Sat crouched on my home stairwell, I hold my phone up to my face as I confidently deliver a speech on wellbeing to an international health conference, it’s the only space I could find whilst entertaining two children at home in Lockdown and whilst it’s not ideal, I am more comfortable here than I would be walking to my local shops.

As a natural introvert who manages anxiety, there are parts of Lockdown I have excelled in such as avoiding a busy social calendar, crowded places and open plan offices. Feelings of isolation are normal to me as I am often in my own Sophie’s World, with a “creatively crazy” head. Lockdown has at times been excruciatingly lonely with the enforcement of it, but for someone who gets overwhelmed by verbal and non-verbal noise, I have become too comfortable in my own company. Plus, social distancing from vampires (negative people) has been a perfect excuse to reduce my contact with the outside world and allow my largely optimistic bubble to be shielded. And whilst there is rightly a flurry of excitement around the easing of measures, I, like some of the population, felt anxious about returning back to daily life and socialising.

Whether you experience full blown social anxiety (and need professional help) or you’re feeling unconfident about returning to life as it was, there are some steps you can take to make the process feel less debilitating and we can actually use it as a great opportunity to choose the best version of ourselves rather than return to past behaviours that didn’t serve us well.

Briefly reflect, don’t dwell on your pre-Pandemic life, what were you doing that was aligned with your core values and positively impacted your life? What didn’t serve you? Were you too busy being busy and feeling lost?
Manifesting, which utilises quantum physics theories, follows the principle that what you want to feel and experience can become a reality via your thoughts, actions, beliefs, and emotions.

Leeds Quantum Coach Emily Winn-Khan, said:

Our thoughts create an energy which create our reality.
Use this time to intentionally align the best version of yourself in the future.
Our thoughts and feelings create an energetic vibration.
We’re choosing to manifest what we desire rather than unhelpful thoughts.

She added that we can choose the best version of ourselves and ask, what part of our life has resonated with the person that would live your truth?

For us, we can now choose what we want to return to and how we want things to look differently. This isn’t about staying in our comfort zones, it’s the opposite. How are we going to assert ourselves so that we can recover and transform our lives for the better?

So, for me, preparation has been a key part of allaying any anxieties about a return to the ‘new normal.’ It’s all well and good to push ourselves but sometimes I over exert myself by not giving myself time to restore. Other self-help ways to reduce worries are: mindful anchoring techniques, scheduling a gradual return to activities and, breaking down our weekly plan so that we build in time for all our core needs such as relaxation, connection, movement, contribution and personal development.

Most of all, try not to compare yourself to others, focus on taking action in your own life.

Comparing yourself to others will only undermine your confidence and self-belief. A difficult habit to break, especially with social media giving us no shortage of opportunities to measure ourselves.

says Life Coach Ina Messer.

You could easily look at my life online through rose tinted glasses, for example, and see me at home, speaking to millions worldwide with a clean white backdrop. But do you really hear the kids fighting in the background? Do you see the fact I am crouched on my staircase for some clean space to film? So, do you really know what’s going on in my life? Granted, I feel fortunate these days because the more I manifest (thoughts = actions) the more I receive the life I aspire to live, all whilst taking these practical self-care measures.

As airy fairy as that may sound, whatever your own beliefs, we can try utilising this time to explore our own mental, emotional, social, intellectual and physical wellness needs, choose our main challenges to overcome and move into this next period, to begin to live our best lives. Our hurdles can be our stepping stones to success.

Read more from Sophie on her mindset and mental health blog: https://www.mamamei.co.uk/ and her professional work at https://evokemediagroup.co.uk/