Imagine the impossible

10 weeks ago, the Coronavirus Pandemic flipped all our lives upside down. We have had to adapt to a situation, that even at the start of March 2020, seemed unimaginable. Whilst our ancestors thought that travelling across the world in mere hours was impossible, at the start of 2020 who would have thought it possible that they furthest we’d be travelling was to our local Co-op.

We fret about decisions that three months ago may have seemed trivial to us. It is a time of enormous stress and sacrifice. Of course our lives have become filled with worry and anxiety - fear for our health, and that of our loved ones. We worry about the future for our children, the health of our older relatives, the quality of life of our most vulnerable people. Yet who would have thought that a 100 year old man would capture the hearts of the nation and raise so many millions of pounds for the NHS.

All of us are also experiencing new ways of working. Furloughed employees may be finding new ways of not working. The routines we had developed over decades have gone. Our self identity has shifted. Being furloughed has given many the opportunity to have a break after years of constant employment. Working from home may have saved many of us from a gruelling commute, but in turn presents its own challenges. 

If you feel discombobulated, you are not alone. One moment you may be feeling anxious about the health of your family and the next you are enjoying the birds singing when you go on your daily walk. 

Do you find yourself sneaking a peek at the Guardian job pages, whilst you're online genning up on the latest guidance on lockdown rules? Looking to see what jobs are available is a reassuring way to deal with your anxiety about the future. Using your time to explore roles that you don’t necessarily want right now, can help identify what you are attracted to and conversely  what doesn’t float your boat.

If you find opportunities that you’d love to pursue, but believe they are an impossible dream… remember you are currently living the impossible and evidently highly adaptable! 

Are you enjoying the opportunity to grow veg and to get creative? The government’s current guidelines are to stay at home as much as possible. Using your downtime for nurturing and growth - whether it’s carrots or your artistic aspirations, helps us to focus on a positive future, and gives us a break from our fears and anxieties about the new normal.

This break from our old reality can be seen as a positive opportunity to affect positive changes. 

The start of lockdown seemed to inspire a universal instinct to clear out cupboards, and reorganise our shelves. During the Great British Clear Out of 2020, some relics from our lives were gleefully tossed away - others were rediscovered, dusted down, and given a renewed importance. Old photos reconnected us to our old school friends. Memories of a different time were shared across social media with people we haven’t really spoken to in decades. 

From this reconnection with our past, as we sit and wait to see what happens next, we are being given an opportunity to reflect on what we are actually passionate about. Review the parts of our lives we want to nurture. Consider the skills we have always wished to grow. We can take time to recognise and appreciate the strong roots we have under us, that are currently providing the stability to weather this unique storm.

We can also seize the chance to think about what new branches we want to grow, which would be better to cut away. We can take a little time to envisage the direction we wish our life to take, and look forward to a time when we can bloom again. 

So, dare to imagine the impossible. You just might just find you can actually turn it into the  possible.