Well… what a year this has been so far and apparently we're only in April??? 

 

Isolation is certainly taking its toll on me and we’re only in our fourth week. It’s crazy how such a short amount of time can still affect you. We have to remember it’s not necessarily a case of being ‘stuck at home’ it's more of being ‘safe at home’ right now and having a healthy family is all that matters. I am currently still working through this pandemic as I work with fire fighter uniforms, if it wasn't for myself and my colleagues fire stations around the world would be short of clean and usable kits. It does concern me being a key worker during this time as so many people are still dying, it’s clear the virus can be caught anywhere and it’s not just people with underlying health issues who are being affected anymore. 

 

Being in isolation makes me think about a lot, and it makes me miss a lot too. I think if it wasn't for everything I went through with Mum then there's a chance I could have been the type of person to take everything for granted. But I grew up in an environment where you had no choice but to hold onto everything and be grateful for all that there was. I’ll never forget what I’ve been blessed with, but it is easy to let things go over your head sometimes as I’m sure we all have once or twice in our lives. A lot of people are experiencing grief right now. All across the world people are grieving for the loss of a family member or friend, which by far takes the lead in the worst type of grief. But it’s important to address the grief of our everyday routines. Not only am I still massively grieving for my Mum who passed away almost two years ago (wow!!!), but now I’m missing everything I would do after work or on the weekends. Simply not being able to arrange brunches with my friends or even being able to sit in my sisters house and just watch films is really hard to process. It’s the little things that matter the most, and it’s the little things I think we’re all missing right now. Being able to meet up with my friends was such a big distraction for me and would help me deal better with the loss of my Mum, not having that and not knowing how long it is until life goes back to normal again is hard and very testing. I only have myself as a distraction, but there's only so much I can do by myself in my home and it’s only a matter of time until I could potentially go back downhill again. 

 

Being in isolation has made me lose myself a little bit, and when I say a little bit I really mean all of me... Not being able to go to the gym has been the worst part of all of this. Cardio is a big fat no from me because quite frankly I can’t breathe after three minutes, so I don’t even bother going for runs. Home workouts are hard with minimal motivation, so I never tried to do any but I’ve finally got my hands on some weights and exercise DVDS which is starting to help me find myself bit by bit. It’s so important to release those endorphins when you’re feeling low, because it really does boost your spirits back up. My body is aching again and I won’t lie, I have missed that feeling. The pain after the gym was always so good and rewarding so it’s nice to remind myself what that was like. 

 

There’s already a lot of pressure being a girl in this world, but now this has happened I feel so much more pressured to still be posting good pictures of myself and feeling confident. I hope I am not the only one who's struggling to find themselves attractive right now. My hair needs dying, I need both a mani and pedi, my skin needs some tan, and I won’t even get started on my eyebrows. All of this had me so stressed that I deactivated my instagram (which is nothing unusual for me), as I can’t deal with all of the beautiful people I follow looking good during quarantine. It’s so hard not to criticize yourself at a time like this, you have all day to yourself so really, what else is there to do? There’s a lot I will be doing once isolation is over and when we’re safe to go outside again. I have plans set in place that will change a lot for myself, and I seriously cannot wait to get back to the gym to not only rebuild my mental health again but to get the body back that I had before lockdown. I wouldn’t say I’ve been eating bad during this, but I definitely could eat better… that’s if I can find any broccoli in the supermarkets!!

 

I used to do art in school and photography and dance in college so I’ve always been a creative person, just like what my Mum was. Even to begin with at the start of lockdown I became so bored of going on my phone and watching stuff on tv. I decided to go to WHSmith and buy a load of water colours and acrylic paints to start doing something fun with my weekends. It refreshed my brain and also it made me remember how much fun it was when I was always creating stuff for my coursework etc. I then downloaded Tik Tok (which by the way is so addictive), to film my paintings in creative ways and post them for the public to see. This has kept me busy and productive, alongside the home workouts. 

 

  Things to do whilst in isolation -

 

• Start a new hobby. For example; drawing or painting, learning dance routines via Youtube, learn a new language, learn new makeup tricks

• Read a book. Some good self motivating books that you can purchase online are ‘Good Vibes Good Life’, ‘You Are a Badass’ and ‘Make Your Bed: Small things that can change your life… and maybe the world’

• House DIY - Start decorating the things you’ve never had the time to do, you certainly have a lot of time now!

• Make a mood board. This could be of all the things you’re grateful for, your future plans and goals, things that inspire you etc.

• Exercise. Get those endorphins flowing! It doesn't matter how long you exercise for, quality over quantity applies to this

• Self care. Take care of your skin and drink lots of water; start a skincare routine and do some face masks. You can even create your own homemade face masks which is something fun and different to try, you can find recipes via google

• Create a time capsule. Something fun to do if you are isolating with children!

• Date night. Create a romantic setting in your garden, balcony or living room - whichever space suits you. Add fairy lights, put a blanket and some pillows on the floor, make some nice food and spend some quality time together

• Make some Tik Toks. Honestly, it doesn't make you uncool for doing them. It’s a coping mechanism for some people, and it's actually so fun to watch what videos people from all across the world have made

• Start writing. Create a blog like mine! The website I used to create my own page is wix.com, the world is your oyster - write whatever inspires you

• Start a Youtube channel. I saw a tweet the other day about how 'so many people are now doing Youtube’, it really does not matter. Youtube is huge, and it certainly has space for your new channel. If it is something you’ve always dreamt of doing do not let anyone discourage you from doing it

 

Those are some ideas which might help inspire people who are struggling with motivation etc. I will say however, no one has to feel like they need to do anything at all whilst in isolation. Everyone is different, everyone handles life differently and if you choose to keep things simple that really is okay, you definitely do not have to learn anything new just because you see that others are. Do whatever it is that will help you to get through this, just try to keep as positive as possible. 

 

It’s certainly things like a global pandemic that will change people's perspectives, it’s resetting us and reminding us of the things that are most important in life. I asked people what they were grateful for via instagram, and the reply that most caught my eye was ‘being able to see, touch, hear, smell, taste and walk’. These are the most important things to be grateful for, as well as your health and your family's safety. Life is so precious so we do really need to be thankful for all that we are blessed with. The uncertainty of how many more deaths there will be and how long we will be in lockdown for, is unsettling and so hard on all of us. As long as we abide by the rules, and we work together we can end this faster.

 

Stay home, stay safe, stay positive, stay hopeful and stay grateful.