Webinar: How to stay mentally strong in a third lockdown

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe)

With ten months into an altered way of living and still no sign of the finish line, leading Irish Psychologists with Perspectives Ireland say it’s difficult for people to find strength when hope is in short supply.

With a combined 30 years of experience under their belts, Yvonne Barnes-Holmes and Ciara McEnteggart tell how people, in times of crisis, are often pleasantly surprised about how much strength they actually have.

Yvonne Barnes-Holmes said: “January is a difficult month when we all have to dig deep into our psychological reserves to keep going. And with a third lockdown now enforced, keeping going is an even greater challenge this year. To coincide with what’s known as Blue Monday on January 18, we’re hosting a free 40-minute webinar on how to find the strength you need to keep going through the third lockdown and not let hopelessness or lack of motivation weigh you down.”

Ciara McEnteggart added: “We have seen clients overcome huge challenges by drawing strength from small daily routines and self-care and then use this strength to get them closer to their dreams, one step at a time. Even when dreams seem far away, it’s vital we hold onto them, but we need to know where the strength for doing this comes from. This webinar is about drawing strength from everyday to get you through another lockdown and keep your dreams alive for when that time comes around.”

Perspectives Ireland suggest some ways to find strength you didn’t know you had and which will help you to get the most out of every day so you can hold onto your dreams for tomorrow.

Hold onto big plans for later: Dreams make us the people we want to be in the future and can give us the life we want to live. Dreams hold the key to future meaning, which makes them essential for our journey through life. It’s all the more important if we can’t realise our dreams today to hold onto them for tomorrow.

Make a list of your top three dreams for the future and keep that list somewhere close to you.

Make small plans for each day: When we can’t realise big plans, it is especially important to make small ones that are achievable every day. Just the act of planning itself gives us motivation and makes us feel alive. Here are some examples: make sure you talk to someone every day, try to do a kind deed every day and do something for yourself every day.

Realise small plans every day – When plans become action, they become achievements, and achievements give us strength. If you keep realising your plans today, it gives you the strength for tomorrow.

Perspectives Ireland are running a free 40-minute webinar to discuss these issues and advise people how to find strength in these difficult times. For more information, visit www.perspectivesireland.ie