A ‘new normal’ is a phrase we are hearing a lot about lately.

I remember a few years back (May 17) having to adjust to a ‘new normal’ in my life. I’d been thrown off my mountain bike as I hit a blind bend at about 20k and did a whole lot of damage to my left knee, leg, ankle and foot.

Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the gory details!

Let’s just say that in that moment I created a ‘new normal’ for myself.

It looked like having a cast on my leg from hip to toe, walking around on crutches and non-weight baring while trying to do all the normal things that I took for granted, such as making a cup of tea.

It looked like finding new ways to do things, such as eat!

It resulted in me putting a plate, cutlery and food in a plastic bag, then onto my crutch handle as I couldn’t use my hands and be mobile at the same time.

It meant building up my muscle strength, bending my knee, learning to walk unaided, run and jog again.

It wasn’t easy but I got through it and came out stronger for it because out of adversity comes strength.

I want to share my knowledge and mindset around how to adapt to a new normal and how to create structure in what seems like a very unstructured world.

For many of us we have been used to working in an office, surrounded by our co-workers and having a certain structure to our days.

The ‘after’

It’s important to remember that what we are going through is just for now, not forever.

A great way to shift our mindset to help us get through these difficult times is to plan for the ‘after’. Assistants are great at planning; they are resourceful and brilliant at finding solutions to issues, it’s what they thrive on.

Make sure you focus on your skills and keep learning and growing so you can be a huge asset to your Executive and your company after we have come out the other side of this. It will also help you to create a new focus, an end point in your journey.

One day at a time

Just focus on the present moment, on one day at a time and become aware of what you have achieved today, even if that means not smothering your partner with a pillow as he leaves a mess in the kitchen sink again.

All we have is today.

Schedule your tasks

When you’re used to the structure and interaction of an office environment with certain start times, breaks and finish times it can be difficult to adjust. Creating a structure is hugely important and within that make sure you allow time for exercise/movement and interaction with others so that you are not going through the whole day alone or just with your family members.

Here’s how I structure my day…

By having specific time slots and a specific start time and end time each day it helps me feel calmer, more in control and gives me things to look forward to.

If urgent or unexpected things come in, I just shift the timings then follow along as normal. This process gives me a daily structure and allows me to connect with others and fit in self-care too. I hope it helps you too.