Hi folks,
I’m not sure that I can say anything more about Covid- 19 and the plight we find ourselves in. I guess I just wanted to check in on everybody and wish you all good health in this weirdest of times. Staying safe is my family’s priority and I’m sure yours also and thankfully we have been lucky so far…
Staying sane!
Filling my days with routine is not just my next priority but also a necessity for my headspace. Getting up at the normal time(ish!) and heading into my home office helps keep me on track. Cranking up my laptop and engaging with humans is next on my list whether answering emails, doing some on line courses or completing work which has been put on the long finger. I have enrolled on several online courses and have a number of webinars scheduled for next week. I punctuate the day with walk(s) and gardening which also keep me sane and mobile and…. the garden’s coming on too!
Unemployed but active…
It’s also the first time in almost 40 years that I have been essentially partially unemployed…. I am one of the lucky ones however, I can weather this storm for a few months but it’s not so easy for those who can’t regardless of the industry.
On the positive side, it has given me the opportunity to reflect, to engage and to be educated so that’s a good thing! Not sure if I would recommend the onset of a pandemic to facilitate this however, it has certainly challenged me to remain positive and focused on better times ahead.
When doing some research recently for a course I am writing, I came across an old Mexican proverb and I have adopted this as my mantra.
So I am making firewood and like most, clinging on to the positives and turning my thoughts to better times when we are back out on the fairways and greens and where we can resume our social friendships.
The Bonding Drug
You may have heard me speak in the past about brain chemicals (serotonin & dopamine) and how they influence our emotions on the golf course and how they can help to improve performance. But not everyone plays golf solely for performance reasons, many play for the social interaction that comes with the sport. Without “social interaction” as Bruce D Perry in his book “Born for love” we are at risk of contracting as he calls it “Failure to thrive” syndrome”, almost as bad as covid!
We know that doing things with others, whether playing golf or singing in a choir makes us joyful and this helps the brain release another chemical, oxytocin. This is called the “bonding drug” which makes us feel closer and more empathetic with others, something we need plenty of today.
Communicating… from a distance
Make use of whatever means of communication you can, I guess everyone is using skype and zoom to stay in touch with friends and family. If you are not familiar with either, shoot me a mail and I can help you set these up (although I am no IT expert!). I am getting better however.
I will be ready to deliver my first online course on Building Resilience to the industry next week and then I will be designing and delivering some golf specific tutorials so I will let you know about those in the near future.
Let me leave you with my 3 top tips for staying sane throughout this pandemic
-
- Stick to a routine as best you can
- Engage with others and educate yourself, it’s never too late!
- Take some exercise- whether it’s a walk, a workout or gardening
In the meantime, let me know how you are coping with life away from the golf course and your golfing pals. Happy to answer any golf queries you may have also so just drop me a mail, I’d love to hear from you 😊
Fanacht sábháilte
Gillian.