My Blog

From Calm to Chaos and back again, (in 60 seconds).

Published 19th March 2020

How do I even start to write a blog about staying calm, when I am on a permanent rollercoaster of overwhelming emotions myself? Most of the time I am ok, doing my best to adapt to the ever changing path in front of me. But every so often, a reality tidal wave of the coronavirus pandemic hits me and I’m not even sure if I am able to cope. But my husband, family and friends are there to help me and put me back on track. At the moment, there has been only a few downhill runs on my rollercoaster and for the majority of the time I am level. But for many of us and our children, it is just an awful lot to handle.

Calming Reflexology can help

I had a lot of people ask me how they could do reflexology at home to help them to relax and find some calm. I decided that I would use my 9 year old daughter as a “foot model” and asked my husband to film it so that I could send the video to people and share it on my social media (@pink_lotus_acupuncture). I had intended the audience of the video to be adults. What I hadn’t prepared for was the reaction from my daughter.

Georgia

Is such a gentle, calm girl and we have a wonderful relationship. She was really quiet and still whilst we filmed the reflexology techniques. Once the filming was done, I continued her reflexology treatment for another 10 minutes or so. During this time, she began to talk .

I had forgotten about this magic phenomenon that happens during a reflexology treatment. People start to talk. Their jumbled thoughts and feelings begin to surface and as they emerge and we chat, they start to gain clarity. I have spoken to my daughter numerous times over the last few weeks about the coronavirus and what was happening. I hadn’t thought she was overly concerned about it. I was wrong. She had been worrying to herself quite a lot, but she had misinterpreted this feeling as a tummy ache.

Worry, worry and more worry

Georgia had been thinking about what happens if the virus gets much worse. She thought that it might mutate and make the flu symptoms terrifying. What a thing for a 9 year old to keep to herself. Of course I reassured her that the biology of the virus didn’t work like that.

I qualified as a reflexologist almost 11 years ago and I have treated hundreds of adults and children. Yet there I was, reminded of how amazing and powerful the treatment can be, in so many ways;

1. Bringing calm
2. Gently encouraging people to vocalise their feelings and thoughts
3. Giving reassurance and grounding
4. Relaxing physical and emotional pain

Please, if you can, I would encourage you to take a look at the video and see if you can have a go yourself. It’s impossible to cause any harm with reflexology as long as you are gentle. It is incredibly bonding and relaxing and works wonders with adults and children.

What else can we do?

Despite the hourly updates of doom, there are still many things that we can be grateful for. Spring is on it’s way; the days are lighter, brighter and warmer. Social distancing won’t prevent us from exploring the countryside and we could now look for new routes that possibly don’t always end at the pub.

Breathing is so important for our health – mind and bodies. I have been meaning to practise better breathing and now I have both the motivation and the time to look into this.

I might even look into learning a new skill with my children. Something which we can do together. For a period of time (who knows how long), I can now focus on them fully without having to dash off to work. I am anxious about asking them for suggestions (please let it not be playing the recorder!) but I am trying my best to be more adaptable and flexible in my approach.

This may be the best personal development course I’ve ever been on.