Staying Sassy during Lockdown.

Many of us would never have guessed 2020 would have seen the majority of the world on Lockdown. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’ve been working on numerous side hustles, exercising everyday and babbling on about how great it is to have all this free time. NOPE. In fact, it’s taken me several weeks to come to terms with the situation and get to a stage where I can blog and do all the things I’m about to list below.

Below are some things I’ve been doing to keep me occupied and sane whilst staying indoors. Before you read it I want to remind you that you shouldn’t feel guilty about not making the most of the free time. Now more than ever it’s the time to rest, reset and prioritise your purpose and people in your life. You don’t need to be working on a new side hustle, unless of course that’s what makes you happy or keeps you sane. AND you certainly do not need to feel guilty if all you want to do is binge TV shows and movies. Do what YOU want to do and what makes YOU feel good about yourself.

Workout from home.

I went from going to the gym a minimum of 5 times a week to pretty much not exercising for at least 4 weeks. While I do miss my gym workouts – more so the heavy weights – I’ve now got into a regular exercise routine largely thanks to fitness bloggers. Pre lockdown life I was a fan of hitting the gym before work so I do enjoy a workout before I start my work from home day. It gives me some regularity, which I find helps so much right now.

The below fitness grams are what has helped get me back into a workout routine and I highly recommend you give them a follow for some workout from home inspiration on the timeline.

Dannie Belle – This PT has a home workout for all areas of your body so you don’t need to skip leg day.

Rebecca Louis – Before I discovered the gym I was a fan of Rebecca’s easy home workouts found on her Youtube channel. She now has great workouts to do from home on her Instagram too.

Massy Arias – If you want a more intense workout Massy is your girl.

Podcasts and Playlists.

Positive vibes are much appreciated right now and I find the below Podcasts are great to keep me inspired.

Oprah’s Supersoul Conversations – It’s Oprah, with a ton of great guests, need I say anymore. The episode with JLo is a fav.

InCharge with DVF – Diana von Furstenberg is a legend and she’s recently launched her own podcast, which sees her having conversations with some kick ass females.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty – Jay Shetty is just all round positive vibes!

Playlist -We put together a Spotify Lockdown playlist, because music is the one when you need a pick me up.

Reading List.

Perfect opportunity to get through the long reading list. My list is massive so I am slowly making my way through it. I love reading as I find it a great way for escapism or to keep me inspired (obviously depends on what I’m reading). Below are some inspiring books I’ve read over the past few weeks:

Girl on Fire – I’ve been a fan of the Champagne Diet for years and was super excited to Cara’s latest offering. It’s perfect if you need some inspiration right now.

Think and Grow Rich – It’s a book I’ve been meaning to read for years and whilst I found it to be overly wordy, the premise of it was great.

The Power of Positive Thinking – It’s a great way to remind yourself of the importance of staying positive.

Learning a new skill

Ok, so I am not saying you have to use this time to learn something new. You really don’t. However, I don’t know about you but I need to keep my mind occupied to keep me sane and I’ve found language podcasts have been helping me do this. Just search on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for a language you want to learn and you will find some great podcasts that you can listen to whenever you feel like it! I’m currently using the below:

Coffee Break Spanish – I’ve been wanting to learn Spanish for years. I find the short and sweet episodes break down the language into achievable learnings.

Learn Hindi with LinguaBoost – Binging Bollywood movies is my go to at the moment (pure escapism) and whilst watching movies is great for brushing up my Hindi, I find this podcast another great way to top up my Hindi.

Getting creative

I find painting really enjoyable and trust me when I say you don’t need to be as Picasso in the making. I’m a firm believer everyone can draw and paint.

Abstract Art – I love throwing paint on a canvas, whilst listening to Jazz music. It’s really therapeutic. There are plenty of youtube videos out there to give you some inspiration if feel a bit apprehensive about throwing paint freely on a canvas.

Drawing – Eyes are your insight into the soul and I love drawing them. I actually love drawing portraits. Again everyone can do it and there are plenty of youtube videos to get you started.