When living in lockdown there are less surprises. No friends arriving on our doorstep without invitation. No tickets suddenly going on sale for a pop-up gig. No invitations to help neighbours finish off an excess of rosé that couldn't possibly go back in the fridge. Life becomes pretty predictable.

And as the world has turned crazy, many of us are finding control in our daily routines. These routines can be super useful. Sleeping at the same time every night means that we will be better rested for the next day. Eating together at the same times manages family’s expectations. Exercising at the same times means it’s more likely to happen.

The bummer is that every day can soon look like the others. Every day becomes Groundhog Day. We spend around 80% of our lives on autopilot. It’s all part of our brains fantastic design to save energy. What it practically means is that 80% of your day has been lived before.

These habits and routines automate the way that we live so we don’t have to think about them. Great for energy efficiency but rubbish for living a technicolour life. The truth is that today is unique. It has its own set of challenges and opportunities that have never been seen before. But when you’re on autopilot your brain can’t see those differences, it can only see the similarities.

Massive déjà do do.

Not only does this mean that we’re not being as attuned to the world in which we live and the people we share it with as we could be, but we will also turn today’s rainbow into shades of grey. We need experiences that lift our soul. We need to notice that today is amazing. We need to feel.

We therefore need to escape autopilot deliberately a few times a day if we’re going to bring our talents to life and taste the sweetness of this moment. To do that; break some habits. It’s that simple. Work in different spaces.

Take up a new hobby. If you always cook; get the kids to. Swap your side of the bed (blasphemy, I know!). Stop watching TV and using social media (these are fast tracks to autopilot!). Every 90 minutes do a little exercise. Go through your old record collection and play some dusty tunes that remind you how good life is.

If you are not deliberate about getting off autopilot; it will naturally take over more of your life as you become more and more habituated. When we get out of lockdown many people will be asking what just happened to the last three months?

Escape autopilot and yours won’t be wasted.

If you’re starting to think about life after lock down for you and your colleagues, then our Team Workshop is the perfect way to create the space for you all to process your experiences and re-connect brilliantly as a team again.

Read more about it here.

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Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

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