Michael talks about managing wellbeing during the COVID crisis. 

He talks about the importance of a daily walk and about taking things day-by-day and not overstretching. Managing his pwn expectations and knowing when to take a step back.

So, um, basically, I'm gonna ask you an open question and let you talk. Is that all right? And then I I'll stick my r in if if I If you think if it looks like I need to, But you don't have to talk for long, and it's it's basically just for you to tell me, um, what kind of things Support or hinder your well-being. Oh, and that's it. Is it right? Right

That's nice. So, um, as as as as a lot of people I've done in the last 12 months, not down is I've been on on on a lot more walks. Um, I've I've I've always been a walker, but I've done it almost every day

Um, on the days where it's not been too rubbish weather. So I found that I've been quite nice, um, to to just, um, Just to try and to turn the computer off and turn my turn my phone off or listen to music. Um, in the spring time, I I would start

I would start each day at, like, half 66 o'clock. Um, going for what for? For about 90 minutes and then And it was really nice. Um, um it also felt nice to actually, um, with them people walking dogs

Even though I don't own a dog, it's always nice to have someone saying Hello. Hello, Hello. And and actually that that that that I actually felt really nice People say hello to you and while out walking and it it's kind of drifted off in the last few months

And people, people are now, um, don't don't want to say good morning. It's it's kind of sound again, though Now, now, now we, we we, um all in it together in a national lockdown. People do seem to be a bit more smiling when when you're out and about

So I enjoy walking. But I also it got to the point where I I I I've been walking every day. It's hard to feel quite a chore and and and and and and that has a lot of people with with with, um, locked down And the pandemic is that it feels like deja vu

It feels like crow up there. So I always try and change my walk. I I try and alternate my walk so I turn left as I turn in right, and there's and it's it's it's It's just it's just, um I'm trying to find something different to do, even though we can't do very much

It's always trying and trying to break break that deja vu feeling each day. Um, and I've I've learned that I I like walking. When? When? When? It's nice

Weather it kind of, um, I I I I I I enjoy the blue sky. I'll admit that I I I really enjoy Blue Sky. I don't want I don't want to like it when it's too warm because that that is, um that that hinders me if it's too warm and get really stressed out

But I found out that that that on this where it it's, it's, it's, it's It's, um, it's been quite gloomy. It does. It does affect my mood

I have to admit, I I suffer. Um um, season in affected as well. So I I I like a lot of people

I was quite about lockdown going on into winter because it just might affect my mood. So it's just it's just being mindful of of, um, don't go against what your own your own body clock is telling you So, for example, last week it it got to Friday on on my first week back at work in in in in this year and I just needed a nap. But it it got to two o'clock and I thought, I'm not I don't feel well now

I can't focus on anything. I I can't take words in the right order. I don't feel productive

So I've learned that there's no point. It's not about. It's not about trying to find, um um trying to find that feeling If if if you tell me that it needs a break, I think it's a longer break, then just do that

And and because of my job, I can be quite flexible at time when I've not got meetings or headlines. So I I I started to, um, try and call it quits for that day because I just knew that I I I I'd got to the point where I I I I, um I I weren't feeling productive, so I logged off and then did Did did a bit of work over the weekend. And when I was feeling more with it and fresher

So yeah, um but Yeah. Um um, being at one with nature has really been a highlight of the last 12 months. Um, but, like I say, um, it sometimes it does feel like a chore

It does feel like that. I'm going around in the same circle. I'm seeing the same people

I I'm waiting for the same horses some days. So it sounds like I'll just kind of tell, Tell you what I've got from it And it sounds It sounds like you you really enjoying reconnecting with nature, but that you need to kind of break the routine of it sometimes and that the flexibility of work has been really helpful. Is there anything else that that that you'd like to tell me? Or is that about it? I think that's probably about it

Um, and like I said, obviously it's not. Bush can do so it's It's finding those those small joys. It's finding those quick wins and and try and and a lot of people, it seems, have have have have, um, created these goals for themselves

And it's been there's been sort of emphasis on on on earning something new, a new skill and and and find find a large book to finish reading, but I I kind of did go along with that. I started doing some new tests I bought. I bought, um, going to scan all the photos in the album where it got the point where I was with my job

I'm on a computer all day. I didn't want them to switch off and then turn the computer on and send myself So it's OK at times to to to, um and and to to just take it day by day. And and that's probably that's probably something that that's come a lot in in in work and social life

Is that at the moment, um, there's no point trying to think too far ahead because it just gets too overwhelming. So I things day by day or or or UM, or we try and find those small choices as they go by And don't put don't don't put that extra extra extra pressure on on on on, on on trying to learn French or ride a pie. Or just like at the moment everyone's everyone's in in that learning position of learning to deal with with this pandemic

So, um, yeah, I I've tried not to put that pressure on on having those goals for the long term, because it just gets it just gets me down. Yeah, I think sometimes we forget that we're actually in unprecedented times, I think, because the because you're in a familiar environment, you're in your own home. You kind of forget that

Actually, we're going through something that is majorly traumatic. Yeah, and and now it's It's a it's it's It's been, what, 9, 10 months of this. I think everyone's kind of got it in that routine now, and it doesn't feel like everyone's come together in the same way, does it? As as it did in in back in March and a and spring when when all this was new, there was a novelty to it, wasn't there

And because the weather was nice people, I guess I guess you were seeing more people on your walks. Were you? Yeah, yeah, I I again I I I got a bit stressed at times on my walk because I felt like I I I actually I saw too many people. But it's like in the spring time there was a lot more people about like I mentioned a lot of people

Quite jolly. And then it got to, um it got to the end of the summer, and it was just downpours. And and so, Yeah, um, like I say, um, it does

Yeah. And and and going going from and and spring to summer, it didn't feel like it changed very much today. It's like like I mentioned every day

Same. So the actual, um, the actual actual and seasons didn't feel too too too much of an impact in the first part of lockdown, did it? Yeah. Yeah

I mean, I'm really glad we've got some snow. I think if we'd had the that kind of warm, wet winter that we had last year, that didn't really there wasn't a really differentiation between autumn and winter and spring last night. You know, at least it will be nice

And it it kind of makes being at home and being better. Because obviously, if it been, we been that much snow. I don't feel like I'm after missing out on that much, because it's it's kind of that that time of the year where where, Um, the first month of the year, I don't do much anyway

I kind of I kind of hibernate. I I start thinking about the spring and summer. Nothing

So and And for me, at this time of the year, it it's I don't feel too bad being at home as much it towards the end of last year. Yeah. Oh, that's lovely

Thank you. I feel like we've reached a sort of end there.

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