Are yours short and scratchy?
We have all been thinking a lot about emotional wellbeing, and rightly so. It has such an effect on how we feel and on how we interact with others. This week I have been talking about emotional wellbeing with so many of the wonderful parents, teachers and early years educators in my workshops and one to ones.
In my Brilliant Behaviour masterclass, words such as oxytocin and cortisol have become commonplace but sometimes helping the message to stick beyond a workshop can be tricky.
Then it dawned on me, not quite as the sun was rising but instead when I was putting on my socks!
Today I had time to choose which pair I put on and I chose a pair of lovely, long socks which were given to me as a gift. They are warm and wonderful, and make me feel that way when I am wearing them.
You can see where this is going...
I am lucky that so many of the socks in my drawer are warm and wonderful; there are, however, a few pairs lurking at the back which are short and scratchy. If I have been too busy and my favourite socks are in the wash, if I get up late, if I am in a hurry or I’m feeling anxious about what the day will bring, I might not think about it. I might simply reach in my sock drawer and put on the first pair that comes to hand.
No one else will know which socks I am wearing, or will they? Will they catch a glimpse when I am distracted or off guard? Will they know from how I respond to their question, to a problem, how I relate to them?
We all have a sock drawer but I wonder if we have ever considered that, figuratively speaking, we also have an emotional sock drawer. Just like our socks, our emotions are simply there, sometimes used regularly, otherwise lurking in a dark and dusty corner.
Sometimes we choose them, other times we don't, but we all have them. If they are the warm and wonderful ones, then no problem. However, if we find ourselves wearing the short and scratchy ones more often than we would choose, it is time to take stock...
So how are your socks feeling today? Wonderful and warm? Or short and scratchy?
To find out more about Ali's inspiring and encouraging parent workshops, her challenging and empowering training or tailored one to one support visit www.alimcclure.co.uk or @AliMcClureEP