IN WITH THE NEW

HELEN REDFERN HAS LIVED IN THE NORTH EAST FOR OVER 20 YEARS WITH HER FIVE KIDS AND TWO DOGS. SHE’S BEEN WRITING FOR NARC. FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND HAS PUBLISHED TWO NOVELS AND MARTHA & ME, A BIOGRAPHY OF NORTH EAST DANCER ELIOT SMITH. HAVING BEEN IN-HOUSE WRITER FOR YOGAMATTERS, A YOGA AND WELLNESS ONLINE RETAILER, FOR OVER THREE YEARS, SHE’S RECENTLY LEFT TO FORM THE GREEN HEART COLLECTIVE, A SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE DEDICATED TO UPCYCLING CLOTHING AND GIFTS SO THAT NONE OF US HAVE TO BUY NEW EVER AGAIN! HERE SHE OFFERS SOME TIPS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO COPE WITH THE ONGOING SITUATION.

We’re breaking new ground here. There’s an unprecedented overuse of the word ‘unprecedented’ in the media. That’s because nothing like this has ever happened before on such a global scale. We’re being forced to change. The ground is shifting beneath our feet. We don’t like it. It’s scary. But what choice do we have? We’re each being called to find a way to adapt to this new world order. Here are five ways to make that more achievable and potentially bearable.

1. DISCOVER A NEW RESPECT FOR CALM

We’re not ‘stay at home’ kind of people. We’re addicted to the buzz of creating, participating and spectating. ‘Live’ is where it’s at. And yet our wings have been clipped for the foreseeable future. In a growing number of cases, the cage door has been slammed shut. We’re being advised to turn to yoga, meditation and breathing techniques to support our mental and emotional well-being, because if ever there was a time for the world to discover a new respect for calm, it’s now. It’s all out there online – all the resources you could ever need to get you started and keep you grounded and balanced. Yoga With Adriene has rave reviews – try one of her 30 day yoga journeys to see why. If you want to keep it local, check out Jo at Happy Yoga Newcastle and the Facebook group created by YogaTherapies’ Chris Jackson - The YT Socially-distant Social - where you can get answers to all your yoga and well-being questions.

2. ADOPT A NEW ROUTINE

We used to call days like these ‘duvet days’ – those rare occasions when we had no place to be and nothing to get done. But we cannot allow these next few months to become an endless round of ‘popcorn & PJs’ days. That way lies madness. OK, so this will take a bit of time to get right, but time is not something most of us are short of right now. Don’t create such a rigid timetable that there’s no room for manoeuvre. Build in time to cook, exercise, create, learn, chill, connect…and designate an area for each activity, utilising all the space available to you. For those of you who still fondly remember the joy of drawing up a colour-coded revision timetable, this will be a walk in the park. For the rest, I suggest a chalk board and decent eraser.

3. ACCEPT THE NEW YOU

Reality TV shows place ordinary people in weird situations and make them do weird shit because we all love to see how people like us cope with stressful, extreme situations. Well, guess what: we’re living that reality right now. And we may well surprise ourselves. We may not be the hero we imagined we would be, but that’s OK. We are what we are, and we need to do what’s right for us to help us get through this. Try writing, journaling or doodling. Get it all out and down on paper in words or images. Without judgement, that’s the key. Be kind to yourself. This Yogamatters blog about how to journal has useful pointers if you’re new to journaling.

4. CREATE A NEW WORK

As creatives (that’s all of us!), we need to keep creating or we may spontaneously combust. That’s how we’re made. Our regular path of creativity may be fraught with anxiety about the future right now, so how about trying something new? If you’re a writer, why not paint? If you’re a musician, why not write a short story? Choreograph a dance, film a scene, write a performance poem, mould some clay… re-discover the joy of creating for creating’s sake. 64 Million Artists is a great forum if you’re lacking inspiration with their new Create to Connect challenge having just begun, or try out Toby Litt’s free 10 lesson course on writing short stories. www.64millionartists.com

5. DEVELOP NEW CONNECTIONS

It’s vitally important to stay in touch with our tribe right now. Family and friends take on a whole new significance in times like these. But we thrive on making new connections; those chance encounters in the pub, the like-minded people at a workshop or gig, those talented individuals we get the opportunity to collaborate with – we need all that stimulation to flourish. In the current climate, that world of encounter has been forced to move online. So much new and exciting stuff is happening in the virtual world, and you’re being invited to jump in. Don’t just scroll and surf – there’s no satisfaction in skimming the surface. Go deep. Explore. Join some online groups. If you find inspiration there, stay. If not, move on. Find what feeds your soul and rest there a while. Whether it’s an online cooking tutorial, pub quiz, workout video or even a visit to a gallery via the hashtag #museumfromhome, there’s a ton of great resources via social media.