It is ok to ask for help. It is ok to not be ok.
Especially in my household when I was kid, it was not ok to be emotional. It was kept bottled up. As the oldest sister I had to be the strongest. "Don't cry, you need to show your sisters it's ok". If you are a male in a household often you have been brought up as being the strong one. "Do not show weakness". Again, it is ok to talk to someone and get help.
What is happening during #covid
We are seeing changes in the way we live which are unprecedented.
We have forced behaviour patterns including quarantine and isolation
Social distancing is causing loneliness for people who live on their own
Working from home is challenging us in ways we did not imagine
Fear of redundancy and unemployment
What can we do to make ourselves feel better?
Talk to someone. Friend, family, partner. There are many charity crisis helplines across the world to speak to including the Samaritans in Hong Kong (call 2896 0000 24 hours) and the UK (call 116 123 24 hours). Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone you do not know.
Focus on what you can control.
Every day write down 5 things you are grateful for. No matter how small.
Give yourself a small achievable goal on a daily basis and reward yourself for completing it.
Reduce your social media activity
There are challenges coming up and it feels hopeless at times. However asking for help is the strongest thing you can do for yourself and the people around you. Be brave, be bold. Take care.
Caroline Langston is the Founder of Successful Consultants Ltd, an Executive, Personal and Career Development Coaching company in HK. She is the Founder of recruitersgiveback.org a nonprofit providing free information and coaching to people who are unemployed. Caroline is dedicated to coaching people for success and happiness in their careers and lives. She is degree qualified with further certifications in Neuro Linguistic Programming at Master Practitioner and Coach level. She has completed 80 hours of training at International Coaching Federation (ICF) standards. www.successCL.com