The Coronavirus lockdown quite literally forced the world to sit still. Whilst I really loved the calm and quiet afforded me by not having to leave my house, this wasn’t the case for everyone, and a number of my clients struggled without the daily distractions provided by the school run/commute/colleagues/gym/facials/coffees with friends etc. Whilst missing your connection with others is completely normal, learning to be comfortable in your own space without entertainment and diversions (cellphones, Netflix, social media) is very important.

If you found yourself struggling during the lockdown, why not take 10mins to do the following short exercise:

In a quiet spot where you can be uninterrupted for a few minutes, take the time to sit still without any distractions (no phones, no screens, no music) for just 5 minutes. You can close your eyes if you prefer, but just sit still and breathe.

When you are done, think about and jot down your answers to the following questions:

• How did that feel?
• What thoughts came up for me?
• What was uncomfortable?
• What felt good?

Take some time to read through and reflect on your answers. How uncomfortable is quiet time for you? Why do you think it’s so difficult? Was there any part of the practice that felt good? Perhaps you’d like to sit in stillness more often – if so, what are you going to do? How often?

Taking time out to simply centre yourself and catch you breath for five minutes is a really important step in helping you to keep perspective and stay calm and sane in the daily busyness of our lives. As we head out of lockdown and get back into our old ways of rushing and overscheduling, try and schedule just a few minutes to go back into that Lockdown quiet.  It might be before everyone in the house is awake or after they’re all asleep or you could even hide in the bathroom at work for a short break – just make the time to sit still. Because if you’re finding it hard to sit quietly and be alone in your own company for 5 minutes that might be precisely what you need.