Back To Work We Go - Transitioning Into The New Normal by Nadine McNeil
Prior to her deep dive into the world of yoga, Jamaican-born Nadine McNeil worked as a logistics and emergency response specialist for the United Nations for over twenty years. As a result of this, Nadine has served on every continent except South America; from Africa to the Middle East, from the Americas to South East Asia. A yoga teacher, wisdom mentor, speaker and writer, her activism behooves her to be a catalyst for transformation, changing lives one breath at a time under the banner of Universal Empress. When she is not ‘on the road,’ she may be found at home in Bali at the Yoga Barn. Please visit: www.universalempress.com or IG @universalempress to learn more about her self development workshops and other offerings.
Upcoming Workshop - Dharma Dialogue
A 75-minute exploration through breath, movement and discussion, Dharma Dialogue integrates these three aspects to aid you in seeking clarity and direction about any situation in your life that you seek to transform. The process is two-fold, a 40 minute *yoga infused practice + 35 minutes of coaching.
Please do reach out to Nadine for more information on this transforming and activating offering.
As we haphazardly return to the workforce after months of being isolated, several re-adjustments are being asked of us.
Perhaps your company has implemented a staggered workday, with folk coming in on shifts, to make allowances for physical distancing.
Traveling to work presents its own sets of challenges as we aim to maintain space between ourselves and others on overcrowded modes of public transportation. If your work involves travel by air, this adds another dimension of stress, as navigating through airports and on airplanes come with their own set of stipulations, including wearing masks while in flight.
If you’re an introvert like me, working from home may have actually felt good to you and now you dread having to face the social construct of being in a conventional office environment.
And then there are those, with time on their hands, who came to the harsh realization that how they were spending the bulk of their time, during the best years of their lives was in a word, unfulfilling.
These are but a few examples of what it means to live in a new [ab]normal. Yet, the show must go on – to meet our financial obligations and responsibilities.
Before I embark upon offering some guidance and insight as to how to effectively re-enter the workforce, I invite you to take some time to reflect upon the lessons you learned about yourself during this involuntary break that was imposed upon you. For example, did you learn that you’re even more resilient than you could have ever imagined?
Being an entrepreneur for the past eight years, my play and my work are deeply intertwined. While I have the freedom to set my own hours, I often feel as though I’m always at work. During lockdown, I realized that I possessed an even deeper sense of adaptability and creativity as I devised several ways to generate an income exclusively on-line. My learning curve was high.
As a yoga teacher, my primary source of regular income, taking my classes on-line was a seamless transition. Initially enthusiasm from both students and me was high – part of the natural will to survive. As the weeks rolled on however, interest on both sides started to dwindle. This meant that I had to call on my keen intuitive and observation skills to discern how could I best serve others.
Not only were we dealing with the pandemic, now we had the overlay of racial unrest. I saw where persons needed a safe outlet where they could speak about their feelings free from the fear of being judged. I provided that place through various online discussions and platforms.
Just beyond the halfway mark of this year that held so much promise, how do we turn to once again face the future, one that on the surface appears to be clouded by so much uncertainty?
As the saying goes,
‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ A good start to your day no matter what your circumstance may be is tepid lemon water. This helps to keep your body in an alkaline, healthy state.
Expect that upon our return to interacting with others chances are the numbers of new reported cases of the virus will increase. Isolation, a desperate, necessary and temporary measure to curtail this virus does so at the cost of our immune systems. Remain vigilant on your regime by boosting your system consuming foods that are rich in minerals, preferably plant based. A basic vitamin protocol will serve you well – B-complex, Vitamin C, D and zinc. Drink loads of water and reduce your intake of sugar and alcohol. Rest is key so ensure that you’re getting proper rest as your adrenals and nervous system will require this.
Prior to COVID-19 many of us lived our lives like battery hens, jumping out of bed in the mornings to an alarm clock and then robotically moving throughout the morning to arrive on time to work. This is the one habit that now broken, I beg of you not to re-instill.
Aim to start your mornings peacefully, even if this means that you need to wake up an hour earlier. How you begin your day is an excellent indicator for the remainder of it.
Here is my morning ritual that served to keep me anchored and grounded during these times. With over three months of daily practice, on days when I deviate from it, I feel uncentered.
Before I get out of bed, I tune into listening to something inspirational. This could be a worship, affirmations or a talk from a spiritual leader. Lately I’ve been listening to Kyodo Williams, author of Radical Dharma.
I drink my lemon water FIRST. And then I have coffee seated on my favorite chair.
Daily meditation practice for at least 15 minutes.
Writing in my journal for 7 to 10 minutes.
Move my body – either through a walk, yoga or interval training for at least 20 minutes.
Only once I’ve completed all of the above do I then log onto my e-mail and social media. Nowadays, I’ve become even more disciplined about this, being especially mindful of what I choose to watch and not watch. We greatly under-estimate the extent to which we are affected by the onslaught of news and speculation coming at us through our devices.
Dare to dream again! As daunting as these times may feel [and they are] let us not lose sight of the impermanence of all things, including life itself.
And so it is.