A few isolation aims…
Now, I know it might be a little excessive to set myself goals while we’re in lockdown – after all, the world has come to a complete halt – but I can also see the pros of feeling like your life has purpose while we’re navigating this bizarre time!
I always say I’m all for celebrating the little wins, and my lockdown goals are exactly that! Manageable daily milestones that I can tick off to keep me on track. There’s no pressure, this is just a rough guide to keeping myself busy when I feel restless – something to focus my energy on when I feel like I’m at a loose end. Which is… *checks notes* every day.
I count getting up and dressed in the morning (or, um, the afternoon) a victory, so these aren’t anything spectacular but I thought I’d share them here too, incase you need a bit of isolation inspiration!
Create Something Everyday
While a lot of my paid campaigns have been postponed, I can still create content for my platforms – and I have Jordan home too so I’ve actually been able to do more than I usually would! I’ve been trying to create something every day, whether that be a simple Instagram photo or a quick part of a weekly vlog, or something a bit bigger like an IGTV video or a blog post. It’s been fun to get creative without any distractions! Plus, I’d usually only have Jordan home one or two days a week and just for a few hours at that, so I’d always feel pressured to fit everything in to that window. Now I can relax a little and work on content in my own time.
Of course, I’ve also been baking way more than I usually would – mainly my banana bread and chocolate chip cookies, so it’s not all work! I’ve also got a little more inventive with our dinners with all this extra time on my hands, so it’s been pretty productive all in all. And yes I count cooking dinner as creating something, I told you these weren’t overly ambitious.
Learn Something New
And my creating hasn’t stopped at work, I’ve also been working on my latte art and coffee making with the help of Jordie! We made this ‘how to’ video if you’d like to learn at home too. Despite having our coffee machine almost five years, I actually learnt more while we filmed this than during the entire time we’ve had that machine… *shrug*.
So I’ve been practicing every day since and I’ve come a long way, I think even Jord’s impressed. Who knows, maybe he’ll give me a job in the shop when it reopens…
My other aim during lockdown is to finally learn how to properly apply eyeshadow! I’ve always been a one-sweep kinda gal, picking the most obvious gold-flecked tone to blend across my lids, because that’s all I felt confident enough to do.
In an act of desperation, I reached out to my friend Jamie who made an entire video for me, so I’ve been practicing as much as possible. You can expect me to have the skills of a makeup artist by next week, I should think.
I also joked about learning Hotel California on guitar which seems highly unlikely, but I think we can all admire my optimism.
Make A Dent In My Products
Despite having what looks like 90% of Space NK in my bathroom, I’m actually terrible at using up products! I always get down to the last third of a bottle and start to feel sad that it’ll soon be finished so I just… don’t use it. Yes, very strange behaviour.
I recently put a string bag on the back of my bathroom door and I’ve finally been using up those almost-done products, ready to be recycled when all this is over. It’s been the push I need to start making a dent in my beauty stash – and it feels GOOD!
Feel Good Every Day
I’ve worked from home for many years, so I know how tempting it is to fall in to the “I’ll just work from bed” thing! I also know how much better I work when I get up and ready for the day.
During the first week or so of lockdown, I could feel myself falling in to the trap of throwing on my comfies and working from the sofa! I quickly realised that had to stop, and since then I’ve been doing the opposite. Every day, I’ll do my hair, put on a nice outfit (may as well, the weather’s been beaut!) and do a full face of makeup (or a laidback version, depending on how I feel!). It doesn’t matter if I’m only getting dressed at midday, as long as I get it done!
I really feel like this is the secret to feeling good. We’ve been shooting more because I’m ready to go always, I feel more like myself because I’m wearing a nice outfit, and I work better because of it.
Now, if someone could just remind me of this every Monday morning, that would be ideal…
Have More ‘Moments’
We’ve had to get a little creative while we’ve been confined to our two-bedroom flat, so we’ve taken to making little moments out of everyday activities – if only to make it seem like we’re experiencing somewhere that isn’t the kitchen or living room! Every part of the day becomes a little bit special.
We have brunch together in the mornings, going to the effort of setting the table nicely and making pots of tea and enjoying the calm before we start our day.
Later, we’ll turn the dining area in to a beer garden to soak up the sunshine. We open the window wide and sit in the sun, drinking beer and singing along to a playlist. Dreamy!
A few nights a week, we’ll arrange a Facetime hang with our besties for a pub quiz or a catch-up over drinks. I always joke to Jord that I doubt I’ll go back to normal life, we’ve got it too good right now! No panicking about the last train home or trying to book an Uber from outside Bloc at 2am.
Even our daily outing feels like a moment for some fresh air and thinking time. We head out first thing when the sun makes an appearance and the park is quiet. It’s our time to get some exercise and chat about what we want to do that day. We discuss everything on those walks – from dinner plans to music, work, friends, the cats… it’s the highlight of my day.
One Pamper Session Per Day
Since I have a little extra time on my hands, I’ve taken to dedicating 15 minutes per day to some pampering. Whether it be fake tanning after my morning shower, a quick at-home facial in the evenings when I take off my makeup, or just a mini mani while I watch TV in the evenings. It’s these little slots of downtime that I feel like I actually take time to switch off. I know I’ll definitely continue this once normality has resumed.
I think in a time like this, you just have to do what you can to get by – and if that’s creating a list of doable goals to keep you on track, so be it! How are you guys managing right now?
