Corona news
What a weird post-Corona world we live in right now: clear and strangely quiet skies filled with birdsong; people walking on the road to avoid getting too close to each other; lines outside shops as if we’re queuing for rations (eggs, anyone?); adult children coming back home to roost like disgruntled chickens (only emerging from the coop to forage for food). Shortages of basic commodities such as loo rolls and yeast (yeast?! Who used yeast pre-corona apart from a few die-hard bakers like me?!); a new familiarity with the acronyms ‘wfh’ and ‘PPE’…
How Corona is affecting us
Since Corona arrived here in March, so much has changed that we hardly recognise the way we lived our early 2020 lives. For us personally, the final year of university was cut abruptly short for two of our children- missing all their planned summer partying, not to mention graduation (though they continue to write final essays and attend lectures online). Our third child was just four days away from the significant milestone of moving into his own flat when it suddenly became clear that his bartending job would not continue.
My husband was anyway split between ‘wfh’ and working in Norway: we were making plans for the two of us to split our lives between both countries for a while- now he’s ‘wfh att’ (‘all the time’- another acronym I’ve learned recently – #middle-aged). Corona means we’re now back up to the full set of five at home. We’re very aware that this time with the children is a rather precious ‘last fling’ before they move to a more independent life.
I’ve had a few wobbles since lockdown- I’m missing family and friends SOOOO much- zoom calls just don’t cut it do they?! However I’ve noticed, once the initial anxieties settled down, that some people are actually managing their lives better than usual. It’s no surprise to me- my job is all about helping people simplify their lives (though not usually by way of a global pandemic!). Cut out travel time; leisure time; shopping time and there will of course be fewer distractions/ less choice (though managing social media is definitely a challenge).
What does a professional organiser do during Corona lockdown?
I’m not visiting clients ‘on site’ right now (though plan to start working in clients’ homes around mid-July). However I am staying in touch and supporting clients virtually. We focus on either decluttering or productivity; helping them to get things done in a distracting world of Zoom calls and news updates. I’m also delivering group online training to other professional organisers on ADHD- helping people understand ADHD better is something I really love doing!
Personally I’ve certainly got though a lot of things I’d been procrastinating over. We also decluttered most of our DVDs and I’ve really enjoyed giving our garden the time it needs! I’ve now started digitising our old photo albums; Next in line is organising the loft (I’ll definitely recruit the offspring to help with that!) Work-wise, I’ve also been exploring the use of Kanban. This is a Japanese productivity tool which seems inherently ADHD- friendly- in my experience if it works for people with ADHD it’s a good system! More about that in my next blog.
You might be interested in this free 10 day programme by Action for Happiness. It is based on the latest research from positive psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science.
What’s new with my Free Your Space service
At the moment I don’t feel comfortable working in homes (I think using masks really limits our communication). In the meantime, I’m successfully working with clients virtually, so do let me know if you want a telephone/ virtual consultation until in-home work is a viable option. We could talk about something you’ve already embarked on, or discuss kickstarting a decluttering or organising project. Frustration with the surroundings you can’t escape can have quite an impact on your sense of wellbeing. I’d really love to help you get your life and home more organised. I look forward to hearing from you and of course, I’m looking forward to working in homes again very soon…
