I wanted to remind you that the war in Ukraine continues, and the collections that are happening for the Ukrainian refugees are seeing a marked decrease in donations. But the need is still there. So please don’t stop giving. Keep collecting at your workplace or school or gym, keep putting an extra thing in your trolley for these people. Every little bit counts. There are a lot of places around the island which are acting as collection points, or you can deliver your donation directly to the Old Fire Station Asima, at the Son Castello Poligono in Palma, on Calle Picapedrers anyday between 9am and 6pm. If you don’t have the time or opportunity to donate items, but you would still like to help you can make a financial donation to IBAN: ES 07 2100 6805 9302 0006 6471 the account is in the name of “Asociacion de Ayuda a Ucrania”. The Association to Help Ukraine says that they do not need any clothes, shoes or blankets, and they would like people to avoid glass containers. BUT that they do need any and all of the following:
· Pharmacy and First Aid items: medicines and antibiotics in general, first aid materials, tweezers, round tipped scissors, back straps, bandages, gauze, sticking plaster, bandaids, adhesive stitches, disposable gloves, 96% alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, creams for burns, wet wipes, soap for cleaning wounds, digital thermometers, oral hydration powders, painkillers suitable for children, such as Dalsy or Apiretal.
· Food and Personal Hygiene items: canned, prepared food such as fruit, tuna, pate, fabada, beans, stews, dark chocolate bars, energy bars and nuts, powdered milk and cocoa powder, instant coffee, baby food, infant formula, fruit sachets, prepacked biscuits and pastries, sanitary pads and tampons, soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
· Survival and other items: sleeping bags, torches, batteries for phones and normal batteries, crutches, wheelchairs, binoculars, disposable tableware, camping cookers, military equipment.
Please don’t stop helping.
OH WEATHER, WHERE ART THOU?
If the weather has had you feeling down this week then you are not alone. The end of Winter and the beginning of Spring would normally see brighter days rather than two weeks of grey skies and drizzle… almost like that place where I used to live, now what was it called… oh yes, Britain. But the UK has had great weather recently and frankly I think it’s time that it gave Spain back its sunshine! This week I have been working very hard with clients to get them ready for the Easter season, preparing their social media profiles, shooting new images for them, and refreshing their websites. But I’ve been fighting the urge to just go back to bed and pull the duvet over my head. But when you have a mortgage you don’t need inspiration to work, you have other pressures which should ensure that you put the graft in.
On Monday morning, after a long and exciting weekend with the CrossFit athletes which I told you about in my last column, I sat in my office at my computer and just stared out of the window, unable to really get the work which I had to do done. What do you do in those situations? It depends, I think on who you are relying on for your income, because as in so many things, it comes down to who is paying the bill. If it’s your own responsibility then you have to rise to the occasion, even if you really don’t fancy writing about Advanced Dentistry Practices in Estonia (hypothetically, of course, sorry client if you are reading this, it isn’t that easy to write about zygomatic implants and I would like a raise).
What do you do in those situations when you need to get inspired? Personally I like to change locations. I might work from a cafe on a laptop with a frothy coffee by my side. Sometimes being in a public environment can stimulate some new urgency to get the work completed. Or if I feel physically sluggish I go to the gym and do a workout for an hour to clear my head and get the hormones pumping. Or if I am feeling overwhelmed then I make a list, prioritise what I have to do and just do the most important thing however hard it feels to do it. In the end there isn’t actually any magic, it is just applying some discipline and getting out of your own way to get the job done.
Whatever can stop the procrastination is definitely a good thing. Here’s some more ideas that I found online which might inspire you too.
· Replace your phone with a book at bedtime, try one of our local authors, like Anna Nicholas.
· Be okay with the need to pivot and change, what once served you might not work anymore for you.
· Go for a walk in nature, practice mindfulness, and lose track of time for a while.
· Try meditation or practice yoga outdoors.
· Take a camera outside and photograph anything that looks beautiful to you.
· Practice deep breathing techniques while listening to nature sounds.
· Watch a TED video to learn about inspiring ideas.
· Read articles or blogs written by people who have overcome adversity.
· Browse through inspirational quotes on Tiny Buddha.com where I got some of these ideas from.
· Share yourself vulnerably and authentically in a blog post or an article, — you have to give inspiration to receive it.
· Try something you’ve always assumed you can’t do but secretly wanted to try, next week I am going to be a cowboy for three days! More on that in a later article.
· Write a bucket list of all the things you’d like to do in your lifetime, then create a vision board with pictures of all of those things.
· Brainstorm for ideas for a new project, just let your brain have fun!
· Submit your CV for a dream job instead of assuming you can’t get it.
· Ask someone you love what they consider to be the most important thing they’ve ever learned.
· Ask everyone you see today what they’re grateful for.
· Ask someone to tell you about the thing they love the most in life, and watch how they light up sharing their passion.
· Notice what matters to someone and focus solely on how they experience it.
· Join an organisation of people making a positive difference in the world, like the Ukrainian Association
· Listen to music that moves you and think about what the songwriter felt when they wrote it.
· Make a list of all the ways your friends and family members are your heroes.
· Disconnect for a while and write in a journal.
· Make today the day you embrace a new healthy habit that can change your life for the better, like taking up a sport, or activity.
· Give yourself a pressure-free day with nothing to do, only the things you enjoy.
· Express yourself creatively in a way you never have before, by writing or taking photos for example, and see what comes in your mind and heart.
· Revisit something you created in the past—a blog post, a video, a drawing, or a project.
· Sing in the shower (I sing in the car…,sorry Trafico). Put your heart and soul into it and really gof for it!
· Recognise in yourself the strengths you see in other people.
· Make a conscious decision to let go of something that doesn’t serve you. Imposter syndrome, self doubt, envy of others? Let them go!
· Reflect on everything you’ve learned and accomplished and how you’ve made a positive difference in the world. Because you will have made differences, feel good about what you have already done.
Inspiration from forbes.com, tinybuddha, Psychology Today
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