You may have heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs being mentioned on social media over the last few weeks.  It explains what we need in order to survive, and how over these times, actually sometimes we just need to focus on the basics.

Feeling safe is one of these basics.  It can be very hard to think about a new career path, finding a new job, or even rewriting our CV, when our foundations are feeling very unstable and there are so many unknowns out there.

Talking on a group call recently, and we were discussing how we feel safe.  One of the ways just before lockdown for me was to fill my car up with petrol.  Ironic as we weren't allowed to go anywhere, but that felt right for me.  There would have been many reasons why people panic-shopped, but I can imagine for a large proportion it was around feeling safe, whether it was a conscious thing or not.

What can feeling safe look like for you?  On the call I mentioned, there was a real feel of needing to have a purpose helped people to feel safe.  I have one friend who has posted amusing things on his Facebook feed, and when I talked to him about it, he said it was to break up the tirade of fear and conspiracy etc that can sometimes collect there.  For others it has been connecting with friends, supporting neighbours or the elderly, for others, fundraising, whatever that purpose is, it has helped people feel grounded and safe.

Something else that came up on the call, was support, and being really specific with this.  Identifying those friends that we can call upon, others that maybe we can be distracted by and just have a giggle.  We may not ever need to call on them, but just identifying who they are, can be really helpful.

For me, its also around having a physical space.  A spot that I can go to and hunker down for a bit.  Do you have a spot at home, in the garden or local to you, maybe by the river or down at the beach, that help you feel connected to Papatuanuku and safe?

Maybe it is through meditation, yoga, other practices, that help you get out of the overwhelm of fear in your head, connect in with your body and soul, and feel grounded once more.

How about spending some time thinking about what it is for you, so not only can it become part of a regular routine, you also have it up your sleeve for those times that those foundations are feeling a bit unstable.

And one last thing, don't forget to put the team at the Taranaki Retreat down in your support crew.  Always here.

There's a inevitable frustration that comes with the not-knowing, and that's having an impact - sometimes in subtle ways - and, for some of us, in running low on patience. 
Those of us who are planners need order where there's that lack of clarity - or even a stressful feeling of chaos and overload. With that in mind - having a go at "if this, then that" - as a scribbled flowchart can be helpful to mind, if it is racing.

The Retreat is here as part of a tapestry of a Community doing 'Recovery Together" - Kotahitanga. Last week we shared some of the contents of kete for support through Grief and Loss.  This week our focus is on Tough Times. Economics. As most of us have experienced, financial problems can impact every area of our lives, and easily spiral out of control.  Some of us face the terrors of that spiral right here, right now. We want to support you and yours through this.... We have excellent friendships with Budget Services and Grant-Making Bodies - we can help you when you're just not sure where to turn. 

In our Kete for Tough-Times, we also offer:

1. Support from our Awesome Coach
What does the next chapter look like?  Know something needs to change but not sure what?  Time spent with our Life Coach can give a fresh perspective on where you are at, a reminder of what is important, some understanding of what might have got in the way in the past, and what may be some new avenues to pursue next.

2. A Business Brainstorm
A session with a business coach may help bring some clarity on what your options are or some ideas as as to how the business can be tweaked in these changing times.  Maybe you are thinking of going self-employed or starting something and want to have a chat with someone as to whether this is viable or what some next steps might be.

3. Outreach Support Visits/Advocacy
Regular, informal catch ups face to face with a support worker to chat and be listened to. It’s a regular get together to discuss what’s been happening for you and to download what’s on your mind. This can be done in a place you are comfortable and feel safe, such as a visit to Taranaki Retreat or somewhere else like a cafe, the park or a beach.

4. Support Checkins
For some people, meeting face to face can be challenging. We understand that everyone is different and has their own way of doing things or perhaps you live out of the area but still need to chat? Whatever method you prefer to use to communicate is no problem for us. We can catch up regularly with you via email, phone, text or Skype to name a few.
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5. Health and Wellbeing sessions
Self care is an essential part of our wellbeing, and even more so when things are tough.  Sadly it is often the thing that goes out the window first.  These sessions come in many forms, and can be a great starting place to ensure that we are filling up our tanks first.  When we have our tanks full we have much more capacity to deal with what we are facing at the time, whether this be finding a job, dealing with staff, communicating with WINZ, starting a new venture.

We know these are tough times for many but if you are in position to offer some help, please consider supporting us.  You can make a donation easily from our website or if you like to know exactly where your money will be used you can choose to Shout someone a stay, or a therapeutic session or a meal - have a look here for the options available.  We appreciate every donation made towards our work, it all adds up to make a difference.  Together, we can BE the change we want to see.   And if you have a great fundraising idea (right now we need to think about alternative and out-of-the-box ways to fundraise) then we would love to hear from you!

No reira, tēna koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katou.
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Jamie Allen, Executive Officer and a guy who wishes he had the hair left to shave...

You may have heard quite a bit recently, about how things will look different moving forward.  Restaurants and cafes working out new seating arrangements, schools coming up with new ways of running, workplaces entertaining the idea of teams working a lot more from home.

Sometimes it can feel quite overwhelming, but then there are also the thoughts out there of what have we learnt during this time, about ourselves, our habits, the wider community and beyond.  We have heard stories of Papatuanuku having a chance to breathe once more and to heal.  We have seen how communities have got together and connected while still abiding by physical distancing rules.  We have seen how there have been some amazing fundraising efforts still going on.  We have seen how people have reconnected, and even been trying new activities.

I feel there needs to be a balance between the two, to comprehend the seriousness of what the situation could have been, but also to really acknowledge some of the things that have come out of this time too.  At a team hui last week, the word rhythm came up three times.  After it had come up twice, I thought to myself if it comes up once more I will write about it.  Sure enough...  

Whether it is the rhythm of the moon and the tides, the seasons changing, the beginning and ending of old relationships and the beginning of ones, whether it is doors closing while others open, whether it is the rhythm of the sun rising, only to set again in the evening.  All rhythms constantly happening in our world, consciously or not.

While I was writing I went to substitute the word routine, but it didn't feel right.  Maybe routine was common in our world before COVID, but maybe finding our rhythm is key now.  We have experienced what a slower world feels like, we have made do without access to a lot of shops for a fair few weeks now, we have been without the pressures of go, go, go, where busyness seems to be a status of success or something to compete with.

How could the rhythm of your life change in a positive way moving forward?  What are some things that you may have done differently recently that could be sustainable?  

Henry David Thoreau said "if a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears the beat of a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”