We are currently in a situation we have never found ourselves in before, which means, for many of us we are feeling things we have never felt before. I know this from my own experience, from working with my amazing clients, chatting with friends and what I see on social media.
People keep saying we are all in the same boat, but I disagree, for me we are all on the same rocky sea, but we are in different boats; some are in luxury yachts, while others are clinging onto a life raft. This means we will all experience this a little differently, and to different extremes, but we are all struggling in some way.
Sadly society tells us that showing emotion, feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed is a weakness or a failing and that only a stiff upper lip along with focused and relentless positivity is a mark of success.
However I disagree and here is why…
Firstly, it is absolutely fine and normal to feel and experience all different emotions, ALWAYS! This means we are alive, and emotions communicate vital information to us, for example whether we feel safe or not, happy or sad and so on, so we need to experience them, particularly now.
Secondly, noticing this and reaching out for support IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS, IT IS INCREDIBLY BRAVE! Acknowledging you are feeling a little wobbly, and that seeking support is going to help you feel better and help you to move forward is a good thing.
The thing with Covid-19, social distancing, isolation and lockdown is WE ARE ALL STRUGGLING with different things at different times, I believe that anyone who says they aren’t, are not being totally honest.
If we are alone we may be lonely and missing human touch, if we are with friends or family we may still be lonely or craving some time out, we may be missing friends and loved ones, we may be anxious about the future, we may be questioning our physical, mental, emotional, financial wellbeing and security. Which all means we will feel emotions we may never have felt before and we will feel these more strongly, more deeply.
We may also have days where we celebrate the time out, the time to rest, the opportunity to catch up on a long to do list, to reconnect with friends, to watch that box set or read that book. There may be days when we are genuinely happy too, and that too is ok. Making the best out of this situation is important for us and our wellbeing and should be celebrated too.
I’ll be honest some days I am really doing well, I am pretty used to being alone, to being adaptable and to overcoming challenges and adversity, I have had to be with some of the experiences life has thrown my way, so I have a reference point which helps me, along with my years of training and experience. However, I also have days when I have cried, I have not been productive, I have felt overwhelmed and just taken time to let myself feel that way, to recharge, to be kind to myself and exercise selfcare.
I am sharing this to show it is totally normal, we are in a very unusual situation and an emotional rollercoaster is to be expected. It is our brain’s way of dealing with things, emotions happen to communicate things to us, so be kind to yourself, enjoy and celebrate the good times, but acknowledge and be kind to yourself when you notice the wobbly ones, know that this will pass, it is temporary.
If you are struggling and feel you could do with some extra support right now, please do be brave and reach out to someone, whether that be a trained professional like me (I am offering special one off sessions at this time), or a trusted friend or family member, your GP or one of the many organisations out there who are there to help.
This too shall pass! Take care and stay safe…
Until next time.
Emma
