Little sniffles?
When there are bad things in our lives it is easy to dwell on them and spend our time worrying about them, but do we notice when they are absent?
Covid-19 apart, how many of us have missed the little sniffle, the sore throat, the common cold?
I had begun to notice that, since social distancing took over our lives, my health had been unremarkable, in the most positive way. I had not had the need for Lemsip or reams of tissues. I had not suffered with a 'bugged up dose'.
Since the children have returned to school, it has been only a matter of days before their proximity has meant that many of them have gone down with regular, old-fashioned coughs and sneezes.
I could go into the lecture of 'told you so' and advice on how we need to maintain our social distancing to keep safe, but instead I want to reflect on how we don't tend to notice when negative things go away, unless we mark how things were at the beginning.
If we embark on a journey to lose weight, quit smoking or help a child change a behaviour, it is worth taking a mental snapshot at the beginning of the journey and perhaps noting it down or sharing that scenario with a trusted friend. Check back a month down the line and then maybe three months later to see how that snapshot looks now. You will be surprised how noticing this positive progress can help propel you further on your journey, especially if you have hit a tough patch.
Noticing the positive progress is also something that helps us take the next steps towards our desired destination or perhaps support our children on their journey towards Brilliant Behaviour.
Count the kindnesses, value the time gained by not having to commute. Notice when your child is playing calmly or simply notice when you are feeling fit and well.
Try not to focus on the bad things but, however small they seem right now, take a little time each day to pay attention to the positives.
- Ali