As well as being a personal stylist, I am a qualified personal development and neurodiversity coach (bit of a mouthful, eh?). Basically, I work freelance with companies to help support the development and wellbeing of their staff.
In light of the crazy circumstances we find ourselves in it doesn’t feel quite right to do a fashion blog right now, so here are 5 coaching strategies you might find useful instead....
1. Turn off your phone:
We are receiving a huge amount of information online and that can become overwhelming. Yesterday I turned off my phone for most of the day as I hadn’t slept well and I needed a break, it really helped reduce my anxiety. Another option is to have set times to check in on the news, social media etc, for example 10mins in the morning and 10mins in the evening.
2. Keep a routine/structure:
If you are working from home and/or home-schooling, having a good routine can really benefit our wellbeing. Try going to bed and getting up at the same time, get washed and get dressed and have a plan for the day, even just a loose one. There are lots of fantastic tools for planning, organisation and time management online, one of my favourites is the Mark Forster Autofocus method (google ‘autofocus time management’ or message me if you want to know more).
3. Exercise:
Even indoors there are ways to build in exercise which will benefit your physical and mental health. I try to do a short workout session at the beginning of the day 3/4 times a week. My personal preference are Jillian Michaels 20 min workouts , but there are many options available on DVD or online. My two sons and I have been taking part in Joe Wicks daily morning PE sessions at 9am or using GoNooodle online dance routines, which my eldest loves! If you are interested in getting involved just follow Joe Wicks YouTube channel.
4. Journal:
I am journaling daily at the moment for two reasons, firstly to help process my anxious thoughts and secondly as a record of this unique experience that my youngest probably won’t remember. Journaling if you wake in the night is a great way of ‘dumping’ out your thoughts, helping you to avoid ruminating and return to sleep.
5. Circle of control:
So much at the moment seems beyond our control, but so much is still within our control, and identifying those things can be very empowering. For example, we can’t control if our dinner plans with friends are cancelled because the restaurant is closed, but we can set up a group face time for our friends to still be together, virtually. How grateful I am to still be able to communicate with the people I love at this time.
Stay safe,
Natalie x