This year has proved to be the most challenging year that almost all of us have ever had to face.

And it has forced us to spend quite a lot of time on our own, internally dwelling on things perhaps we normally wouldn’t in a common fast paced world.

Here in Melbourne, were facing some of the harshest lockdowns around the world. Now I know there are some other countries out there, doing it much tougher than we are, so I’m not here to negate that fact. But it does have a significant impact on the mental state of almost 5 million individuals that call this place home.

We are limited to leaving the confines of our homes, and being told where we can go, when we can go, why we can go, and how/with who. We have lived like this for almost 6 months now, and the road map to our freedom is set to trigger numbers, that can seem almost unobtainable. Giving us a sense of a bleak immediate future, with what feels like no end in sight.

Outlets/coping mechanisms of what used to work, don’t anymore. Or they simply aren’t available with the restrictions in place for our current “COVID-Safe” life.

We are forced to live alternatively to our norm, in which has a cause/effect reaction to our thought processes to.

So, if we aren’t living how we would normally, shouldn’t we be adapting our thought processes to?

Intuition.

It’s an indescribable instinctual feeling that is formed by a composition of our moral compass, past experiences, better judgement, and upbringing. It usually serves to protect us, or others from harm, uncomfortable situations, or even subconscious danger, in any form that may present.

It can be overwhelming, confronting, and even crippling if left unacknowledged.

Right now, perhaps more than ever, the times have tested us. Tested our strength, our resistance, our relationships, our compassion, and ultimately tested our mental processing capacity.

It’s been one thing after the other. And with no sight of reprieve on the horizon, you must retain your trust in yourself. And that is where your intuition may be your saving grace.

Intuition can manifest in several ways, and we generally refer to it as a ‘Gut Instinct’. 

The most common in my experience (especially as of late) is that of anxiety.

Inexplicable heart palpitations and overwhelming flushes of deep sinking chest pain really highlight the potential physical pain that anxiety can create.

Having been already overwhelmed mentally during this time, it’s quite difficult to mentally decipher your emotions. Are they coming from a real place? Are they circumstantial to the current challenges? (ie. Lockdown). Which is why the clearest answer you may find, is your intuition.

When dealing with anxiety that is formed from going against your instinctual feelings, I’ve found the best coping mechanism, is to be with yourself. Listen to what your gut is trying to tell you. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. And it’s up to you, to change that circumstance, to release it. Whether that be difficult conversations, endings of relationships, or even leaving a workplace.

However painful that task may be, it’s the only way to be able to move forward with peace, and to let go of the crippling anxiety that comes with the circumstance.

We are all trying so hard to just survive during these times. None of us are truly thriving. So cut yourself some slack. And DO NOT feel guilty for putting your needs above anyone else’s right now. Afterall, you are the only person who is with you for life, so look after them first.

Be kind, but be kinder to yourself!

#natsperspective