Just over 2 months ago, my life was normal – whatever “normal’ means. I was visiting fashion showrooms, going for model castings and attending fashion week shows excited for what the year had ahead in-store for me. I was also in the process of hunting for a new flat. I spent my time viewing properties, putting in offers and scrolling through endless photos on Pinterest to get inspiration on decorating my new home when I eventually got one. Life was so much exciting as I was kept busy on my toes.
Never did I think that the Coronavirus Pandemic would hit the entire world as fast and as hard as it has, bringing normal life to a complete standstill. For me, it has happened at the worst of times, a time where I should be moving to a new flat to make my home, a time where work was was just beginning to pick up after the slow start to the year, I had planned Easter, Spring and summer activities with my 10 year old son Jaivon.
All of this plans have had to be put in the back seat. I haven’t been able to get a new flat because of the lock down, thank God a very dear friend of mine has allowed me to call her home my home. Technically, i am homeless for the first and worst time ever. Being self employed, a huge part of my work involves regular travels , shooting content outdoors and attending PR events. If I couldn’t fulfil this part of my professional life how would could I afford a living? I haven’t been able to spend quality physical time with my son and do the things we love to do together because he is quarantined at his mums house.
This is a challenging time for everyone, with everyone suffering in a different way than the other. Is this any consolation – the reality that we are all in this together ? This Global health crisis is stealing lives, changing lifestyles, ruining businesses, affecting mental health… I mean i could go on.
With all the trauma and negativity surrounding this COVID-19 crisis and staying in quarantine here’s how I am staying positive, maybe this can help you too.
Own it
I read Diane Von Furstenberg VOGUE article on staying positive during these global crisis, and it quite frankly inspired me on writing this piece. You should check it out. I learnt at a very young age from my mother, the first step towards dealing with any situation or turn of events is to understand and accept it. Accept control of the things you can influence, and let go of those things outside your remit. I have accepted the fact that I can’t control going out on jobs to earn as much money as I used to, but what I can control is how to save my money during quarantine. I can control how I spend my time in finding innovative and new ways of making money. I own the fact that I am technically homeless, however I am grateful to have a roof over my head I can call home. The unfortunate lockdown situation caused by this global crisis is not my fault, it isn’t yours either, so if you need it, don’t be ashamed to reach out for help from family or friends who are in a position to help.
Social media
In as much as I have seen positive posts on my social media feeds that gives assurance of a sense of togetherness and world unity at these times, I have seen an equal amount of toxic positivity on my feed. Suddenly everyone is exercising, reading books, keeping journals, learning a new skill and growing a side hustle. We can agree that this is positive, the toxicity comes from these people who put out such content making it out that people who aren’t doing the same are either lazy or lack discipline and as such make them failures in life. If there are any social media posts that make you feel inadequate by affecting your mental wellbeing, simply unsubscribe and unfollow. At a time like this, some people have lost relatives who are very dear to them, some are managing underlying health conditions, some are anxious about the future because they have no savings to fall on and have lost their jobs. For a lot of us, the last thing on the mind is getting a fit body or learning a new skill. Do yourself a favour and mental health a favour by unfollowing any social media feed that does not inspire you, entertain you or educate you in a genuinely positive way.
Being alone is not lonely
I am that type of person who doesn’t mind being alone. I enjoy my own company a lot, I think that may be due to the fact that I am an introvert who happens to be creative. If you have followed me for a long time, you will know that I am very self sufficient in a lot of ways with – my posts on cooking, DIY home improvements and self care which has stemmed from me being independent in so many ways from my mid teens. Doing all these activities at home means that I am usually never bored. From upholstering old furniture at home to customising an old pair of jeans in your wardrobe there is always some DIY task that can be done with some help from youtube or Pinterest. Keeping in touch with your friends and family has been made so much easier, thanks to FaceTime and Zoom video calls where you can literally host virtual birthday parties and quiz nights.
Life goes on
We may loose loved ones, money, and freedom, but we must never loose sight of our dreams and all those things that you want to achieve. Did you think 2020 was going to be the year to go on dates and build relationships? you can still make this happen by finding fun ways to date and grow romantic relationships in quarantine. You can even begin to plan post COVID-19 pandemic holiday trips with your spouse or family. As much as it could be difficult to stay optimistic during these uncertain times, trying as much as possible to keep our hobbies, interests and aspirations alive in the best way we can would do a-lot for mental wellbeing and help you stay positive.
Enough of negative media
When I watch the news on television or visit online tabloid, an unashamed guilty pleasure of mine, the daily mail for some celebrity gossip. Every other article is related to death rates and scary statistics surrounding the pandemic. I agree this is the reality, but rather than fill my thoughts with this awful reality, I take pleasure in escaping from it by watching Ru Pauls drag race on NETFLIX and my new favourite youtube livestream series ‘no filter by Naomi Campbell’ which is absolutely inspiring, and entertaining. Balance your day with entertaining tv shows to allow your mind escape.
Stay Safe!!!
Howey
