This year has been challenging for everyone. For many people, during lockdowns external life may have got quieter, but their internal dialogues got louder. Unable to drown out their thoughts and feelings by rushing from one activity to the next, they became aware of the thoughts and emotions that were successfully hidden and muffled for years, even decades.
This is what happened to Anne.
Anne is a 47-year-old woman with a husband, three teenage children and a demanding job. She prides herself on holding it all together, juggling all the balls of a working mother.
Until COVID-19 lockdown hit.
Confined to their house with her husband and children, Anne had a lot of free time for the first time in years but very little energy to do anything with it. She began to notice that a lot of negative thoughts and feelings were on replay in her head, like a soundtrack playing on repeat. They were constant background music in her mind, from the moment she woke in the morning and when she went to bed at night.
Listening To The Message
In the early hours of the morning after a sleepless night, Anne got out her No-Fault Zone® Game mat and cards. She shuffled through the Feelings cards, choosing ones that resonated with her. This is what she picked:
“To be honest, I was surprised that I was feeling so many things! I think in my everyday life, it’s so easy to stay distracted and never look beneath the surface.”
Next Anne went through the Needs Cards and selected the ones that reflected her needs at the moment. As she sat and looked at them before her on the table, she felt something soften in her.
“I realised for the first time that my feelings were trying to tell me something, something that I hadn’t wanted to listen to for a long time. I had deep needs that weren’t being fulfilled in my life because I was so busy. By ignoring them I was only causing myself pain and distress.”
Looking at the cards on the mat, Anne was unable to ignore her needs any longer. And they didn’t seem that scary anymore. She felt a calmness that she hadn’t felt for a very long time.
Anne found an empty exercise book and began to journal every day. She acknowledged the ways her feelings were impacting her and how she had lost her sense of vitality and spark in her life. As she explored ways she could meet her needs, her thoughts turned to hobbies and activities she used to love when she was younger. One afternoon Anne pulled out her paints and easels from the back of a cupboard. She put on some music and began to paint. Minutes turned into hours and the stress, negativity, and frustration she had been feeling melted away.
A New Normal
Lockdown ended and life returned to normal for Anne and her family. Well, a new normal! Anne has learned to prioritise time for herself to do activities that fulfill her needs and bring her joy. Her family has all noticed new energy and spontaneity in her and they are loving it too!
If you are feeling disconnected from your feelings and needs, find out how The No-Fault Zone® Game can help you by clicking on the links below. We have seen many lives transformed through this simple tool and we would love to help you too.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NO-FAULT ZONE® GAME
