New Beginnings

A message from Melanie… 

Hello everyone, and a very big ‘thank you’ for all the very kind comments that I have received about my initial post! ‘M’s poem was particularly well received, and inspired many of you to send me some lovely messages, which I have of course passed onto her. Unfortunately ‘M’ has not been able to send me a poem for this particular post, but assures me that she is working on one to share with you very soon…so big apologies, but for this week it is just me!

This week has felt very much like there is a sense of new beginnings. We have finally reached the promise of Spring, which actually is a true breath of fresh air after what has seemed like a very long and protracted Winter! The clocks have ‘sprung’ forward, and yes, it might be disappointing that we have had a whole hour less to sleep, (which by now I hope we have recovered from!), but we are at least duly compensated by longer, brighter evenings! We also have a Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to, during which we will all hopefully be

able to experience a little peace and tranquility, not to mention spend some precious, and long- awaited time with our family and friends! It would seem also that we are finally on the road to ‘release’ from our recent unprecedented times of lockdown.

The presence of Covid and the resulting lockdowns (take note, in the plural) has swept through our lives like a series of tornadoes in slow motion, and finally we are seeing the first tentative stages of freedom ahead of us. It would be all to easy to make the assumption that this can ONLY be a good thing, and of course for many of us it is, but I think I would really like to bring to my readers attention the stark reality that for lots of us, and way more than we might think, there is an impending sense of gloom that the sun will be shining and that we may very soon be able to return to our pre-restriction ways of being. What exactly is there to dread about the sun shining, or a bank holiday, or even the end of lockdown? Lots…particularly if we are suffering from anxiety or depression, which let’s be honest, more and more people are opening up and admitting that sometimes the ever- increasing demands of living a ‘successful’ life are just too much. We are so often overwhelmed and exhausted before the day has even begun, waking up to find ourselves stressing about the many number of tasks to be done throughout the day, but how often do we actually admit to these feelings? Likewise, how many people are likely to share with us that they feel intimidated by the sunshine or are becoming increasingly anxious about the lift of lockdown? ….Not too many I feel, simply because of the worry that all the ‘joyous’ people around us will think it’s just weird to feel like that when everything in the world is looking up!

Just this morning I was in session with a client, a young woman, who shared with me that she is experiencing a level of anxiety that she had not expected to feel surrounding the end of lockdown. Whilst she has been able to continue working, and is thankful for that, she has at the same time found relief in the fact that she has been able to spend considerably more time simply ‘being’. The pressure to cram as much into her time outside of work has faded away and she has been able to incorporate far more relaxation and self-care into her routine, resulting in her feeling generally more at ease within herself and forging massively improved relationships with her family. She is now afraid of returning to life as it was prior to our reduced freedom, and more than anything, of losing sight of the person she has discovered within. Over the past year she has learnt to accept her ‘self’ in ways that she had not believed possible, and so it is easy to understand why she is reluctant to return to a way of being that left her physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention out of touch with who she really is!

This client is definitely NOT alone! I am hearing of a great many people who are struggling to contain anxious thoughts and feelings at this time. Adults and children alike are being adversely affected by all the changes that are currently taking place around us, so please let’s not assume that our friends and family are all ecstatic that the sun is shining and that our exit to lockdown is looming on the horizon…. the reality is very different! Yes, there are huge benefits to all these new beginnings, but we are, after all, only human. We find change difficult, and we naturally fear it, and unfortunately there is no vaccination for stress, anxiety, and depression! … And so as we head towards the Easter weekend, let’s keep this in mind, and really communicate with those we love… ASK how they are, let them know how YOU are…be authentic with yourself and with others…and NEVER just assume!

Warm wishes to you all!

Mel x