Hi everyone, welcome back to another post. I realised I’ve not written a post for a whole month…March has been different to say the least. The whole world is pretty much in either isolation, lockdown or confusion due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. This has clearly rattled with a lot of peoples minds and has affected families dearly. I wish you all safety, health and love. Be safe and keep your families safe during this difficult time.
I’m sure all of you are keeping up-to-date about the virus and everything that is currently going on, so I won’t delve too deeply into facts and figures. I want you all to know, as my fellow readers, that i’m sticking to my blogging and to create content for you all. I think it’s incredibly important to remind people about happy times and interesting tasks that they can achieve whilst possibly self-isolating or staying away from it all. My blog is a space for myself to be creative, but it’s also a place for comfort and hopefully a good read haha! What do i know aye.
So as of today, i’m getting back into the swing of things again, back into my blogging routine and constantly creating content for you all via social media and here. I’ve been more active on my instagram so go check it out for some vintage fashion content and styling.
University has been a whirlwind recently, due to handing in A LOAD OF PROJECTS, but also now that this has all been happening with COVID-19. My uni is following WHO and government guidelines and has officially closed until further notice. I think this is definitely the best idea as universities are busy places, but it’s taking a toll on my concentration levels and creative juices flowing…or not flowing at all.
I’m in my third & final year of university studying Fashion Promotion & Communication. I have three or four projects and assignments to complete before i’m officially finished with uni altogether. But staying indoors doing all this uni work is harder than it sounds. I don’t mind staying indoors at all, but i’m a sun baby. I heavily rely on the weather and mainly sunshine to help me be positive and much more awake and motivated to do all this work. So I now need to schedule myself to take time off and actually go outside for a walk or just to sit in my garden. Basically what i’m trying to say is that i’m much more active when i’m outside or get the chance to have breaks every now and again.
As so many universities (possibly all) in the UK are closed due to the situation, as well as many small independents and large businesses, pubs and stores are closing, I think now is the perfect time to write a post just to allow you to be calm and have a moment to think about other things you can achieve in this unknown lengthy time-frame. I don’t want to go on too much in this post about the current situation, so I would rather talk to you about ways that you can calm yourself if you’re feeling pressure and just overwhelmed by it all – it’s completely understandable. So let’s get into it!
For me, my anxiety has gotten worse recently due to not wanting to get too close to others or just the fact i have so much work to do but feeling literally ZERO percent of motivation. When this happens, I tend to stay in bed, snack a LOAD and just be lethargic and the ‘cba with anything’ vibe. To get myself out of this funk i’m in, I have to complete a few tasks in order to actually feel slightly better.
- Have a shower – being clean even when you’re staying inside all day is such a great wake up call. Or if you shower in the evenings or whatnot, having a shower just makes you not only more awake but sooo refreshed. The feeling of being refreshed is so important as it allows your body and mindset to be on the same level and think ‘yeah now i’m ready for the day’. Showering is definitely top on my list if i’m feeling in the ‘cba for life’ mood.
- Clean room – this is a weird one but stay with me, I first clean my room then have a shower (wrong order but you get my drift). Having a clean space is brilliant to get stuff done. I enjoy having room to move around whether thats for exercise or doing work all day or just needing a fresh area to work in. Cleaning my room is a great way to get rid of anything you don’t want and also a great way to get your mind off other things.
- Get ready for the day – this is also a weird one but as i said previously, if i’m overloaded with anxiety i tend to hide away in my room for the day and just end up feeling sluggish and gross. I do love having bed days, but theres a difference between actual set ‘comfy chill bed days’ and this. But what makes me happier is getting ready for the day even if you’re not going anywhere in particular. I find myself more ‘on the ball’ when i’m ready. Choosing an outfit to wear sometimes takes me a lil while, as I go through about 5 outfits to then finally pick one hahah, but getting the outfit on is just a good task to set yourself up for the day ahead.
- TED Talks – I can’t emphasise enough how much i personally enjoy watching TED Talks. Depending on what you’re interested in, TED Talks can vary in literally any topic and i’m sure there would be one for what you’re interested in. But just listening to a different topical subject is a great way to get your mind off either uni work or life in general. Or if you’re into podcasts, have a listen and just relax for an hour. Have time for yourself.
- ART / Designing – so my degree isn’t for fashion design, however i do love to doodle and draw some clothing designs on photoshop. As it’s linked to my interests, i enjoy it that bit more. So just designing a new thing or being an artist for an hour even if you draw ‘stick people’ or whatever just gets my mind off the present. Art inspires me to create new looks or create cool moodboards. If you’re into moodboards then look at Pinterest if you’re not on it already.
- OPEN A WINDOW AND BREATHE – In the mornings i always open my window and just have a morning breather. Having this time for myself is needed literally as soon as i wake up. I sit on my lil seat right by the window and just let the sunshine and fresh cold air in onto my face and in my room, this just freshens me up and makes me appreciate our atmosphere and Earth. A moment to just appreciate the world and Trees (thank u for the oxygen).
- Go outside – as we can’t be in big crowds due to social distancing at the moment, you shouldn’t be in public places, however being outside really does improve my mental health personally. Find time to just sit outside and calmly take deep breaths and remember why you’re here and let all those pressures off your shoulders and mind. Just let it all out.
- Talk to someone – talking to family and friends is essential in this global situation, even if you can’t see your friends, call them or text them. Let others know that you’re there for them and if you need to let things out. When you’re cooped inside all day, for however long, our minds can sometimes play out scenarios and overthink about all sorts, so just taking some time out for a chat in person or across social media can reassure you’re loved and you’re safe.
- Social Media Breaks – as i’m sure you’re all aware, social media is becoming it’s own platform altogether for the latest BBC global news. This can be too much to read and can really take it’s toll on our minds and bodies 24/7 – just switch the news off for a certain time of day and just not listen to it for an hour or two, as hearing the same thing over and over can make us more anxious (me anyways) and not help our minds in the long run. Listening to the news is definitely crucial for information, but take time off it for a bit.
- Drink water, sleep, get dressed, shower, eat, snack, exercise, go for a walk, chill out, pet a dog, play with your dog, love your dog, (i love dogs), talk to someone, read a book, listen to a podcast, make some quality content, get back on track, be motivated, love yourselves, do your makeup, do your skincare routine, have a bath, clean your room, bake some wonderful cakes, learn new skills, get creative with your projects, wash your hands, be gentle with others feelings, care for others and most importantly – stay safe and remember who you are and why you’re here today. You’re loved and you’re special.
Also learn something new whilst you are self-isolating or staying indoors – maybe bake a few cakes and try new baking methods. Maybe teach yourself how to meditate or do some yoga. See if you can help out a neighbour or help someone in this time of need. We’re all in this together.
Stay safe everyone. I’ll be back with more posts next week.
Love, Soph x
itssophie.com 