“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves”
Stop!
For some extroverts like myself, we thrive off the energy of others. So I am sure that you can imagine for a performer like me, by not having my daily top-up of people interaction, it makes my self esteem pot feel very low.
Before you read on, don't worry. I am ok. I have coped and I am adapting to this temporary lifestyle by putting my creative energy into projects such as my magic videos, live Q&A's and some very SECRET projects!
But as it is Mental Health Awareness Week, I wanted to share with you some of my recent experiences and I hope that from this short read it may inspire you to focus on your own wellness.
Breathe…
As an entertainer I’m constantly thinking about using my energy to help others by entertaining and bringing a smile to make people feel great. During this really strange time I have realised that it’s not often that I stop, relax and spend time on myself.
Like others, 2020 was gearing up to be THE YEAR for me: A new chapter in life with a new business venture and of course the most important reason, marrying my best friend at the end of this year.
Due to that dreaded C word however, I like so many of my peers in my industry, have no performances & no-one to perform to. The April to July diary basically vanished over night and my future success seemed to magically disappear ! (Pardon the pun!) I have to be honest, at first I found it very difficult to adapt to this new rhythm of uncertainty and as they say, I was running around fire-fighting my problems like a headless chicken.
“I had gotten to a point where I was just frustrated on a daily basis as I wasn’t seeing any clarity of the future and I wasn’t having much success. Success had basically dried up over night!”
Now I know what you are probably thinking. “Ok Ricky, let me play the world’s smallest violin for you!” I appreciate there are probably so many others in a far worse position than me, but, we are in strange and difficult times and the isolation certainly has made me stop and think about myself. If I can’t currently spend my energy on others by entertaining them, where can I spend it?
I am sure we have all had good days, great days, bad days and down days, and after a few very down days, I came to a realisation of something that works really well to help with improving my own wellness.
The first thing to understand is, this is such an unprecedented time and it is ok to not feel okay, but it's important to take some time-out to focus on yourself.
Go For A Walk…
During the start of the lockdown, productivity was always on my mind. How do I make sure I am still delivering exceptional service, running the business the best way and doing what is required to be a successful magician? The problem was the goal-posts are constantly being moved and there is no rules of engagement in this new world.
All I could think was, ‘I have to keep ploughing ahead and justify myself during this time’. So I went full steam ahead running the business the way I knew best, but as i said the success wasn’t coming through and so eventually, I started to slip down that old adversary called the spiral of negativity.
I was scratching my head daily, trying to understand, what’s next and what does the next couple of months look like?
It wasn’t until a good friend said, “STOP, have a break and go for a walk!”
When I was first told this, I thought. ‘Are you silly, I can’t stop now. I’ve got couples and clients with postponements to deal with, if I stop right now the business will certainly not run itself. I have to make sure my business will still survive. I have too much to deal with right now and I have to keep working, right?’
Actually Ricky, you don’t…
It turns out that taking regular short breaks are actually good for productivity. So I want to encourage you to : Go for a walk and get some fresh air!
Once I decided to actually stop running around like a headless chicken and cease procrastinating on how my business will cope during this difficult time, I diverted my energy into myself and I actually found that taking a break was very good for my mental health.
I left all my distractions at home and instead, I focused on myself and I went for a walk. You know what? I I suddenly felt a surge of relaxation and productivity!
Now, the past few weeks has made me feel really grateful for where I live. I take a few walks each week with my fiance and I leave my phone behind to ensure no distractions. It really is amazing what is outside your front door, when you stop, breathe and take it all in.
It’s proven that a brisk walk can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as much as running, according to studies by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratoy.
During this time it can feel very overwhelming working from home or running a business with no clarity of what the next few months look like.
If you are like me and you are very driven to always deliver the best quality in whatever you do, you have probably realised that it’s quite hard to understand : What does my BEST look like?
However, one of the great things you can do right now is to start working on yourself. It is ok to feel frustrated and unproductive. These are really strange times and no one could of predicted this, (Not even a magician!) but as they say, if you can’t look after yourself, then how can you look after those around you?
Try shaping some daily habits. Whether you are running a small business like me or you are working from home, it’s essential to your own wellness, through this difficult time, to have a great balance of work & life.
At the start of the week, map out your goals required for the week and plan in those daily breaks. Be consistent, stick to the plan, don’t feel guilty to take a break, in fact embrace the break as it will help relax you, take your mind off things and help make you more productive.
To quote the image at the top of this blog by Dr Jenn Hardy (thanks to the amazing Jas from Find Candles for sharing this with me!), it’s hard to find the rhythm, when the rhythm keeps changing. Go easy on yourself.
“If it feels like everything you are doing right now is 2 steps forward and then 3 steps behind, it is ok to feel this way. Times are hard and the rhythm is constantly changing and this is all new, but remember to go easy on yourself.”
Enjoy the time you have to relax, be with your family, set up some zoom quizzes, watch Netflix or call that friend you haven’t spoken to and chill out. We are all in the same boat and this is completely unprecedented times. Whilst it may feel like the next few months are unclear, don’t be so hard on yourself.
Instead, stop, breathe and go for a walk, you may be surprised how good you feel after.
Look after yourself, it’s important :D
- Ricky x
* For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week head to this link https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week
(Me & my amazing fiance going for one of our walks!)
P.S A massive thank you to my family and my close friends, who I have reached out for support. You will never know how much I appreciate and love you all!