Tomorrow I’m off on a “mini-break” with my daughter Lottie for a few days R&R. It’s a celebration of her completing her GCSEs and some much needed “down-time” for me, although I can’t claim it’s the need for sunshine as we are experiencing a rather hot spell here in the UK at the moment!
I could be sunning myself in “Costa-Del-Back-Garden/Yard” truth-be-known without the need for a silly-o-clock alarm bell to head to Gatwich South Airport (who? who would book a 7.15 am flight from Gatwick South without considering the commute time to get their for check in?!!). However, I’m looking forward to the use of a pool and spending precious time with my daughter (oh! and working my way through the cocktail menu of course!).
As many of you know if you follow our social media activity over on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin, Monday is our designed mental health awareness day here at Your Excellency HQ. The team check in with each other on how we are – how we really are ….we promote our Mental Health First Aid training delivered by our Associate Trainer, Alice Scutchey, and we invite you all to share how you too are feeling.
Combining holidays and mental health awareness, I am remided of my musings back in 2015 when I was on holiday in Antigua, fully recovered from a depressive episode in late 2013/early 2014 and reflecting on life. It’s important that we learn from our yesterdays, live for today and plan for tomorrow don’t you think? In roles where are support and look after others (our Executives, our family, our friends, our team members and pets even!), it’s crucial that we look after ourselves and we manage our energy (which I share learning on here).
I’m sure many of you will connect with my message and sentiment.
December 2015 : Antigua, WI
I’m fortunate to be writing this from the comfort of my poolside sun lounger, glass of champagne in hand. The sun had started it’s dip behind the Caribbean terrace and I’m watching my daughter choreograph her own swirly dance in the pool whilst exclaiming at the mini silver whirlpools she’s creating around her with the remaining sun’s rays.
‘Look mummy – the water is sparkly in the sunlight!’.
I match her enthusiasm with eyes and a smile wide with magic to encourage her dance. Indeed, the world is sparkly in the diminishing sun’s rays – vibrant green, blue and bougainvillea pink.
My breathing has dipped a tempo and I’ve relaxed into the Antiguan pace of walking, moving and, truth be known, thinking. I’ve had sauntering time to spend ‘in my head’. In a small attic room painted white with low dark wooden beams strewn with small white fairy lights, I’ve sorted through the neat piles of folded silken-sari parcels.
Memories and thoughts are now ready to be stored in the waiting 2015 treasure chest.
I’ve explored the attic of memories reached via a small 3 step wooden staircase at the corner of the room. Housed in dusty teachests, sturdy and nostalgic with lids that needed to be prised open with determined force, I have taken stock of memories from the tea chests labelled 2013 and 2014. I’ve held and relived the memories. I’ve caught my breathe, focused my breathing and then I’ve carefully refolded the parcels to fit neatly again in the chests.
2015.
A healing year.
A restorative year when I’ve regained my balance, my equilibrium and learned that feeling well, getting out of bed in the morning with a sense of excited anticipation of what the day will hold is a ‘normality’, but one I will never again take for granted. I read something that resonated with me – ‘depressed is about deep rest’ and I’m now truly awake from that deep rest with strength and a new vision.
I’ve learned that I need to put myself first before others, to ensure my own happiness and wellbeing before nurturing others, that the energy and enthusiasm I have can be shared with others as long as I retain a concentrated swirl for myself.
I need to distance myself from those who drain me of energy and put up my ‘shield’ when the visible spikes of negative energy dart towards my heart from situations around me.
It is huge learning for me that I am so connected, that I am an integral part of the energy and vibrations around me and there is still so much to be learned.
I take the sparkly silver whirlpools around my daughter and capture them in a snapshot of whirling energy in the final layer of packaging in 2015’s treasure chest.
2016s treasure chest is open and I’m ready to fill it to the brim.
