certain, the predictable. Let’s face it 2020 has been none of those things.

The cognitive drain of the unpredictability, of the insecurity, of no idea of when, or if, things will return to normal as we know it – well, it’s a lot to take on board.

When all of that is dialled-up, we tend to dial-down on self-care. Why?! Well, we are conditioned to be super-productive. We may set high expectations of ourselves or feel the expectations of others weigh heavily. We may have job insecurity and want to show we can do it. We might have lost our childcare and be juggling parenting and working and all of the uncertainty that brings with difficult decisions to make, quick flashes of judgement on how comfortable we feel about any given situation or circumstance. We might be isolated and wading through loneliness that permeates everything. We might be just too scared to stop.

Dialling down on self-care doesn’t work though, it adds to the mountain of problems and challenges we’re facing. We can only go-go-go until our body says no-no-no and it will, with time, if we don’t factor in the stuff that keeps us going.

As uncertainly dials up, dial-up too on self-care and dial-down those expectations; yours and those of others. In the midst of a pandemic when ‘normal’ has been obliterated, we cannot expect ourselves to try to carry on as ‘normal’. There has to be some leeway. So remember:

• The more anxious you feel, dial-up on the comforting and soothing stuff.
• The more tired you feel, dial-up on what revitalises and replenishes you.
• The more overwhelmed you feel, dial-up on breaks and space and pressing pause.
• The more uncertain you feel, dial-up on what brings joy and light and laughter.

Look after yourselves and each other.

Kim Fry
UKSA Welfare Officer