Learning not to panic during the quiet seasons

It's nearly Easter and Spring has finally sprung. It is a time for renewal and refreshment. It is also a time to pause.

There have been a few times in the past couple of years in which I have truly been able to pause. The lockdown periods were for me transformative - amidst the immense sadness and loss of the pandemic it was a time to be still.

CEO of Black Ballad, Tobi Oredein put it well in her recent founder's letter: I think the lockdown was the first time in my adult life I consciously appreciated being still. With the rules restricting my movement, I found a deep appreciation for living a slower paced life. I was talking to my little sister this afternoon and we both compared lockdown to being on flight mode. It was a time to switch off from the things that weren’t important and embrace a stillness and silence I’ve never experienced before.

This resonated with me. I was able to be still - after all these years of being in business I have to always find ways to be productive or worse busy.  But the lockdowns enabled me to slow down in a way that I wouldn't allow myself to before. It was nourishing and fulfilling on an individual level specifically for this reason even though it came with all of the other challenges that cannot be overlooked. 

Another time was my maternity leave which was refreshing in a new way; I was able to be still and the "busyness" had new purpose. I loved it.

Now as the world moves forward I find myself feeling the same feelings I felt before the pandemic, before baby...the feelings of the need to fill my time. When my inbox is not bursting at the seams those familiar feelings of panic are starting to creep in. I am doing my best not to panic but pausing and reflecting all that I have accomplished so far, recognising that sometimes these quiet periods are necessary to allow for true renewal and peace. I no longer feel guilty for not being excessively busy especially as it allows time to take care of my physical and spiritual health which as an entrepreneur are essential.  I know it will take time and intentionality to maintain this but I am committed to doing it after all it shouldn’t take life shifting events to recognise that we all need to be still and deserve to pause.