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Hello and welcome back to the reality of in person clients balancing expectations and needs that may have changed whilst there was a global grounding.  During re-entry it is timely to remember that we have all been through a lot whether it be:

// through personal experience of disease

// social isolation and disconnection 

// through financial hardship

// having to recreate our businesses, relationships and habits within a short period of time  

All of these plus so many other experiences have meant that anxiety and distress in ourselves, our family, our friends and clients have all added immense strain on our ability to cope. The image I have used in this blog can be found in Training Manual for Mental Health and Human Service Workers in Major Disasters. Second Edition. A copy of the report can be downloaded here. Whilst the report is aimed at those working in the front line, I would say that at the moment we are all dealing with these issues, and looking at some of the ideas and strategies used could be helpful in your own work. 

I like the image in this report as particularly helpful to identify where we all are mentally and physically in this current global experience of a combines natural and human disasters.

This image is from the Training Manual for Mental Health Workers in a major disaster

Understanding these phases are important for us in managing our own health as movement teachers but also when negotiating a way forward through helpful movement practice. It would be safe to say that at the moment most people are in the disillusionment stage trying to manage new expectations and the fear that at any moment we could be in lock down again, and that what assistance you have been receiving will run out before you have had a chance to recover.

What does this mean for us as movement teachers?

Understanding that when you reopen things have changed. This change is not just the physical changes in our environment and the way we interact with each other, it is also about ourselves. The realisations that I am hearing from clients, teachers and studio owners have included:

 // I am able to adjust and make changes, I have had to just find ways of doing things that I never thought possible.

// I realise how important human contact and engagement with other people really is to me.

// I can see the benefits of technology in its place and this can be integrated into my new business world, but for purposes that will benefit me.

// I had to evaluate important relationships in my life.

If we all take those comments and thoughts and frame them in a strength based/ positive approach we could say:

// I am competent and able to handle stressful situations.

// I have good people around me and I need to ongoing make sure to prioritise those people in my life.

// The role of technology is to enhance my life, not to enslave me to a machine.

// I am not alone when I have people who can support me. I need to reach out to those who are able to help. 

What does this mean for us as we work with our clients?

Anxiety and stress is undeniable, and it has a huge impact on our health and long term on the immune system. This is a topic we touched on in the timely article  “We are not immune”.   We have spent the last eight weeks filming workshops on the topic so that they will be available soon for those of you wanting to learn more about the immune system and about how to incorporate those principles into your work with clients. I am teaching teachers around the world via zoom and giving back. 

Yes, I am embracing technology to a point that enables me to be more efficient and reach more people. However, it will never replace the joy I have working face to face at teacher training courses or with clients. So for me it is just one more way of doing what I love – just in a different way. 

Take the time to restructure your life and studio towards what is sustainable for you as a teacher not just financially but also emotionally. Embrace the benefits of technology to improve access to your service, improve efficiencies but at the same time not allowing technology to make you forever available to everyone but yourself. 

Take time to reform and not just react.

To learn more about our education options you can look at our website and courses which became my pivot project. Please do not compare to the product I produced, as I had been working on this for five years. The pandemic gave me the push I needed to finish and implement the project. This was done in the hero stage, but I will be honest I am dropping quickly into disillusionment phase www.bodyorganicseducation.com