better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

The Ice Cream Story

19 April 2020

It’s easy to forget to nurture ourselves in the current lockdown situation. Many of our thoughts are turned towards loved ones who may be struggling in isolation, financial issues and the great uncertainty that we face at the moment in all walks of society.

It is human to worry and to speculate. To read the news in the expectation of finding some chink of light that can give us hope. To fret and feel lost. Things will get better, but what ‘better’ actually looks like is anyone’s guess at the moment.

What we can do is to find ways of taking care of ourselves. It is easy to overwork. Given the time we have at hand we might decide that the shed needs to be tidied and the loft is ripe for a Spring clean. We can worry about our jobs and stay at our desk for an extra hour to make it clear to our bosses that we are one of the good guys.

All of these things are a perfectly natural response to a tricky situation. However, we also need to ensure that we pace ourselves.

If we overwork and underplay then our energy will be sapped and our mood may darken. There is only so much ‘being a responsible adult’ we can cope with before we need to let off steam.

The little us that lives inside us also needs to be attended to. We were once children and even though we have adult bodies and attitudes, we still need to make contact with the little us that we still have.

Little us likes to play, be creative and try out new things. For sure he, or she, can sulk and be moody too, be frightened and need reassurance and physical contact. A hug can go a long way to help and even if we ask for one, that is still a hug! It is okay to ask for what we need.

I was shopping last week. Now that I have the hang of queuing and not worrying if a few things can’t be found on the shelves, shopping has become a calm and peaceful experience. There is no scrum at the till, people are respectful and there’s enough food for everyone.

During my tour round the shelves I spotted a freezer cabinet and little me said ‘a-ha, there might be fun things in there.’ Big me went and had a look and little me instantly spotted the tubs of ice cream. Little ones. With interesting fruity flavours. We bought a few.

Ice cream in little tubs reminds me of happy times in the cinema, having fun and relaxing. So I decided to deploy the sun lounger, find a good book to read and begin with a tiny tub of pleasure. What heaven!

Little me felt calm and happy and liked having space and time to be indulgent.

Indulgence doesn’t have to be expensive, or involve mixing complicated cocktails. Little things can have value too. I now make time for reading in the sun and always start with an ice cream treat. How lovely!

This week my invitation to you is to take a moment and think what ‘little you’ would like? What can big you do to support little you?

Maybe it’s quiet hour with a book, dusting off that old jigsaw, or taking time for yoga, or painting. Something that feels a little bit indulgent.

What would make little you smile this week?

We all need a tub of ice cream sometimes, or whatever your equivalent is!

Keep well!

Next week: The Phone Story