This is not the first time I have had to isolate... We've got this!

As days go by, I am feeling like in some way I am reliving my isolation history. Yes, I have a history of isolation…!!

During my treatment for leukaemia, I was pretty much kept in a bubble for 6 months, which was then followed by 100 days at home after my bone marrow transplant. 

At that time, the thought of isolating was super tough, especially as majority of the time I was away from my children. But I knew I had to stay strong as this was for the benefit of my health, and the ability to be back with my family. It wasn’t easy. Some days I cried, screamed and pleaded with the doctors to let me go home. I would try to convince my husband that a short trip to the supermarket wouldn’t be harmful… I wasn’t contagious, but I had no immune system and if I did pick anything up, it could really be consequential for me.

The only way through was to take back some control… I set goals – made myself targets for each day. Taking steps to make sure I was strong, sane and most importantly, working towards getting better. 

Getting up at the same time every day, making sure I brushed my teeth 5+ times a day to lessen my risk of any mouth infections, drinking 2.5L of water, exercising every day… And although I really lacked energy in the hospital, I made sure I showered every day. All for my future-self.

This idea of looking after your “future-self” has always been a big one for me – I talk about it with my mentor every time I meet with her. And it now transfers to my business in that we look to help candidates with their careers for the now and the future.

Now, I am finding myself in a similar situation of self-isolation where I have had to put actions in place to be able to structure my day, as well as my children’s day now that they are home from school. 

So, this is not my first time in isolation… And why am I sharing this with you? Because being stuck inside and isolating yourself from everyone and everything around you really does SUCK at times. And it is not an easy thing to do. It is draining, it is stressful, it is boring at times and it is sure as heck, really tough.

Change, no matter how challenging or devastating it may be, doesn’t have to define you. You get to make that decision. I, myself, have had to make some tough decisions over the past couple of weeks as well so I get it.

The secret to handling change and even uncertainty, is to focus on progress. And if you feel like you aren’t making any progress, make a conscious effort to recognise this and change it. If you can make a small amount of progress on a regular basis, you will feel more alive, more motivated and more like you have a sense of purpose. Now, you may be thinking that this is easier said than done… And you are probably right. But when you are trapped in an emotional mindset, it’s hard to come to terms with, and make sense of, what is happening around you, let alone putting in place actions / steps that you can take to move yourself forward. But by following these progressions, you can bring an element of structure into a chaotic time and start to move forward on what is next for you.

In my last blog on certainty, I spoke about waking up each day being grateful for the little things. I want to encourage you to do the same. When something like this pandemic is so prevalent around us, you can’t help but let that consume your mind… Right now, I want you to think of 3 things you are grateful for. They could be so simple – see mine below:

1. I am grateful for having such a supportive team that are with me in trenches helping our business through this tough time.
2. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with my loved ones.
3. I am grateful that I finally have the time to work on the business and ensure we have the structure to bounce back quickly. 

Your turn… write them down! And please feel free to share if you are comfortable – I’d love to hear. We are all in this together ??