As we move into a new sense of normal as lockdown measures change and shift forward again. A feeling of freedom is being felt and for many may be a welcome relief in amongst a year of upheaval. It also can be a difficult time for some, as mixed emotions can be felt amongst the re-opening up again of the world and a new normal unfolding.

The lockdown effect

While in lockdown, a new sense of normal has been developed and for some of us those new habits we have created while being in lockdown have become a safety blanket, such as being at home more, working from home or less commuting and more time with family. These have become part of life and been beneficial to help us reset and discover the essential elements for emotional well-being. Alongside helping a more productive and balanced work life setting.

As creatures of habit, we are naturally wired to adapt and develop resilience. Falling into new habits can easily become part of our everyday once developed. So, to change them once again can often bring up feelings of more stress, uncertainty, and overwhelm, as they may have become part of our safety blanket during an uncertain and challenging time. The initially hard parts of lockdown like routine change and creating new habits can have a dual effect on us, once we adjusted to them, they can now bind us, making it more difficult to go back to what once our normal.

Finding normal – what works for you

Leaving lockdown can also create stress, worry and feelings of panic just like the start of lockdown may well cause these feelings for many. Against the backdrop of worldwide uncertainty, having on-going feelings of stress and worry can become a new issue. Research shows us that avoidance of anything helps us to feel less stress to start with but over longer term creates more stress as we avoid it more. Re engaging with people and social situations can take time and taking it easy over this period is more beneficial for your well-being. Taking it slowly may help more as we learn to readjust once more to a new normal.

The top essential ways to help readjust and find you again

1.  Including a readjustment phase, making sure you introduce everything slowly and at a pace that works well for you. Learning to say no or have healthy boundaries is okay and essential at times for your own well-being. Making you more productive and happier if you follow your own pace and what feels right for you.

2.  Having a supportive network, sharing your struggles with others that understand or help support you can be of help. Creating a network to help you when feeling down as others may also feel just like you, supporting each other can be of further help and foster understanding, a healthy outlook and approach.

3.  Staying in the present moment, being mindful can help in feeling more positive and support well-being by including meditation or deep breathing into your daily practises, can act as a natural restorative ingredient for body and mind wellness. Helping you take control of feeling. s of stress and overwhelm by deep breathing helps to centre our nervous system and controls our stress response, helping to calm and quieten cortisol, one of our primary stress hormones.

4.  Implementing fave activities and hobbies, this should always be part of our everyday well-being, making sure we include this in our daily life can help in balancing and encourage feelings of inner calm. Whatever helps you to destress or give feelings of joy are your essential well-being tools.

 Including these into your day or week are vital for feeling good and help in stress recovery. Helping to motivate us and inspire us in moving forward and act as natural energy and wellness boosters, both emotionally and physically, for overall body and mind health.

 As we move into change once again, including all of the above or even one of these wellness tips may help in supporting us feeling and staying well as move forward and find our new normal and what works best for you. Natural ingredients and botanicals such as Passionflower, Ashwagandha, L-theanine and Kava, all acting as nervous system support or to help clarity and focus, alongside calming and balancing the stress response.

Check out our stress range here.