Continued from part 1…..

6. Do more in less time. 

This is something I’m always trying to focus on in my business, because it’s too easy to get ‘busy’ doing tasks that don’t actually make much of a difference but make us feel like we’re being productive. 

 Always question what you are doing and what it’s doing for the bottom line. Is it moving you closer to your targets and goals? Use the 80/20 principle to help you focus, where 20% of your activity generates 80% of your results. Now your time is even more restricted it’s the ideal time to identify what the 80/20 is in your business. Then you can focus on the core activities in your business that are going to really push the needle and get you to where you need to be.  You might end up coming out of lockdown having found a much more productive way to work.

7. Take some time for you!  

Make sure you look after yourself and take some form of self care every day, whatever that looks like to you. It could be your morning routine, it could be going out for a walk, it could be having a bath, it could be just escaping from everyone, it could be lying on your bed and watching your own programme for half an hour in the evening. Whatever it is, just recognise it and give yourself what you need. 

Especially when everyone is stuck in the house together for long periods of time, it’s important that you create some space for yourself. The more you do that, and commit to it without guilt, the more  you will be able to give to others. I always think of my mum’s analogy of being in the aeroplane when the oxygen masks come down, you are told not to try and help anyone else until you have your own mask on. You have to help yourself first so that you can then help others. It’s the same principle. When you fill your own cup up first, you have more of you to go around – to the people that need it in your life. If you’re depleted and drained, you won’t have anything left to give. 

8. Exercise every day.  

So this is super important. What can you do to exercise every day? This could be a bit of yoga, going out for a run, a walk, weights, an online class – whatever appeals to you, make sure you get your body moving and the energy clearing through your body. Exercise is great for your health and your mind. 

When you move your body you change your biochemistry. You can clear negative energy that has been building up and shift your mood almost instantly. This is particularly important if you recognise that you’re starting to feel a little stressed, or frustrated. This could be a brilliant time to go for a walk, go for a run, do yoga, do a hit session, whatever it is that you’re that you like to do and that you enjoy doing. 

9. Enjoy time with your family

So I know it can feel like a double edged sword, can’t it?  Because it’s challenging for everyone, our kids as well as us. But at the same time, we are so privileged. When would you have ever thought that this would be happening? Our kids at home so much when they should be in school? When have we ever been lucky enough to have our kids around us so much?

Yes. It’s difficult and challenging and can sometimes feel like a nightmare. Yes, their education is going to be suffering. Yes they are going to be missing their friends. And yes we are spending a fortune on the weekly shop, but…. how incredible is it to have everyone around us in our home. 

It’s an opportunity to bond as a family and have that special time again. What is it doing for your relationships? What can you appreciate about this situation? What can you be grateful for? 

The kids will be going through their own anxieties, their own challenges and they need us right now, they need us more than ever. So it’s a really lovely opportunity to have that extra time with them and just bond with them and appreciate. So enjoy it. Focus on what you can get out of this instead of focusing on the issues, the problems and the complications. 

10. Reach out to your family and friends. 

Last but not least is connection. Reach out. Reach out to your friends and reach out to your family. It’s really important to stay connected. Try and have some fun. There were lots of innovative things that people were doing last year including pub quizzes, discos and cocktail making parties amongst many other things. 

And just reach out for the sake of reaching out. You never know, they might need you to. Everyone’s going to be needing something right now. And you could be the light in their life that day, you could really help them. 

So that was 10 of my tips for navigating this lockdown. I hope they help. I know it’s frustrating and challenging, but there’s always something that can be taken from anything that is perceived as bad.. And there’s always something we can find to appreciate. If you can maintain a positive mindset and be deliberate with what you focus on and how you chose to think, it will make everything feel better. You will be calmer, happier and will feel more in control. And you might find that you are able to appreciate it a little more. 

Take care, you’ve got this!