It’s Simone on FaceTime
it’s JB’s voice message on Whatsapp
it’s my clients on Zoom
it’s the women at the Athena network meeting:

“I’m low. I find it hard. I feel down right now.”

Yes. It’s bloody hard this time around. 
Everybody tells so.

Are you feeling this way too?

I do. I find it hard. 

While journalling at my desk on 750words.com yesterday, with my SAD lamp (not to be confused with an unhappy lamp, read PS👇)  switched on next to me and my Spotify binaural beats playlist on my ears, I thought of you. Perhaps I can help sharing a few tips to tackle this emergency.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL A&E:

“A” is not for accident! In your personal emergency room,  “A” stands for ACCEPTANCE. 
“E” is for EFFORT.


A = ACCEPTANCE

Are you  Type 1  or  Type 2? 

— Type 1—
Can you accept that you’re feeling down, or even miserable?

Your friends (or partner) are telling you: ‘Don’t feel sad… there’re people dying right now. Think how lucky you are!”

Are they really? Well… don’t listen to them! 

We’re not bad-people because we feel down.
Let’s give the right to this feeling-low to exist. When we stop resisting it, chances are that it may feel ready to leave (it just needs some acknowledgments after all).

(Just to be clear: of course we’re lucky. And we’re better be grateful for having a home, food, coffee and chocolate spread.)

— Type 2 —
Do you think it’s your fault that you feel down?
Well, I have news for you: IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT! 

The way you feel is not an opinion, it’s not wrong. It’s just a fact. 
This is how you feel right now. Say it out loud: ‘Right now, it’s hard for me!!!‘. 
Good. Now it’s clear.

Everybody feels like this sometimes. Especially now. Feeling down is part of the being-human experience.  Nobody is happy all the time (👈Instagram lover? think.).

Whether you’re ‘Type 1‘ or ‘Type 2‘: STOP RESISTING IT! Let this sadness be, acknowledge it.
Acceptance is non-denial. 

E= EFFORT
More on E next week. It takes about 3 years to become a A&E nurse, let’s give us at least 1 week to become a self-A&E-nurturer.

Do you think you’ll try to accept and acknowledge your mood?
If you give it a go, will you let me know what happens?

To a life to enjoy,
Laura



PS: About that SAD lamp. It’s a very happy lamp, which simulates sun light. I don’t know whether is good or not, but I bought one and I like using it. It lifts my mood and I feel more motivated. I’m a lizardy Italian (= I crave sunshine) born in a snowy Tuesday morning in January. Winter is good and I love it, but the grey sky is hard to bear. I need sunlight