September is the start of Spring here in Australia.

Traditionally, it’s a time for spring-cleaning, flower-gazing, and the start of longer days as Summer beckons.

But this Spring feels heavy somehow.

With the latest announcement that no end date has been fixed for Lockdown 6.0 in Victoria, it feels like this limbo will never end.

When plans are repeatedly changed and cancelled, when school is on again and then suddenly it’s back to remote learning, when simple joys are taken away, when “you can” becomes “you can’t” overnight, it generates enormous stress and uncertainty, and takes a toll on mental and emotional health.

All of us need some amount of certainty to thrive, and introverts – young and old – have an especially strong need for certainty to feel safe.

So what do you do as an introvert going through a lockdown with no end date?

(1) Set yourself micro challenges that excite you.

Learn something new, reconnect with a hobby that you’ve neglected, start a project.

At the start of Lockdown 6.0, I challenged myself to make a video a day of myself playing the piano, which I would then share on Facebook with friends as a form of public accountability and encouragement.

I am up to Day 28 – which is a great way to keep track when you wake up and don’t know what day it is.

(2) Spring-clean your network.

Go through your list of contacts and decide if you still want to keep in touch (if so, send a DM to say hi) or if it’s time to move on.

As entrepreneur Peter Sage says, it’s important to upgrade your peer group and surround yourself with people with similar values and aspirations, who inspire you to be better and do more.

(3) Make fun plans for the future.

Even if you don’t know when lockdown will lift, it is still important to schedule into your diary things you enjoy, things that lift your spirits and make your heart sing.

Today, someone in my women’s group posted a beautiful picture of magnolias in blossom, so I suggested, why don’t we wear some shade of magnolia when we next meet for coffee in the city?

It’s a small but fun and special thing to do – and it gives us all something to look forward to.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend ahead.