I can’t quite believe it is already February! The month of love, but I will get to that in a minute.
I know Christmas feels a long time ago and a Christmas like no other but for me, this different kind of Christmas made me stop and rest, I had times for long walks and I even did a couple of runs, something I want to get into. I watched very little news played loads of family games and ate good food. I was looking forward to getting back to work, energised, and rested, and then bam! Lockdown 3-0!
To be honest, it floored me, I think I had literally been in a Christmas bubble. I needed to pause, take stock and think about what next. I contacted clients and put plans into place to pause their journeys. I needed to support my family and plan for homeschooling. Like many parents, I wondered how I would cope. My planned newsletter for January felt inappropriate as I had decided to not go into client's homes at this time. So I did what I always tell my clients to do, I stopped, I focused on taking care of myself, knowing this would give me what I needed to do the rest.
Homeschooling or as one client called it 'emergency education', is happening in homes around the country, and as lockdown carries on it is more important than ever to look at how you can create some calm spaces in your home. Having some spaces that feel calm and clutter-free, will help reduce stress. If you can create spaces to work/homeschool in that are different from the spaces you will rest in. If you are working/homeschooling at a dining room table have simple storage solutions to tidy everything away to at the end of a day, you could clear out a drawer or get a nice storage basket for each person, just have it out of sight.
During Lockdown 2.0 I wrote a blog about taking care of you and your home. Have a read if you want more tips and a reminder.
Remember to take lots of breaks and if you can get out for a walk and involve the children in age-appropriate chores. Every day in our home we do a tidy up dance to music.
Cosy Spaces
Children love a cosy space to play and relax in and now more than ever a safe cosy space is what we all need. Here are some of my favourite ones and my daughter's cosy spot.
News
Welcome February, the month of love but do you find you and your partner arguing about the clutter in your home and whose clutter it really is? 80% of people asked admitted to their mood being affected by the state of their home and a whopping 61% of couples admitted they argue about clutter once a month with over a third arguing every day. Don't worry you're not alone, Systematic Homes has a plan to help you. We are relaunching our fabulous workshop, Sorted! online this February. You and your partner can both attend and do this journey together. The workshop will be over three sessions for an hour and a half on each session. There will be limited places, so click to find out more and book.
"After I attended the Sorted Workshop I wanted to tackle this cupboard. I knew what was in there (although I found 2 coats!) but it was hard to access anything in there easily. So I turfed it all out and got it sorted. 2 bags to charity,1 bag for the bin and some recycling and I feel so much better. I would really recommend the Sorted Workshop and Joanne, the workshop really got me thinking about how I can make little steps to get more organised. It was a really friendly and non-judgemental atmosphere where we all made steps towards our own goals. Thanks so much for the inspiration Joanne!"
Workshop Dates: Saturday morning 10.30 am to 12 pm Saturday 6th March Saturday 13th March Saturday 20th March Tuesday evening 8 pm to 9.30 pm Tuesday 9th March Tuesday 16th March Tuesday 23rd March
Creating Calm Spaces
We have also been busy developing our fabulous online support and have exciting news on our online package creating calm spaces.
We have produced a discovery booklet that will help us to offer the best support to you and that will support you to keep focused on your goals.
We have also added a follow-up session to offer ongoing motivation and accountability.
For more information and to book your Creating Calm Spaces session click here.
And do make sure this February you love yourself and take care of yourself.
Love,
