So if we are being totally honest I think we have all felt this way at one point in these past 11 weeks.  I came home from an amazing vacation in mid February ready to take on the world only to become sick two days later.  With the world situation I have essentially been in social isolation since then, and boy I miss humans.

This corona coaster can find you thinking everything is great, we are nesting, trying new recipes, connecting more with our family members and cleaning the house a lot.  Sounds pretty nice doesn’t it?  Sadly that is a snapshot of a day.  The flip side is that another minute we are catastrophizing, worrying about our parents, the state of the world, not cleaning the house because why bother and snapping at the same people we have had to look at for the past almost 3 months. I even found myself very anxious going to the grocery store for the first time.

I thinks my cats are about to ask me to leave and go somewhere and stop interrupting their daily routine.  A friend called and said “I just want to have a conversation without my “cell mates” around”.  “It is okay to not be okay” so they tell us in all the online articles that I have read recently.  Certainly that works for awhile but then we need to get back to life.

Routines Rock

I’m not going to lie, this is my go to.  I can tell you right now that every time I take a dark turn in these Covid times it happens when I veer from my routine.  If I am finding myself a bit weepy you would probably find me with a freshly baked sea salted chocolate chocolate cookie in hand watching Netflix at far too late of an hour.

Routines work, they really do.  During the week I get up and get dressed for work and head down to my office. The commute is delightful and I enjoy getting that time back in my day.  I plan my meals for the week, although there are like 5,000 of them every week it seems.

Life is topsy turvy but we can create routines we love.  Now is the time to explore You Tube workouts and go for that daily walk if that is what you have always lacked the time to do.  It can also mean teaching your children to cook or do laundry.  Start with something simple and get them going so they have something they can make one night a week when you need a hand.

Learn One Thing

Notice I said 1 Thing, not 20 new things.  Master the first one and then see if you still want to try something else. I have learned how to get over my discomfort of video meetings.  I love that I was finally able to master Zoom and start seeing clients again.  It isn’t the same as in person but it has actually been nice.

Never able to try to new recipe? Want to create your own website? Learn to speak Spanish? Thank you Covid! Now you have time to shift to focusing on something for just you.

Be Kind to Yourself

So this is the part where we say, slowing down and reflecting is good and not doing everything you think you “should” get done is absolutely okay.  Some people need to be creative and learn things to stay well but it isn’t for everyone.  Do not set your sights so high that you think you are going to remodel your whole world this summer. Enjoy the sunshine, putter in your garden and just survive. My new goal is to read one beach read per month. Realistic and fun, that is being kind to yourself.

What Stays, What Goes

This is the best part of Covid in my opinion.  We were living on this hamster wheel going faster and faster and juggling more and more and it suddenly screeched to a halt.  Now is the time to decide what was working in your life and create more of that.  The things that weren’t working need to go.  If you fill life up with the good stuff there is less room for what you don’t want.

Too many appointments booked after work? Feeling over scheduled? Saying “yes” when you want to say “no”?  Spread out appointments and book them so they don’t feel like a full time job.  Less running around means more down time for you and a happier life and who doesn’t want that!

Kimberley is the owner of Kimberley Gunning Counselling in Niagara

For appointments contact 905-353-5343 or email: kimberleygunning@yahoo.com

In January I will be accepting new clients in both my St Catharines and Niagara Falls office.

The month of January always seems to drag on, then comes February.  I constantly have to remind myself that I am Canadian and it is winter and we live in a place that is cold and snows.  It is ironic that we spend much of the winter months complaining about this fact and then summer will come and for those brief days we will then complain about the heat.

For me February, is a time of nesting and curling up to read a book. We know that spring is around the corner and we just need to be patient. Some of us associate spring with change, a time to refresh and do things a bit differently.

I admit for me that usually means trying to get outdoors more and revisit my meal planning ideas.  It is likely I will fill my Pinterest board with things I aspire to such as those beautiful mason jar salads to go. This year I have already set aside time to Marie Kondo my house so I can live a simpler life.  We’ll keep you posted on how that goes but for now it is a noble goal.

Change can be subtle or it can be big but making a positive change no matter how small is something wonderful. Approach it with some self compassion and see what you can do.  I have tackled one closet so far and if nothing more comes from this desire to tidy up my life, well at least I have one closet that is cleaner.

This month I have a special offer which I hope will help those who are thinking about engaging in change, make that first step.  Book a session with me and after our first appointment, you will get to choose one of my 3 current favourite books, to be delivered to your doorstep.  All you have to do is book that appointment, think about the change you want to make and then curl up with a book.

For Appointments: (844) 856-3263