2 Minutes With Smart Live...

For all the stresses of Furlough life and the events world coming to an abrupt pause,  the silver lining for me has been that we have had the chance to take a moment to reflect, a big part of that for me has been looking at my personal well-being. We work in such a fast-paced industry and work has always been my priority which means I often fail to take time for myself, however during lockdown I have been taking the time to exercise and eat well which really has made a difference to me. Exercise has always been a big part of my life it is how I best destress and ultimately the more I exercise the more amazing food at events we can eat. Lockdown has allowed me to reflect on my routines and how I need to prioritise taking care of myself but also taking the time to talk to colleagues and friends about how they are especially during these complicated times. Our focus now we are back in the office is how we can support each other and we are keen to make sure that we include moments of reflection in our days and also encourage each other to prioritise our own well-being.

Going from my usual fast-paced lifestyle in events I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about how lockdown looked for me and my well-being, but now looking back at those 3/4 months it really was a refreshing and stimulating time. Faced with the unknown time-frame of things, I took the time to focus on the small things that usually I don’t make time for; going on long walks by the sea, challenging myself to new fitness regimes, having long conversations with friends, and really catching up, ticking off all my ‘to-do lists’, prematurely planning future holidays and most importantly trying to get my bulldogs fitness up!! I was also lucky enough to spend the lockdown experience with a very good cook which, for a self-confessed foodie, made a huge difference to our daily dose of excitement! Although not good for the waistline, the conversations around ‘what shall we concoct today’ brought an avenue of trying new things and making a usually everyday routine to something more exciting. All in all, I realised that looking at your normal everyday actions and having the time to put a twist on them ensured that each day was different which motivated my mind and made me appreciate those ‘little things in life’.

I’ve personally been spending a lot of time outside, enjoying the amazing weather we’ve been having this year. As I only moved into my house in February, we hadn’t really explored the area around us once lockdown hit. At the beginning of the pandemic, Richmond Park was my haven for a daily long walk, and now we’ve been venturing slightly further afield and are enjoying walking everywhere we go. Along with walking, I’ve been keeping up with all the Instagram Live fitness classes, with the likes of Psycle and Third Space, which I’ve found has been great to keep a routine going. But the best way for me to keep my mental wellbeing in check has always been through food and wine, and I’ve loved spending the extra time working from home has given us trying out new recipes and spending more time in the kitchen.