SEE OUR TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU GET BACK INTO GEAR & CLEAR THAT LOCKDOWN BRAIN FOG FOR GOOD
Did you plan to achieve a lot over lockdown, such as clean out the cupboards, do an online course, learn a language, but found your clarity, focus and motivation wane? If so, you may have experienced ‘Lockdown Brain Fog’.
As restrictions slowly ease, we asked our Mindset Coach, Sarah Taylor, for her top tips on how you can get back into your groove as you navigate your way towards your new normal.
Said Sarah, “The most common theme has definitely been a sense of overwhelm. Whether adapting to working from home, managing kids’ schooling, supporting vulnerable family members and more, our daily routines and structure of life have been turned upside down.”
“I have also witnessed a general sense of disempowerment. With our choices and indeed our freedoms stripped away overnight, this has created a state of inaction and paralysis, with an underlying sense of ‘I don’t know what to do next’. The result has been this ‘lockdown brain fog’ that so many people talk about.”
Here are some of my top tips for getting your brain back into gear, moving from reactive to proactive:
Tip 1
Trying to achieve too much at once reinforces this sense of overwhelm. So, write a to-do list and choose just three of your tasks to achieve each day. This way you’re providing some structure and setting yourself up to achieve some of your goals – rather than feeling a sense of failure because you didn’t / couldn’t achieve them all. These can be really small steps, just simple, basic things – playing a game with the children, sorting the washing, finishing that piece of work, making that phone call. AND don’t beat yourself up if you don’t manage to achieve them…these small steps are moving you in the right direction!
Tip 2
Mono task rather than multi-task!! We’re all guilty of trying to do 10 things at once, ie home schooling the kid whilst simultaneously writing a work email and scheduling our next Zoom call. But when we have too much going on at once we lose focus and subsequently our productivity too.
Tip 3
Batch certain tasks together and assign a specific time to deal with them. For instance, responding to emails and messages, doing housework, home schooling the children.
Tip 4
When you receive emails and messages, set an auto response to inform the sender you have received their message and will get back to them soon. This way you know they are not expecting an instant reply and you can respond at a time that you have set aside for this particular task.
Tip 5
Use voice notes rather than email or use a voice recorder you can attach to an email. This saves lots of time typing out long messages.
Tip 6
Now we can move in bubbles, see how you can draw on external support. Can you share the kids schooling with a family member or a fellow mum? Now is the time to create a new routine that will better support your needs. If you are able to carve out a little bit of time to help yourself every day (whether it’s 30 minutes or 3 hours) it will help you to move you forward and be a little bit more productive.
Tip 7
Rather than setting long term goals, try to keep your goals more present moment as we learn to navigate our new normal. The problem is now so deal with now. Of course, it’s great to have goals so maybe journal your ideas until things are more settled.
Tip 8
If you are working from home, design an environment for success. Even if you are working from the kitchen table, have a box with everything you need in it. If kids are at one end of the table, make it more formal so you have your specified space to work. This also helps to create a sense of organisation as well as separation between your home and work life.
Tip 9
Make time for self-care!! While we have all been living in this more reactive mindset, now is the time to reclaim some time to nurture yourself internally, doing something that you love and that helps you to relax. This will help you better manage stress and uncertainty going forward.
Tip 10
Try activities that help to stimulate positive thinking and / or help you release pent up emotions such as the following:
- Breathwork
- Meditation
- Hypnosis
- Affirmations
- Laughter
- Gratitude journaling
- Painting and drawing
- Dancing / singing
- Breaking state – get out into nature!
A positive mindset allows you to handle situations far better, and this includes the ups and the downs.
Sarah is set to run a series of productivity workshops through July. She also offers 1:1 consultations to help her clients find clarity and achieve their goals. For more information or to book, please contact Sarah@seedwellness.co.uk / 07725 224698.
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