When you’re in lockdown 3.0, you learn to welcome the little freedoms

As the New Year kicks in after a family oriented and quiet Christmas, we still find ourselves being mandated to stay at home, not to socialise and follow the rules to keep safe. The desk in the spare room which has been converted into the office does not have the appeal it had at the start of the pandemic and every day feels like ground hog day. To top it all off the next two months which is prime time for “SAD” Seasonal Affective Disorder, caused by the short days and lack of light means these are going to be the hardest months most of us have ever faced.

So how do we get ourselves through this period?

There are quite a few coping strategies out there all of which can improve your mental state and help get you through this difficult time.

Personally, there are 2 simple steps I follow: 

1.Being positive

Yes, it is difficult however being positive is about bringing energy, commitment, enthusiasm, and passion to your day. This in turn will not only lighten your mood, but also energise those with whom you interact.

Take the time to focus on the good things in your life. My family (including Lola the greyhound) and friends are all important. I have made it one of my New Year’s resolutions to speak to my friends regularly.

Finally, where possible bring humour to your day. Being happy is a choice, you have to make a conscious effort to be happy.

 

 

2. Having a routine

This make me feel I have a level of control

Working out first thing in the morning sets me up for the day. There are always reason not to do it if I leave it for later in the day.

The workouts could be anything from going for a run or cycle to weight training (and if you don’t have weights at home then use your body weight) there are so many exercises which will stimulate your muscles and get the blood flowing. As the saying goes “A healthy body is a healthy mind” and for those who know me know that I have stuck to this all my life.

During work make sure you focus on the job in hand. The satisfaction of having completed your set tasks does give you a kick.

For those with dogs I find that a midday 30–45 minute walk gets me out of the house and in the fresh air which allows me to clear my head and importantly is still within the rules.

Finally, I set an end time to the working day and I adhere to this 😀 

 

At APS we are an inclusive team, we believe in treating everyone as equal and supporting our people to challenge themselves and in doing so, get the best out of one another. In our current virtual world this is more important than ever. It allows us to be mentally strong, succeed and be effective in what we do.

I am pleased to say that I consider myself very lucky in having joined APS and feel very energised at the prospect of this coming