The announcement of a third lockdown was another kick in the stomach but we won’t be down for long.
While 2020 has gradually extinguished our whirlwind social until we have no option but to stay at home, we have all been confronted with the harshest critics: ourselves.
Indeed, when deprived of our escape routes, trips, meet ups, after-work drinks, coffee breaks with our colleagues,... we find ourselves in a very quiet place.
In the face of emptiness, thoughts intermingle, the lack of connection deepens our loneliness and amplifies the smallest and biggest evils.
A job that was already stressful can become unbearable, a fragile relationship can shatter, a clumsy thought becomes an insult and we are all on edge.
To calm our fears and frustrations, everyone was hoping for a more clement climate for the new year to symbolise change and renewal and yet we are still in the same uncertainty.
Needless to say, our mental health continues to be tested, and yet life goes on! New companies or projects are born, we continue to create, to participate…
This is where I think one of the keys lies, "If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes. "said Andrew Carnegie.
When we invest in the achievement of something we care about, obstacles are no longer an end in themselves, they are part of the journey.
And the way we choose to contribute can also bring meaning to our lives while building self-esteem, a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
Just remember that today more than ever we must listen to ourselves and listen to ourselves is not just listening to our heads!
Listening to ourselves means understanding that our body, mind and soul do not act independently of each other. Together they create our identity and contribute to our well-being, so let's pay attention!
This also underlines the fact that one can act on the other; force a smile and you will send a signal to your brain to release endorphins (pleasure hormones).