It’s been a good long while since I last posted on here, about 18 months in fact. While we’re coming out the other side of the global Covid pandemic, it’s not over yet and I guess we’ll never be fully shot of it. I succumbed in February, after being so careful for two years, but thankfully it was just like a bad head cold with really blocked sinuses, so I’m grateful it wasn’t a lot worse. My triple-vaxxed status probably helped!

Anyway, I didn’t post during the last 18 months because all everyone (including myself) ever seemed to talk about was the dreaded ‘rona, and even I was sick of it and didn’t see the point in talking about it on here. What more was there to say? Well now, at long last, we’re back to ‘normal’ …except of course we’re not. I’m really fortunate to have kept my job in amongst all the economic devastation of the past couple of years, and like many, I’ve been working from home since March 2020. Even up until the last few months I always thought (or naively hoped) that eventually we’d get back to the office and be able to see people in the actual flesh, and get back to a familiar pattern of working. My office is open now, but it’s hot desks only, and having been in a few times, it really in no way what I would call a normal working environment. I spend so much time on video calls that I might as well be at home instead of in the office. This lack of face-to-face connection is having a huge impact for me, as I’m sure it is for so many of us. I was really lucky to get away to Lanzarote two weeks ago to catch up with my fabulous pirate buddies after a 3 year hiatus. Actually spending time with people made me realise just how much daily connection I’m missing, and it puts a whole different slant on life and work.

To that end, I’m making some changes. I’ve applied to go part-time at work, reducing from 5 days a week to 4 days, mostly to allow a better work-life balance, but also to allow me to start a little side hustle as a massage therapist 🙌🏼 It is not in play yet, but hoping this will be possible later in the year. Last September I started a Swedish Massage Therapy course with the fantastic Western School , and I qualified at the start of May, woo hooo! I’m in the process of working out some details but hope to officially start taking on clients as a therapist very soon. Watch this space! In October I’m also starting a nine-month remedial and sports therapy course with the Western School which will really enhance my skills and give me scope to expand the business. The last two years have really made me question what’s important, and building and maintaining face-to-face connections is key, whether it’s in my personal or work life, so I’m working on improving that longer term.

In terms of slowly transforming my working life, I’m also working on transforming my health. I’ve been round this buoy a few times as my one or two readers will know 😁, so I’m focussing on that again. Ultimately, I can’t keep using covid & lockdowns for being a lazy sod and sitting on the couch constantly eating anymore, sadly! Not that it was ever a good excuse, but since when has that mattered?! 😉

So I’ll do my best to post a little bit more regularly, and update progress on the massage and health transformation fronts. Wish me luck! 🍀