I wonder whether I’m being a bit presumptuous writing this. Then I think, if just one thing I say makes a difference to even one person, that’s good enough for me. So I’m giving it my best shot. As one of my favourite authors Brene Brown would say, I’m being awkward, brave, and kind. Please be gentle with me as you read.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives forever. Many people I’ve spoken to have talked about how it has challenged their perspective. They’re going to do things differently from here forwards. It’s brought a new understanding of what’s important to them.
For most, they’ve realised how much they were running around chasing their tails. I very much fit into that category. There’s this job to do, this meeting to get to, this club to go to, this person to see, this place to visit. We don’t take the time to, as they say, smell the roses. Many have realised how important friends and family are.
Mental health has been brought to peoples’ attention in a way that it never was before. Depression and anxiety has hit many of those who had never experienced it before. Those who had experienced it tended to find it was worse. One of my favourite phrases from the pandemic was “We are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.”
As for the kids, time will tell what effect it has had on them. There are babies who have never been allowed to hug anyone other than their immediate family. Primary school children who are fixated on washing their hands, until they are red raw. Children and young adults in exam years who have suffered immense stress. University students who have had an experience like no other.
And that’s without even thinking about the economic implications.
So now, as much as any other time, seems a good time to focus on how to be happier. In this short book, I’m going to talk through a few ideas that have been helpful to me. We’ve all been through our own traumas, our own life experiences. But there are themes, concepts, practices that can be helpful in many cases. And if just one of these suggestions is useful to you in some way, then I’m glad that I wrote this book.
© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio 2021
Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity and compassion
