We’re getting into week number eight of our lockdown here in Madrid. 

Experts are beginning to worry about the psychological consequences of this confinement. 

So for the first time in eight weeks, adults are allowed to go for a walk… 

… as long as we keep social distancing rules, it’s shorter than an hour, and we don’t go farther than a kilometer away from our house. 

We can already see some changes

My husband felt dizzy when he went out for the first time, and got the impression that buildings were taller than usual. 

And I’ve heard of kids who got totally excited after the announcement, but froze at the doorway and couldn’t go outside in the end. 

“M”, one of my best friends, hopes good things will come out of this unusual situation.

Maybe because I’m a Jungian, I’m sure it will have a shadow side, too, like the amount of people who are losing their regular jobs, to begin with. 

And yeah, it will have a positive side too, like the lesson I discovered this week, but I’m getting ahead of myself. 

The truth is I haven’t told you everything about my confinement. 

On the very same day that the first case of coronavirus arrived to our local hospital, I was in the emergency room with my father. 

His health went through a serious decline, so much so that it forced me to move into his house… away from my husband, from my furry baby Nico, and away from my regular life.

I’ve been his caretaker for weeks, on and off. And that made my lockdown time especially tough. 

As you see, my lockdown conditions have been a bit different than most.

I didn’t have time to worry about not going outside for a walk. I had enough with preparing foods, serving prescription meds, changing diapers, and trying to alleviate my dad’s pain as best as I could. 

There is a bright side to this unusual confinement

First – I can still say today that my 81-year-old father is alive. I’m aware that not everybody is as lucky as I am.

Second – I’ve been blessed again with a deep sense of purpose which has protected me from the emotional and psychological negative effects of this lockdown. 

By taking care of my father, I’ve experienced firsthand the notion that being of service is truly the key to feeling happy and fulfilled. 

So even though I couldn’t write my daily articles, and lost my ability to focus on my business, I still kept one of the things that motivate me the most:

Being of service to others. 

If you are in any way like me, you started your business because you wanted to pursue something more meaningful. 

You felt that you had a contribution to make into this world or wanted to share some tools, ideas, and some techniques. 

Let me tell you this. 

If you have pressed the pause button for a few days or weeks its ok, but know that…

The best way to take care of your emotional well-being it’s to recommit with your work as soon as you have enough energy for it.  

Help others in every way you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just show up.

Personally, I’m not talking as much about branding or growing your business as usual. And yet, sharing these insights with you feels important.

Probably -and hopefully- we’ll never again go through something like this in our lifetime, that would be good news, don’t you agree?

But I still think that keeping track of what I’m going through might be of help to you. 

That’s why I’m writing about it. 

Ideas into Action

Here are my ideas on how to put this into action:

Ask yourself:

• Where am I in my emotional journey with respect to COVID-19?
• Am I feeling strong enough to start sharing my knowledge?
• What are my people struggling with the most right now?
• How would I love to help them solve those issues?

And then go share what you know. Record videos, write articles, put yourself out there…
…and be of help.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please, leave your comments below. 

Stay well.
Charo