text: Creating the space to make changes in your life
  08 June 2020 by Karen Pearson News
  As we start to slowly return to the "normal" world, some of us are considering what the new normal is going to look like.
  Perhaps in lock down we have found or have been reminded of the important and beneficial aspects of our lives that we found challenging to do or find time for before lock down happened. Such as spending quality time talking with loved ones, cooking from scratch, exercising and spending quality time at home and in the garden.
  For me being in lockdown has brought lots of positives into my life which have been helping to off set some of the challenges of lockdown e.g., not being able to hug loved ones. Positives such as being able to have lunch every day with my partner as we both work from home at the moment, spending more time with my beautiful cat, bringing our houseplants back to a healthy place with more time to nurture them, quality virtual cups of tea with family and increasing my love for my garden, whether that's been learning to grow vegetables or just enjoying being still and listening to all the beautiful birds that bless us with their songs each and every day.
  All these things make my heart sing and I am making changes in my life to ensure I don't lose sight of these when we land ourselves in the new normal.
  You may find now that we are starting to move out of lockdown a sense of panic, anxiety or even loss, as you think about moving back into the life that you lived prior to this all happening.
  This maybe triggering you to think about making some changes. Changes such as looking at ways to travel less, work less or even a desire to change your job altogether.
  Whatever these changes are, it may be making you feel overwhelmed and even a little anxious as you perhaps are thinking you want to create more of the life you have had in lockdown as the new normal. This is totally understandable as life for me isn't meant to be driven by lots of hours of work, long commutes and no break days.
  The more we can make the space to gain the clarification on what we would really like to change at this transition point, the more we can make those changes happen before we get absorbed again with all the things we think we need or should do and not the things we love or want to do in life.
  I am a big advocate of creating that space for ourselves – that time to really think what is really happening here and what do I need at this moment in time to feel the best version of myself in this life. That time to really think but from a place of safety and not fear.
  The way I have created that in my life is to allow my mind to rest as much as I can , and not actually allow my mind to interfere too much in all of the decisions I need to make, and, as much as I can (we are human after all) tune in to what my heart is telling me.
  When we truly rest our minds, our ideas are created. We explore, we have a child like curiosity that allows us the courage to think perhaps I can do this in a different way.
  Perhaps you have experienced this when you have been on holiday, away from the norm, and whilst you are away and for a few days on your return you are full of new ideas and desires that you want to introduce into your life. This is because your mind has had time to rest, we become more creative.
  Even though it would be wonderful to go on holiday all the time, it may not be practical for most of us. So, it's really beneficial to be able to create that space we need for our minds to rest during our day to day lives.
  That's where meditation can really help. A regular practice can open you to new ideas and helps you get unstuck if you are feeling anxious or resistant to making changes. It creates a different perspective without having to physically move away from the norm or go on holiday.
  Developing creativity allows us to make or think about changes in our lives from a place of safety rather than a place of fear. It opens us up to explore and come from a non-judgemental place.
  When we are in a fearful state it leads us to believe we can't make these changes – "I'm never going to be able to change my hours so I can continue to spend quality time with my family".
  We shut down the exploration and self-enquiry we need that enables us to work out how we could make those changes, even if they are very small ones to start with. It hinders the curiosity to look at our lives with a new perspective, just playing with what life could be like with no limitations, no judging, no expectations – using our imaginations.
  Meditation creates this space within our normal lives. Try it and see. If you feel you need to make some changes but are thinking "its' not going to happen, or "I don't know where to start" – take 5 - 10mins out of your day somewhere quiet you can just sit and meditate.
  Try this guided meditation for creating calm and space within chaos
  After the meditation just get a piece of paper or your journal and list down any ideas or thoughts that arise. Maybe, as a starting point, use the time to ask yourself a question like – what does a happy life look like for me?
  I would love to hear how you get on with this and how creating some space creates some actions for you to take.
  Or, if you would like to explore this further and want to use this transition time to have a "spring clean" of your life, then get in touch for an initial chat to see how coaching may help you gain clarity and purpose on the changes you would like to make, and also receive a free action worksheet - info@pearsonchange.co.uk