Three practical things - Here's what you said

Two weeks ago, I asked you to share three practical things that have been helpful for you during this strange and challenging time. I’m so glad I did that. It was an absolute delight reading your responses and was useful for me too. We are most definitely all in this together.

Some very clear themes came through. And without further ado, here they are…

1. Social Connection

Almost everyone reported that maintaining social connection is important. A few examples of specific ideas you shared:

  • Making silly videos for my grandsons

  • Daily chatter with friends via phone, text and Social Media

  • Coffee catchups over Zoom

  • Connecting online with friends (for my sanity!)

  • Making sure I call my parents a few times each week

  • I’m making more of an effort to join the organised social catchups from work than I would have “before” – it’s worth it.

2. Self Care

Like social connection, some form of self-care was pretty much universal among your responses. Some of you went into more detail with examples of what that means for you. Here’s a selection:

  • Exercise – in various forms, this was the top response

  • Meditation - this also came up frequently

  • Being kind to myself

  • Stocking up on frozen fruits and berries for smoothies

  • Staying off social media doom and gloom posts/reality check on the news headlines

  • Cooking soup

  • Pre-preparing meals each time I cook to always have something ready in the fridge

Collated

3. Structure

Many of you reported that setting some kind of structure to your day is proving useful. Some examples:

  • Establishing a routine and sticking to it for weekdays

  • Morning and evening check-ins with my work team

  • Sticking to regular wake time, break times and finish time

  • Make a list of tasks to do around the house and try to complete something each day

  • Studying – good to have something to focus on

  • Take regular breaks and move around

  • Exercising with the family at the end of every work day (which connects nicely with the Self Care theme)

4. Compassion

The need for, and benefit of, compassion for self and others was also threaded through many of your responses.

Placing trust in the goodwill of others, giving them some latitude and extending that same grace to yourself.

Using kindness as a driver, where we can, rather than fear, can make a huge difference. As I said last week, acting like the sort of person you want to be can provide clarification and some stillness amidst the noise of all this uncertainty.

Thank you for taking the time to send through your responses, and I hope that reading them here is of use as well. We humans are wonderful things.

Take care of yourself and others.

Madeleine Shaw

I work with clients from executive leadership teams to the front line, helping them to make clearer decisions about what they want, and adapt faster and more easily to change and transition. I use deep purpose as a key to unlock powerful thriving in work and life.

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Madeleine Shaw