A New Normal for Wellbeing

I want to start this post with a "thank you", and it's a very heartfelt thank you to all of you who have kept things as normal as possible during this challenging time. Where would we be without you? But also a "thank you" to all who have stayed home so that we can get back to normal as soon as possible. But what kind of 'normal' do we want?

Birdsong and Honeysuckle

As I write this I'm sitting in the garden in the sunshine surrounded by bird song. A light breeze is rustling the leaves and there are bees buzzing amongst the clover and the honeysuckle. It's peaceful. It's relaxing. It doesn't really seem like work at all. But it wasn't always this way. I opted out of the 9 to 5 for a better quality of life a few years ago. Little did I know then, that a few years later a great many of us would be finding ways to work from home as a mattter of necessity, and that we'd all be rediscovering what's really important.

What Have We Discovered?

I think it's fair to say that the things we miss aren't the material things or status symbols but our friends and family. That we've discovered how important the environment is to us because nature lifts our spirits. That we enjoy having time to prepare good, nutritious meals - even baking our own bread. That our hobbies and creative pursuits give us an opportunity to express who we are. That we love to learn. That our communities matter. And that our well-being matters.

And perhaps more importantly, that these are the things that help us live happy, fufilling lives - even in the most challenging of circumstances.

Risk and Opportunity

A shift is happening. We are already reconsidering our priorities. A recent poll showed that people in the UK now want the government to prioritise well-being over economic growth , during the Coronavirus crisis and after. (Reported in the Guardian 10/5/2020)

But as I sit here I can also hear a lot of cars going by - a lot more than I have recently, and that concerns me. Not just because we're not yet out of lockdown but because us humans are often creatures of habit. I get it. It's the easy option. But it concerns me that we might slip back to the way we were and that we might lose all that we have learned. That is the risk we face unless we make the most of this opportunity.

And I do believe this really is an amazing opportunity; to learn, to prioritise and to take action. Because without action, nothing changes.

Prioritising Well-being

I believe we can create the world we want. Not in a new-agey way but in a very real way through our choices and the decisions we make. And now is a great time to make those decisions - while the things that matter are fresh in our minds.

We can decide to maintain the good relationships we've built with our neighbours. We can decide to make time for our hobbies. We may even decide that our old lifestyle no longer works and commit to making changes that will allow us to live in a way which prioritises what really matters. What the New Normal looks like is really up to each of us.

So I just want to leave you with a few journalling prompts. Grab a pen (and maybe a coffee) and allow yourself a moment to reflect on these questions. And if you want to share your thoughts in the comments below, please do.

*What have you learned from this experience?

*What of your old lifestyle no longer works for you?

*What might a happier and healthier "normal" look like for you?