Out of the chrysalis we come!
A gentle return to a three-dimensional life
Yesterday I heard about the government tests in Liverpool, where thousands of people had gathered to party, all strictly tested and monitored. I felt amazed, yet happy for them, that they were able to come out of lockdown straight into a massive crowd.
Personally, I have felt like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis; slightly raw, and very unused to the outside, three-dimensional world.
I feel I’ve coped well enough with lockdown, but many have had mental health challenges, and the Mental Health Foundation emphasises: “Because our situations are unique to us, it is really important to try not to judge ourselves harshly based on what other people are doing. Everybody is facing uncertainty and challenge – and we have no choice but to move through it as best we can with our own coping mechanisms.”
In other words, take it easy, take it one step at a time, and don’t feel you have to do anything else but what you feel comfortable and happy with.
I resonate with this writer[i]: “Lockdown was an opportunity to opt out of all the pressures of the outside world and actually came as a welcome relief.” Yes, it was a perfect opportunity to think things through and make changes for so many of us, and I was so grateful to have the chance.
He/she goes on to say: “With more time to sleep, read, and reflect, some people with pre-existing mental health conditions are even seeing their moods improve — which is why the idea of ending lockdown is so jarring.” If the idea of ‘normal’ life is indeed jarring for you, it’s worth checking that it’s not just ‘emerging from the chrysalis’ that is creating this feeling – it may, instead, be a dread of your old way of life returning. In which case, how can you change things? If you are confused, try meditation; an excellent way of accessing what is really going on in our heads and there are many Apps available to help us.
If you are just feeling raw, rough around the edges and institutionalised, then give yourself time. Do one new thing a day and praise yourself, don’t criticise any anxiety you are experiencing. We will get there in our own time, sliding slowly back into the ‘real’ world again, and no doubt, much more appreciative of its many joys after a year in limbo.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Energy Field Therapy may be something you are drawn to. It is designed to help clear negative emotions and people often report a settling, grounding and calming response as well as other benefits. Here is the link to read about it. Energy Field (bodyinharmony.org.uk)
See www.bodyinharmony.org.uk or email info@bodyinharmony.org.uk to discuss how we can help you.
LINKS TO SOURCES
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/looking-after-your-mental-health-we-come-out-lockdown
[i]https://www.wateringburysurgery.co.uk/coming-out-of-lockdown