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Hi, I’m Chanie. The Head of Marketing for She Lion. I’ve been working with Kate and the team for just over two years (and loving it). Chances are you’ve seen my face proudly wearing our sweatshirts or already read my words in our newsletters and blogs.
What you don’t know about me is that I’m a solo-living, 1 bedroom apartment dwelling, Melbourne local. I am currently sitting in my lounge turned office, procrastinating even writing this article due to lockdown #6 crushing the motivation to do… anything really.
Like so many people across Australia, I’m tired and I’m lonely. I lack the ability to focus on the simplest of tasks. I often feel guilt at not applying myself to write more, bake beautiful loaves of bread or learn a new language. Some days, just getting out of bed is a gargantuan task.
This isn’t meant to be a pity party, I’m one of the lucky ones. I can work remotely, I have a roof over my head and the ability to buy food. I am intensely grateful for the security I have. But I’m human. One thing lockdown after lockdown has taught me is that diminishing my own feelings because others have it worse than I do is counter-productive.
We set ourselves the mission to be doggedly authentic in our She Lion messaging as the pandemic hit. So at the risk of oversharing, I wanted to share a few small, yet completely achievable things that you might find useful to get you from A to B in your day.
Rituals can provide psychological comfort during times of hardship. One of the easiest to apply is the daily task of getting dressed. Even if you’re changing from your night trackies into day trackies, the ritual of changing your clothes marks the transition into the day.
For the past two locky-ds, I’ve made sure I put on what I call “real-people clothes” each day. Which for me is making sure I don’t just sloth about in activewear. It has made a heck of a difference for me to plan an “outfit” the night beforehand to break the monotony of grey marle.
Every article ever written on surviving lockdowns mentions getting outside. For good reason too! Fresh air and movement are essential to better mental health.
In the same vein of ritual building, I find getting outside for a purpose makes it far more likely to be mindful of the moment and likely to actually do it. Whether it is heading to a new coffee (or ice-cream) shop each day, getting out to buy lunch rather than having it delivered, or walking to grab some groceries, adding a goal can help to feel like you’ve actually achieved something.
Sometimes I walk with the purpose of looking “up”. It might sound naff but you’d be surprised at how different the path you’ve trodden a million times looks from another angle.
It’s important to vocalise how you truly feel, to talk through how you’re feeling and, to call it what it really is, to have a whinge.
If you’re anything like me, when someone asks how you are, your answer is “good thanks”, even if your leg is falling off. It’s a common default, especially for women who’ve been brought up to ensure others don’t feel uncomfortable in your presence. Chances are the person you’re talking to can empathise, offer some support and has a similar experience.
A couple of caveats to this (as someone who tends to verbal diarrhoea onto people):
This one is probably most relevant to my solo-living, single pals. For most people, intimacy is crucial to functioning.
I’m very lucky to have a platonic bubble buddy who I treasure the company of, but for the past couple of lockdowns, I haven’t had an intimate partner. I personally crave human contact*. My cats are great for easing the loneliness that comes with living alone, but sometimes I just want a hug.
Without a shadow of a joke; I have found standing under a warm shower to be incredibly soothing in the really desolate moments. It serves as a refreshing circuit breaker and is provides tactile feedback to your body. Give it a go.
*Not enough to be a d*ckhead and invite a random dating-app match over, no matter how tempting. There are appliances for that :)
Climate change reports, COVID numbers, botched vaccination rollouts, job losses, the media seems to only report devastating news these days. No matter where you look, positivity seems to be in a drought. One of the reasons we have been so focused on pushing our #SupportLocal story is to add something positive to the newsfeed.
Give yourself a break from social media even for a few hours. I’ve moved my social media apps to a folder within a folder in my phone a few times to make sure I’m going there intentionally rather than mindlessly. Heck, download candy crush or something onto your phone so you don’t automatically flip to Instagram.
Take. A. Break. If you are able to, don’t look at the numbers for a day.
My home is my office, and my home is small. One ritual that helps break the monotony of my days is signalling the end of the workday by moving into the lounge and kitchen space, putting on a different playlist and lighting a candle.
It’s really easy to just keep on working or checking emails at all hours, because what is time in lockdown anyway? Having that mental change of channel can be really useful to punctuating your day and claiming back routine that exists in the “normal world”.
There is some small comfort to knowing that millions of people across the world are sharing an experience, though we certainly aren’t all in the same boat. Even if only one of these tactics is achievable to you, I hope you find comfort in the knowledge we’re all going through something together.
Big love to you x.
The She Lion Community (you) comprises an incredible mix of talented and inspirational people who are fearless leaders, professionals, motivators, agitators and everything in between.
We recently asked this question to our community: “If you could carry one piece of advice in your bag for life or business and beyond, what would it be?" with a $300 She Lion voucher up for grabs to thank the winner for their answer.
With the right mindset and techniques, you can turn obstacles into opportunities. Introducing She Lion's 3P Framework (TM): Perception, Pragmatic Positivity, and Prolific Creativity. Let's dive in!
