We have mostly all found that we have had time on our hands during the recent lockdowns that have happened across our world.  Without the ability to do some of the things in life that keep us happy or occupied, you will have found more free time ... even if you had been working in a 'long-hours' care role.

Hopefully you have been able to fill this new found time with precious things.

What were they for you?

Reading?
Getting Fit?
Tidying the attic?
Cleaning the car?
Decorating your home?
Talking & listening to people close to you - even if this was on a Zoom call !?

Do let us know what filled your time ... we would love to know.

Personally, as soon as I was allowed, I got outside as much as I could to get some 'me time'. I walked. I cycled. I tended to my garden. I ran - and I think I must have won the race by now! I have also spent many an hour with my nose in a book. For those who know me, I like to continue to learn, and lockdown seemed a great time to focus on that.

I have been busy reading about sports psychology. I have a degree in psychology, but when I left University, options for sports psychology as further study or as a career were limited.  More recently, you will struggle to find a team or individual at a professional level who does not have access to a sports psychologist.

What is sports psychology? Well, sports psychologists primarily work with athletes, coaches and referees, from amateur to elite-level. Their work is centred on how psychology, one's thoughts and behaviours, influences sport and how understanding these things can help to improve performance.

I am hooked and the process of re-engaging with my psychology background has made me think about my own performance in life and about the teams I am in. Teams like my close family, my wider family, my work and so on.

As a close family we have spent a lot of time together. A lot! Probably more than enough! The dynamics changed and we have worked hard to look at our own psychology, our needs and the way we interact. We cared about this and spent time on it.

As a work team, it has been the opposite. We have not seen enough of each other as we all worked from home.  Zoom calls excepted, we had not seen each other at all for around 6 months as we had not been in our offices together. But we did think about what we needed as employees as well as individuals away from work.  Things were different and our needs were definitely different. Again, we cared about this and spent time on it.

At From You To Me as a team, we have spent time looking at the big picture and what is truly important for us, for our products and for our customers. We worked on sorting out the little issues that sometimes stop the important things from happening.

We have also worked hard on our strategy and done many things that you normally seem to struggle to find the time to do. Some of these initiatives have already freed up even more time, so we have really engaged in supporting our customers during these strange times.

Our products have provided much needed solace for people who have been unable to see their family and friends and we have been quick to support customers whether they are the users of our products or the retailers who sell them.

We have recognised that our bricks and mortar retail customers around the world were suddenly thrown into a very difficult position where they were unable to trade and many, unable to pay their bills. We have cared and extended credit terms for them and then worked to help them offer our products as either drop-ship items or print on demand through their own developing websites.

For the end user of our books and journals, we have continued to work safely to get gifts delivered to people across the world as fast as we could. We also gave one title away as a free gift ... and we are continuing this offer now.

Please go our Facebook Post to see full details and get your own free copy of  'Messages for you - while you are Away' to help you feel closer to your own family or friends.

What we also noticed was how many of our customers chose to send one of our Journals of a Lifetime to their family & friends. They missed them. They knew that many of them had time on their hands too.
The messages that have been sent with the gifts summed up how meaningful these journals are ...

"I miss you Grandma. Please can you complete this journal for us so I can learn more about you ..."

"Dad, I know you will enjoy this journey as you work your way through this journal. I am proud to know you and can't wait to be with you again soon."

"You are so special Mum and not being with you has made me think of so many things I do not know about you and of so many questions I want to ask you. I saw this and knew straight away it was the perfect gift for you ... for me!"

What more can we say?

Time on our hands ... time to think differently ... time to reflect ... time to care ... time to do things better ... time to make our own world a better place.

Neil

(Neil is the founder of From You To Me and can be contacted on Linked In, Twitter or through Email.)