Why it's ok not to have a master plan during lockdown

"What have you been up to?"

This is the question we find ourselves being asked - and asking others - on a daily basis. And with it comes pressure, an expectation. There is this idea that we need to be learning a new language, instrument or skill, taking on home projects, and constantly learning and improving ourselves.

First be honest with yourself and identify how you as a person work.

Me personally, I love cats and hot chocolate

If your coping mechanism is keeping yourself busy with home projects / cleaning furiously / writing the next big thing / learning a new instrument / whatever else floats your boat... good on you.

If however you want to catch up on throwback TV and films and be glued to your sofa, that's absolutely fine too. Don't beat yourself up or see yourself as a failure if you're not doing much these days. It's ok. Take things at your own pace. Do what feels right for you. And can I add, just because everyone is playing Sims 4 and Animal Crossing at the moment, doesn't mean you have to too. You do you.

I've been in both camps. Some weeks ago I was restless and couldn't face sitting around doing nothing. I tidied the house. I cooked up a storm. I didn't want to sit around watching TV because I felt guilty if I wasn't doing anything. I woke up at 4am or 5am a lot because I was so wired and couldn't sleep. I had so much excess energy.

Lately I've taken it down a notch all in the name of #selfcare. I still cook and tidy and busy myself, but I try and balance my day with both work AND down time. Getting into a morning routine really helped. I get up early each morning, drink a ton of water, do 20-30 minutes of exercise followed by a 30 minute yoga class, eat a nutritious breakfast and get dressed. Some days I wear pyjama trousers or loose trousers, but mostly I get dressed as I normally would to try and keep a sense of normalcy. I re-discovered old games like the original Sims (imagine!), Theme Hospital and many more which I have been trying to play in compatibility mode as touched upon here. I've also been watching lots of interiors shows (crazy happy that Your Home Made Perfect is back!) and discovered Masters of Flip #obsessed

Whilst my mind never completely settles, taking some time out with a candle / book / film / episode / magazine and a mug of tea / gin is a good first step. Taking time for yourself is not laziness or failure. It's about respecting your body and keeping it fully charged at this uncertain and let's be honest, mentally exhausting time.

What have you been up to? I'd love to know!

#13 Life as we know it

Brrrrrrrr! It's getting a touch nippy out isn't it? One equally chilly day, I caught up with some friends from uni for a spot of lunch along the South Bank - a favourite of ours as uni always used to be only a stone's throw away. And although we've visited the South Bank countless times now over the years, it never loses it's charm. Walking alongside the Thames with hands deep in pockets, we braved the cold for only so long until we sought refuge in Ping Pong. Glasses of steaming tea were perfect for warming ice cold fingers, and dim sum is ideal for indecisive people like me who want to try a bit of everything! I always really enjoy our time together. We've all gone our separate ways now and no longer live near each another (one of the gang now lives in Canada!) so these meet ups are really precious when they happen. After a warming and very satisfying meal, we all said our goodbyes - apart from Martin who I invited back to mine for a film. En route to the underground, we took a detour to Lola's in Waterloo station and bought a box of cupcakes to enjoy back at mine.

Forever indecisive, I picked four mini cupcakes; chocolate, passion fruit, and x2 red velvet. 

And when it's that cold out, a hot drink is a blessing on the tube (white hot chocolate in this instance!)

What you have you lovely lot been up to lately?