Summer 2020
Lassitude
Summer forecast: Uncertainty
With bored young adults back in pubs, loose controls at airports and borders, confusion around the meaning of ‘essential’, a permanently pressurised health system with deepening backlogs, and a scramble to get schools ready for socially distanced learning, there is continuing uncertainty.
Are we nearly there yet?
Control manages uncertainty, doesn’t it?
A step at a time..
Decide what you most need now.There hasn’t been much time in recent months to really consider how you are, or what you might need. You have been firefighting and managing through chaos. People forced out of work may have had time to rest or try new things, but those keeping their businesses running are working harder and longer than ever. The release valves of the gym, time with friends, weekend breaks, have all been closed off. What do you really need now, and how can you get it? If you’re not getting away from home over the next few weeks, are there any elements of a holiday you can give yourself – a lie-in, reading a bestseller, having special meals, going for a pint (in a planned way!), meeting friends and talking about how things really are? Decide what you need and find how you can give it to yourself, even in small parts.
Put your oxygen mask on first. To be able to lead with optimism, compassion and pragmatism, you need to first find them within, and for, yourself. Know what you have achieved. Give yourself what you need. Be kind to yourself. You may need to come off the road for a bit, to give yourself a break, before resuming the journey.