This year has brought a wave of challenges in every area of life – every person, business, and community has been affected.

Fatigue, frustration and anger are common and normal reactions to the upheavals we’ve experienced over these past few months. So yes, most of us are exhausted. And yet the demands to adapt, produce, and care for continue.

As we work on re-opening, re-building, and moving forward, we face the daunting, perhaps frustrating, even scary reality of interacting with people who may feel differently about how to proceed through this pandemic. It’s crucial to remember that we’re all coming from different places, and have different priorities.

Be clear on your needs and boundaries

We need to focus on what is within our power to do and change, and let go of what is not. So be clear on your needs and boundaries. Articulate these for yourself, and for those in your bubble. And respect the needs and boundaries of others. Public health is looking out for the greater good of the population, and I strongly recommend that everyone follow their recommendations at a minimum (updated here: covid-19.ontario.ca), but you are best equipped to set the priorities and boundaries that will serve you best within that framework. If you’re comfortable starting to expand your bubble, and perhaps go for that much needed haircut, go ahead. However, if you feel you’re not ready to open up as much as the government has suggested, that’s ok too. Be kind and patient with yourself and others. We’re all figuring this out as we go.

It’s a lot. It can feel like there’s no room for anything else.

We’re being asked to stay up to date with public health recommendations as we evaluate the effects of re-opening the city, and to attend to hand hygiene, physical distancing and proper mask use on an on-going basis, even as we navigate new and changing demands in our personal and professional lives. Not to mention everything else we may have already been dealing with before covid-19. It’s a lot. It can feel like there’s no room for anything else.

Whenever we’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, frustrated, exhausted – these are signals that there’s a need for self-care. With so much demanded of us, we absolutely need to take the time to recover and recharge. No battery, no engine, no person can function without adequate fuel.

It is not selfish.
It is not a luxury.
It is mandatory maintenance.

Build our collective resilience

An approach to life that emphasizes the importance of self-care and the cultivation of wellness will help build our collective resilience. Fostering a wellness first lifestyle is a kindness to yourself that enables you to give back to others and to pursue what matters most to you.

I am committed to doing this work for myself. I prioritize self-care so that I have the strength and resilience to do my work, and to support my loved ones. I am committed to honest self-reflection and self-development because I recognize the need to better myself so that I can constructively contribute to my community. I am committed to do my part to remove barriers to care, to dismantle racism, and eradicate transphobia and homophobia. I seek to centre the voices of people who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), and those in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities as I listen and learn, and I remain open to feedback on how I can better serve as an ally both personally and professionally.

And I do this work so that I can be here to support you in your journey to a stronger, healthier you.

Together, we will navigate the new and changing landscape of our world. We will break down patterns and habits that no longer serve. We will forge ahead to a future where our needs are met and our goals within reach. We will be dedicated to building our resources and nurturing resilience.

I look forward to seeing you in person as the transition to opening up progresses. I continue to offer both remote appointments, and sliding scale options. Let’s not let finances or pandemics get in the way of well-being. Book now or reach out by email: info@kristenmarknd.com