Maybe I tempted the gods when I wrote about depression last week, because oh boy, are things getting worse π§ To think, we could all wake up today/tomorrow and live in a world where we canβt go to the pub for a month and Trump might still be in the White House.
Maybe you are reading this in the future and shaking your head⦠I will sit in ignorant bliss for now.
In light of the imminent release of Lockdown: The Sequel, I asked on Twitter for your additions to my *Lockdown Manifesto* in which I make some promises to myself to not beat myself up for not being as productive or feeling sad.
Iβll start with mine, and follow up with the contributions from my lovely Twitter pals.
Minimise exposure to the news
Iβm a compulsive checker and that extends to the news, sometimes I find myself refreshing the BBC homepage 100+ times a day. I donβt even know what I am expecting to findβ¦ yet I canβt look away. I am working towards a few checks per day, ideally with just one brief perusal after breakfast by the end of November. It makes me feel crap and thereβs nothing I can do about it, yet I canβt stop myself.
Indulge in slower mornings
Iβm a morning person by nature, so I wonβt be lying in βtil midday and staying up all night. But I have stopped setting any alarms, started leaving my phone in another room and I just wake up when I wake up (usually around 7.30 when Potter cries). We go on a walk and come back for breakfast and a read, rather than hopping straight on the computer. If thereβs one thing in abundance right now, itβs time, so why try to rush the morning when a slow and easy start to the day will achieve just as much?
Spend more time outdoors
Iβve been running a few 5ks per week and that, alongside walking the dogs every day, keeps me outside - though I typically stay around my local area. I know we arenβt allowed to travel far, but I suspect weβll be venturing to some of the lesser-known rural spots for longer walks throughout November as we arenβt restricted by the draconian one-hour rule like last time.
Get in the festive spirit early
Weβve already tucked into mulled wine a couple of times this year, and I am on the lookout for Greggsβ amazing vegan mince pies to soothe the mid-afternoon slog. Come 1st December, Iβll be covering my Zoom background in tinsel and playing Feliz Navidad on repeat.
Listen closely to my thoughts and feelings
Often, I ignore how I feel until alarm bells are going off and before I know it Iβve passed out on the sofa for two hours from post-Zoom exhaustion. This time βround, Iβm making a special effort to notice the early signs of burn out and take breaks (easier said than done!).
And here are some of the promises from the Twitter fam:
What are you doing differently this time around? Let me know! P.S All of the gifs in todayβs newsletter are from sequels except one. If you know which one, come tell me on Twitter.
π§ Iβve been listening to Jojiβs latest album Nectar on repeat and I canβt get enough. The perfect lo-fi working/driving music.
π This week I read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover and it was truly an enthralling read. Clearly a very personal story for the author, the writing style is easy to read but the subject matter is anything but at times.
Oh, and since thereβs not a βthings I havenβt enjoyed this weekβ section, Iβll pop it here: before you set-off fireworks in your garden or a nearby field, consider the impact your actions make on poor animals - both pets and wildlife. Our youngest greyhound Harmony has been distraught every night since Halloween and itβs only getting worse. If you think fireworks should be kept for organised displays and banned for public sale, please sign this petition.
Enjoyed this? You might like these past issues:
28 October: Why business owners don't talk about depression
21 October:Β How to actually stick to something (and why itβs okay if you donβt)
14 October:Β Meet the bosses who shaped me
6 October:Β Running a business when you're sensitive AF
30 September -Β Let them eat lockdown layer cake π°
23 September -Β Poetry in Notion: How one tool revolutionised my work β¨
16 September -Β A scepticβs guide to self development
9 September -Β A quick one from Bonny Scotland
2 September -Β Iβm hereΒ πββοΈ