We don’t need to tell you that there is a lot of change going on at the moment.

During the week we were half laughing/half crying thinking back to New Year’s and we were discussing our new year’s resolutions and how we wanted the year to be and thought the year would be. Not in our wildest dreams could we imagine that we would be where we are right now.

2020 seemed to be THE year we were promised to achieve new goals or act upon our dreams. But as quickly as the year started, the quicker it has slowed down. The year is starting to feel like it is being taken away from us. Unfortunately, 2020 is now a year that will go down in the history books to be remembered for other life-altering reasons.

Like yourselves, we have felt the impact of change on our daily lives. There is a lot of un-clarity about when the lockdown measures will end, and when we will be able to return to a semi-normal version of what feels like a previous life.

The same words are being thrown around everywhere in the news cycle, online and in social media like “crazy”, “uncertain”, “unprecedented”, “fear”, “unknown”. There’s really nothing positive out there. After a while it gets overwhelming. Nothing feels in our control, we are just waiting for decisions to be made by others for us, and we just have to abide.

We understand and we feel it too. We will get through it together.

As a light of inspiration in your time of need, our Herparade #herbernation series is dedicated to help you overcome this period in a positive way and with confidence!

We have put together a few tips to manage the current change that has been thrust upon you, that can help you better navigate through the daily challenges at hand.

So, let’s just get into it!

Accept your current situation and how it has changed

Don’t fight what is happening, especially when it is not your fault and it is out of your control. Take a step back and come to terms with the situation. Only this way can you truly take control of what you can control in your daily life. Take a step back and acknowledge the changes and understand that measures have been put in place for the protection of you and your family, as well as others.

Understand how the change in circumstances impact you and your family

Think about what has changed. You might be alone at home, your kids might be home or your partner or husband might be home more. You and your partner or family might even be separated. What does this mean for you and your family?

Now that you are living under new circumstances, identify what decisions you have control over and what can change for the positive

Now that you have accepted the situation and understood the changes, what are the things you can be doing to help make this experience more positive? These decisions you have control over. You can decide whether you will stay sad or upset for the duration, OR you can decide that the situation is shitty, but you will make the best out of it. For instance, perhaps you are home alone – one positive thing you can do is video call with friends and family, so you stay connected or re-connect with friends you have been meaning to. This is the same if you are separated from your partner.

Embrace the process of change and maintain a can-do attitude; you can get through anything with confidence!

Know that this period of time will not be easy, you will not always be okay and change is a process. Some days will be better than others. Some days will be more productive than others. Control your emotions, be strong, know that you can get through it and you will be okay – because you will be! Remember that everything is temporary. Every situation is temporary.

Create a NEW daily routine

Let’s be honest, before this all started, we had somewhat of a daily routine for our daily lives. But now we need to adjust that routine to fit our new circumstances.

This includes building a daily routine that can help create some stability to your current situation and a sense of control. It can also help you maintain some consistency for the things that are important to you or things you might not actually like doing, but need to get done anyway! A daily routine also limits the number of decisions we need to make in a day. Given the rate of change among us, reducing the number of decisions we need to make on a daily basis can help us focus our energy on more important decisions we need to make. 

You might be already thinking of some different tasks and activities you need to do or schedule to adjust to all the changes, like video calling friends. We recommend the following:

1) With a pen and paper write down tasks that you need to do that are work related (ie. home office work, cleaning, laundry, cooking, going to get groceries)

2) Then write down all the tasks you want to do for yourself (ie. skin care routine, eating healthy, exercise videos, video calling with your partner or friends)

3) Then break these down into a daily schedule for a seven day period. For instance, what tasks do you think you can manage in the morning, afternoon and evening? What tasks do you need to do every day? What tasks do you want to do every day or at daily intervals? Try to be as realistic as possible.

4) Now that you have a semi-schedule, test it out and be committed to that schedule.

5) Not every day goes how we plan it, so be flexible. The Routine is a guide for your day. If you don’t fulfill your daily routine schedule, then ask if it is realistic and reassess. Or if you believe it is, just try again tomorrow. Don’t give up!

Be sure not to undermine or self-sabotage the process

Remember there are decisions you are in control of. Be a friend to yourself and treat yourself as nicely and as kindly as you can. If you aren’t on your own side, then you can’t expect anyone else to be. If things seem to be going okay, then keep on going! If you have a bad day, try to make every effort to make tomorrow a better day. Don’t undo all the hard work you put into trying to turn this situation around in your favour.

Wishing all our readers continued love, health and happiness x