LAST SEEN: at the end of level 4
IF FOUND: please return

“If you see my motivation, could you get it back to me please?!” was the refrain from a friend on WhatsApp. A few of us are all feeling the same we agreed, I joked back “it’s probably fallen in the crack in our reality. The worst bit is, even though I know where it is, I can’t be arsed to get it back”

It’s not really a surprise that we’re coming out of level 4 and a few of us are struggling. All our energy has gone into surviving a pandemic. Some of us are full-time parenting, while also working. And more than a few of us have likely gone above and beyond to help our businesses survive.

Any illusion we had at the start of lockdown of this being a holiday surely evaporated when the govt national alert sounded on that Wednesday night.

And while there might be a party in the making, it’s definitely not in level 3! And to be honest I’m actually feeling happier in my reclusive little bubble right now, thank you very much. Good luck with queuing for your takeaways!

Let’s face it – our energy is drained, our focus has been on others and we’ve given a hell of a lot. We might even be feeling slightly resentful about that.

A much smarter person than me said that resentment is the tail end of when we’ve given too much. The tail then suddenly whips back in our face, and it smarts!

The key thing here is to recognise it for what it is; too much out, not enough in. Physics tells us that’s not a sustainable state. We have to replace and recharge the energy before we can get back to it.

The secret, once we’re in this state, is to properly recharge: not 80%, but 100%. My wife often tells me after being ill, that I go back to work too soon and then I get ill again. It’s the same situation here.

So don’t go looking for your motivation right now, we know where it is. Instead crack on with your weekend and enjoy it for what it is – a time to recuperate.

Get out in the sun, walk on a beach, in the bush, smell the air.

Make a deal with your partner so you can have some time away from the kids.

Level two is in the post and you’ve already gone above and beyond. So now is the time to chill, recharge and have fun