How I am personally reacting to the lockdown and isolation? 

Interesting question! I would not naturally choose to write about this, my preference, as in any subject is to talk it through and why I love my job as a coach, therapist and supervisor.

Obviously in those roles I spend more time listening than I do talking but I am engaged and connected which is my fundamental need and desire. However I do enjoy time alone and have worked from home now for 25 years and for many of those years was a single parent to my two boys. During that time and before as a single child of parents in symbiosis, I learnt to be self sufficient and reliant, always pleasantly surprised (sometimes shocked) when I had an offer of help from friends which was often difficult to accept. I mainly paid for any help to support me through being a parent of young children with an independent practice.

I could not have known that this would lay the foundation for this bizarre time of lockdown. I coach myself through stressful situations by reminding myself of my experience so far and that I survived, it will usually be alright. Sometimes it works!

I know that exercise and not drinking wine are good for me and sometimes I get these the wrong way round! But on a good day when I am behaving, I play racket ball and have one to one yoga. Since I cannot play racket ball during lockdown, I have been going for short runs in close-by botanical gardens. Being overly exuberant at most things I usually hate running because I tire quickly and so I have tried to slow down with a mix of a slow jog and walking for short periods. I cannot say this has entirely paid off and that I now love running but at least I am doing it (in my husband’s running shoes and my woolly hat!!)

Yoga has been a revelation to me in recent years, which I had avoided because I did not wish to become my own stereotype as therapist/yogi! How deeply I shot myself in the foot when I tried yoga! Nobody had told me that it opens up your internal landscape into a state of readiness for reflection and awareness. I am now sold on yoga practice and, as well as keeping me connected with me, it has stopped arthritis in my toes developing and keeps the pain in my ageing back in check.

Like most of you I imagine I have been on fast-track of learning Zoom and Microsoft teams! I had begun to meet some people remotely already and am intrigued to learn the differences.

Views expressed in this article are the views of the writer and not necessarily the views of BACP. Publication does not imply endorsement of the writer’s views. Reasonable care has been taken to avoid errors but no liability will be accepted for any errors that may occur.