Lock -down?

How’s this second lockdown treating you? For us, it seems to be harder than the first.

Let’s face it, we are all shattered and a bit over it. We are in the midst of the second lockdown, have a very uncertain Christmas period ahead and are realising that this way of living isn’t going to end soon.

For us, we have been crazy busy which of course we are hugely grateful for, and it has reaffirmed the power of connection.

Without connection of some amazing people, I honestly don’t think I could have got through the past few months – their support, advice, insight and humour have all been invaluable and got me through the darker days and I hope I have repaid the favour in supporting them.

In design, we use the word connection all time: ‘Your brand needs to connect with your audience,’ ‘knowing your brand purpose will help your band connect’. But during the last 8 months, connection has never been more lacking or more important.

Psychologists link the feeling of being connected to lowering anxiety and depression, which helps us regulate our emotions, and leads to higher self-esteem and more empathy and I can totally relate to this – when we feel disconnected, this can increase the stress levels and a general feeling of wobbliness, which isn’t conducive for balancing work and life well.

For me to manage this I found these things really helpful:

• Creating a nice home office space, full of plants, natural materials and art, that make me feel calm not matter how hectic my day gets.
• Making sure I get my 10,000 steps in a day not matter how busy I am which allows me more quality time with my favourite office dog Twiggy. We spend every lunchtime at the beach or on the downs.
• Feeling useful, by offering an ear to people that need it. This is what makes my job – the business connections I make are so much more than a transaction. It’s human, my clients get to know and trust me which leads to friendship.
• Humour, laughing even when it’s been hard to laugh.

By instilling these things into my daily life and making them non-negotiable has really empowered me during these really busy and stressful times. I would love to hear what you have implemented to help you?