{"id":3481,"date":"2021-10-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/?p=3481"},"modified":"2021-10-13T12:58:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T01:58:28","slug":"5-tips-for-re-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2021\/10\/14\/5-tips-for-re-opening\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips For Re-Opening"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Liz Sharkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 has done a lot of things to the way we live our lives. We can\u2019t read facial expressions behind a mask, handshakes have been replaced with awkward elbow bumps. We\u2019ve missed milestone birthdays, a planned holiday, attending a wedding and maybe the opportunity to farewell a loved one who died. Simple freedoms that we took for granted were taken away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we edge closer to the double vaxed goal, and we look towards reopening, how is everyone feeling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My week has been filled with lots of online webinars from employment lawyers and health and safety experts discussing the pros, cons and legalities of only opening to double vaccinated clients. I\u2019ve also been helping some NSW therapists complete their COVIDSafe plans. Despite my knowledge and understanding of the processes, I still have fears about returning to my own clinic room. I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only one, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we overcome these fears? How do we look forward to the \u2018living with COVID\u2019 life? How do we feel comfortable sitting in the audience of a live band with hundreds of others? How do we plan for celebrations with our nearest and dearest at Christmas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are some suggestions for things I\u2019m planning on doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Know your boundaries and stick to them.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We had a family funeral (capped at 20 people) during one lockdown. I knew there was going to be a lot of hugging and a lot of tears. It wasn\u2019t that I didn\u2019t want to hug family members \u2013 I was just not comfortable doing it in the middle of a pandemic. As they approached, I gave a bit of a wave and said, \u201cso nice to see you but I\u2019m not ready to hug\u201d. This raised a few eyebrows but I was not going to put myself in a situation I wasn\u2019t comfortable with to make them feel better. Going forward, I\u2019m going to stick to my guns. No hugs or kisses for me for a long time to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Accept that some people just don\u2019t want to know. Control what you can control.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Researching and fact-finding is my coping mechanism and it\u2019s taken most of this pandemic to learn that not everyone copes that way. Ventilation and air exchange rates are simply irrelevant to some people and that\u2019s OK. So long as they aren\u2019t hurting me, that\u2019s fine. If they don\u2019t have the COVIDsafe standards that I feel are necessary, then I just don\u2019t go there. My favorite restaurant has crappy ventilation \u2013 I get takeaway and eat it in the park. The hairdresser has her air conditioner running full pelt all day \u2013 book an early morning appointment. I can\u2019t save everyone, but I can protect me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Go slowly and go gently.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

COVID has taught us what is important to us. Don\u2019t try to be everything to everyone and remember to put yourself first. Don\u2019t feel the need to schedule every client that asks for a booking in the first week. They have all survived this long, they can wait a bit longer. And you can return to work in a measured, sustainable and safe way. You are going to be wary, you are going to be suspicious of every sneeze, even if it is just hay fever. You are going to be working in an environment where people have been experiencing unprecedented stresses in their everyday life. It is OK to say \u201cno\u201d and it is also OK to pause your business if things get a bit hairy in your local area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Acknowledge that every person has had a different experience with COVID and everyone will be triggered and sensitive in different ways.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some may have home schooled 3 under 10. Others may have had to quarantine with a not so nice partner, some may have thrived and gotten fit, others may have gained weight and not be terribly comfortable in their own body. Take the time to listen to you family, your friends, your colleagues, and your clients. You don\u2019t need to offer any advice, you just need to listen with an open mind and some empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Be kind to yourself and kind to others.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Try to do the things you missed during lockdown. Go for a weekend away, go see your new niece, have a BBQ with your brother. Thank the person at Coles that stacks the shelves, thank the postie who delivered all those online orders and send a thankyou note to that teacher who not only had their own kids at home but also did their best to engage and teach your child as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further Reading<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Why You Might Feel Anxious Returning to Normal After Lockdown \u2013 And How to Cope<\/a> (from The Conversation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping Your Client Get Help<\/a> (AMT Blog)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art of the Counselling Referral<\/a> (AMT Blog)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Liz Sharkey is a Remedial Massage Therapist from Melbourne, and has way too much experience on the lockdown rollercoaster. COVID led her to diversify and reskill, so as well as reopening her massage clinic when restrictions lift, she\u2019ll be juggling a new part time job in Aged Care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fearful of re-opening after lockdown? Liz Sharkey shares her favourite coping tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,110,174],"tags":[614,617,338,608,830,832,831],"class_list":["post-3481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amt","category-clinical-practice","category-resources","tag-covid-19","tag-covidsafe","tag-liz-sharkey","tag-re-open","tag-resources","tag-suggestions","tag-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/cat-912291_640.jpg?fit=640%2C426&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3680,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2023\/03\/21\/when-will-amt-be-hosting-face-to-face-events-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":3481,"position":0},"title":"When will AMT be hosting face-to-face events again?","author":"admin","date":"21\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When shall we 3500 meet again? 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