Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Well, I am thinking that right now, we are pretty much all in ‘tortoise mode’ and I want to remind you that this is perfect.

Gone is the striving to win the race. All bets are off. Right now we are pretty much focused on simply getting through each day with our sanity intact, and that is a full time job!

I wanted to reassure you that it is perfectly acceptable to feel like you have achieved literally nothing in your day; it is ok that your kids are not progressing in leaps and bounds in their maths assessments; and it is most definitely totally appropriate that you are seriously questioning all of your intimate relationships right now.

Everyone feels flat and un-motivated and is it any wonder? People, these are not normal times, so let’s release our attachment to normal yardsticks, shall we?

This March, let us instead focus on welcoming spring, finding small moments of bliss amid the chaos, and measuring our lives in ‘glasses of water consumed’, ‘cups of tea drunk hot’ and spring flowers spotted on our daily walks rather than money earned or grades achieved.

Delight in moments of enthusiasm and energy

If you do happen to be blessed with moments of buoyancy, enthusiasm and energy, then delight in those moments and wring the life out of them, cheering all the way. But please, don’t berate yourself when you can hardly string a sentence together, realise you have not worn anything but pyjamas for a week and the kids are surviving on cereal and sandwiches.

This month I want to offer you the permission to attain your lowest benchmark and be happy. I urge you to celebrate little wins: teeny-tiny-wouldn’t-usually-count-but-right-now-give-yourself-a-trophy little wins!
Got all the recycling out in time for the refuse collection? You win! Had a domestic day and cleaned the bathroom? You win! Enjoyed a calm family dinner? Managed to navigate home-schooling, online learning and play referee to three under tens and survived? You win big time!

Different times call for different approaches and you are doing an amazing job. And if you are flying solo, you too are commended for your resilience, courage and commitment to staying safe under very trying circumstances.

So many of you cannot see your beloved family and friends right now and I want to acknowledge you. Living alone can be a wonderful, freeing experience but it can also be lonely and difficult, so please know that if this is you, I see you, you are noticed and not forgotten.

To all the warriors staying the course this spring, you are honoured and recognised, and I am so very proud of you all. Until next month, stay safe!