How Will You Pivot in Today’s Post-Lockdown Reality?

Uncategorized Aug 04, 2021

Remember this hilarious scene from Friends, when Ross, Rachel and Chandler try to squeeze a huge sofa into an elevator? According to Ross, it was all about ‘the pivot’. All these years later, that’s the buzzword on everyone’s lips: Since the pandemic hit, we’re all thinking and talking about the new normal, life after lockdown and ….pivoting.

But what’s the best way to pivot when you want to make small or big changes?

Heading into any next phase starts with these steps to action:

REFLECT

What did you learn over the past year?
How have these key learnings changed you?
What was the best investment you made in yourself?
New hobbies? New skills? New connections? Re-connections?
What are you grateful for?
What emotions are you feeling about life after lockdown?

PREPARE

Choose to return to work, return to conferences, return to the gym, return to social connections in a way that makes you feel safe and comfortable.
Meet yourself where you are, on your own time and at your own pace. Honor what you are feeling.
Ease back in with hybrid work arrangements between home and office.
Explore hybrid conferences that offer an in-person and virtual option.
Pick and choose social connections that work for you. I returned to dance in vaccinated salsa and west coast swing dance communities. For the first few weeks, all dancers had to wear masks. However, once the CDC removed the mask mandate, masks have become optional. Some dancers were masked, but the majority were not. With the Delta variant concerns, dancers are now masking up again.

SET BOUNDARIES

Know and maintain your own set of boundaries.
Don’t feel pressure to be close to others if you’re not ready or comfortable.
If you connected or disconnected with people during quarantine, don’t feel forced to go back to those relationships.
Where masking is optional, pick and choose where and when you want to wear a mask.
Maintaining social distance or mask-wearing isn’t disrespectful. It’s about staying within your comfort zone.
Respect others’ opinions and views about post-quarantine conduct and don’t try and convince them to share your values. Often, when people are insecure about their values and feelings, they try to convince others that they are right to defend their egos.
Be compassionate; we’ve all been through a lot over the past 18 months.

SET PRIORITIES

Lockdown has helped you discover many new things: gratitude, worth, meaning, how you wish to spend your time and with whom.
Embody this gratitude wherever you are on the path you are creating.
Decide how to create the life you want to live.
Setting priorities sets your starting point for your journey.

DETERMINE YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLES

Making your health and well-being a top priority will help you accomplish other goals, too. The best way to promote your self-care is with:

Healthy eating
Sleep hygiene
Regular exercise
Mindfulness and meditation

In this post-lockdown time, take care of yourself by honoring yourself and your health. When you take care of yourself, you will be better able to take care of others. Remember that airplane analogy: Put your oxygen mast on first before assisting someone else.

FIND WELLNESS AND BALANCE

You’re not alone on this journey! Adjusting to post-lockdown life doesn’t have to be difficult. I have a complete library of EAT/SLEEP/MOVE/BREATHE wellness breaks and video classes to help your conference attendees and your team develop healthy habits.

Have a 30-minute slot in your virtual or hybrid conference program? Book me for a wellness or movement break to keep your attendees engaged, energized and ready to absorb more content in upcoming sessions. I also have a pre-recorded option available.

Looking for a virtual wellness speaker to round out your programming? Have a look at my “Finding Wellness and Balance - Life After Lockdown” keynote, breakout or workplace lunch & learn session. It’s guaranteed to get your audience out of their chairs and moving with yoga, desk exercises and some mindfulness practice strategies. Plus participants will leave with a self-care survival kit packed with tips to easily integrate wellness into their busy workdays.

Find out the various ways I can help make your conference a success, or book a call with me HERE.

AND PS: FRESH OFF THE PRESS NEWS FOR MPI MEMBERS, my Byte-Size Wellness Academy / Virtual Wellness Lounge is now available FREE of charge for personal use - online self-care program to help you take care of yourself so that you can better take care of clients and conference attendees.

Click and read HERE.

Be well,