When the world feels a little upside down

It's been a strange old week so far.

Last Thursday, we unexpectedly lost our Queen.

Now logically, it wasn't unexpected, she was 96 but emotionally that same logic doesn't apply.

Our Queen has been a constant for 70 years. For many of us, that is our entire lives.

Every Christmas Day, we knew that no matter what, the Queen would be there at 3pm.

She was in the news most weeks in some form or another. And whilst she may not have been a member of our family, she was an ever present source of stability.

Losing that figurehead has shaken that sense of stability.

Not having the woman that has been there through everything the UK has faced over the last 96 years, leaves a hole. That loss may result in you feeling sad, worried, heartbroken, empty or nothing at all.

And if you are feeling fine and not affected by anything and just want to crack on with your life and business as you were, good for you, keep going! I think that is what the Queen showed us, I imagine it is how she would have dealt with it.

But if you are feeling some kind of way about it all, know that you are not alone.

The loss may trigger old memories and old feelings from loved ones you have lost. You may feel worried about where the country is headed now.

Add this to the last two years of Covid and constant stories about the recession and rising cost of living and frankly, it can all just be a bit too much.

So if you are not feeling like yourself, if showing up is a struggle at the moment and if you are doubting whether you can really pull this whole business thing off, give yourself a break.

Take some time to feel your feelings rather than pushing them to the side. These are, dare I say it, unprecedented times.

We have never before been in a global pandemic, in a recession and just lost our Queen - it's ok to feel something about that.

Let yourself rest, trim your to do list whilst you catch up with your emotions and dial up looking after yourself.

Focus on the basics right now; healthy and nutritious food, lots of water, some movement and as much sleep as you can manage. Try and spend some time with loved ones and doing things that bring you joy. This light relief is needed more than ever.

In these times of difficulty there are also signs that life must go on and we can remind ourselves that we have a one hundred percent track record of getting through all this.

Look at King Charles - he just lost his mother, was crowned King and hasn't stopped working since. Despite his sadness, he is showing us that the world keeps spinning and I think he is doing an incredible job. I guess with the Queen as his guide and role model, I should have expected it but I didn't.

So please don't lose hope. You will get through this. As sure as night follows days, the world will keep turning. Every day is a new beginning, a fresh chance, the opportunity to start all over again. Change is the only constant in life, and you can handle that.

Just focus on taking care of yourself and those you love and as your energy begins to return, get yourself back into your business.

You started that from a dream and look how far you've already come. No matter what happens out in the world, you are resilient. You are courageous. You will always have fresh and creative ideas, and as your energy increases you will have the capacity to turn those ideas into action and your dreams into reality. And the people you work with, need you to shine your light and reach a hand out to help them up.

I'd like to leave you with a quote from our Queen:

"When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future".

Keep going, you've got this. Life may be tough but you are tougher. And if you need a hand to hold or an ear to listen, my door is always open.

And in the spirit of change and new beginnings, God save the King,

Laura