No one Told the Sunshine!

Over the last few weeks my own anxiety and mood has been a roller-coaster, with more downs than ups. I hit what I refer to as 'the wall' the day before yesterday, which is something I hit in times of trouble before I reach acceptance. It involves tears, an external out pouring of my anxiety and low mood - which is unfortunately contagious to others - and then I usually make a psychological shift towards acceptance.

In past times, when I have reached acceptance, it's not simply a static state, its more than that, it's a springboard to better things. It's a change in my psyche and a change in my consciousness. And that's the thing, without the negative thoughts that lead me to 'the wall' I am free, free to have better creativity, free to have better feelings and emotions, and free to move forward. It brings hope, optimism and positivity. As human beings we are both priviledged and cursed to have consciousness. If we have a higher level of consciousness we can have a much more positive view of the world, but if this changes, then we move closer to emotional difficulties. Jack Pransky highlights this in his book Somebody Should Have Told Us! a valuable read for those of you who find their solace in reading at the moment, and of course for those of you who discover a new love of reading during this time!

The sun is shining today because it is not governed by a consciousness that tells it not to. It's not governed by a consciousness to know that it's planet is in crisis right now. It's does not know of the sadness, fear, and challenge faced by every single person today who share it's planet. Nothing externally has changed for me overnight, but there has been a shift in my consciousness, my thoughts, and my attitude. Since the middle of March (in an effort to keep myself and others well) I have been writing my diaries about my experience of Covid-19 - as a person who experiences Anxiety, as a Small Business Owner, and as an average women in the street (or not as is now the case). To date it is written in the mind-set of someone struggling incredibly with this, but I've made a firm commitment to challenging my consciousness to be the sunshine. There are no guarantees I will sustain this, but I'm aiming for a higher level of consciousness in my thinking. "No one told the Sunshine" is my personal line in the sand to move forward in a different way, but for this to happen I need to change some behaviors too. The actions which will help this are:

• Reduced exposure to the news reports
• Making sure I have a creative outlet
• Taking up running again - which fell by the wayside when my youngest was born in 2016 and because I've been 'busy' running my business and delivering training since 2015
• Writing it out when I need to 
• Maintaining telephone contact with loved ones, and visual contact with those who have the digital tools for this
• Reaching out and supporting others in the best way that I can
• Remembering all the positive memories I'm lucky to have
• Thinking about future hopes and dreams
• Spending time with my husband and boys (though my husband is a key worker so we won't be together all the time), and keeping good phone contact with my daughter and grand-children
• Committing to the things I am encouraging in others to do, like trying to be Resilient in the face of this adversity Self-confession time: I'm not always the best at taking my own advice and self-care. It was my New Years Resolution, and is a work in progress!

I've seen today's sunshine as a light of hope, it will surely rise each day whether the day has seen an increase in Covid-19 numbers, or whether it has seen a decrease. I can only control myself in relation to those numbers by following the advice and guidance from the UK Government, WHO, and NHS.

Because we all have to find our own path through these challenging times, it's impossible for anyone to say what works for someone else. What works is what is right for YOU, but there is help to guide you, to help you to make informed choices, whether that is about wellness and safety, or about challenging your own thoughts and consciousness. Below are some links to organisations and tools that may help you find your way.

Credit goes to the organisations listed, and we thank them in advance for sharing their information with us:

For the kids:

• Get Support Now - Mind Matters
• 50 Ways to Feel Happy (for children) - Action for Happiness
• Resources for Mental Health - Mind Matters
• Kidlutions: Why Routines Matter - Printable templates for planning routines
• Young Minds - Talking to your child about Coronavirus

For the Adults:

• Kidlutions: Covid-19 Coping Series for Families
• Get Support Now - Mind Matters
• Resources for Mental Health - Mind Matters
• Subscribe to the The Happy Newspaper and access 25% discount with this code: HAPPYDAY25
• Support for those affected by Covid-19 - Direct.gov
• Ten Keys to Happier Living - Action for Happiness
• The Mental Health Foundation - How to Look after Your Mental Health during the Coronavirus outbreak
• The Mighty for reading and sharing experiences about health

For Businesses, Employees, & Self-employed:

• COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses - Direct.gov
• Coronavirus (Covid-19) - Advice for Employers & Employees - ACAS
• Coronovirus (Covid-19) - Home Working - ACAS
• Get Support Now - Mind Matters
• Resources for Mental Health - Mind Matters