Home is where the heart is...#NotCliché

I am sure you have heard or seen the words on social media or in the news in the last few days: 'You are not locked at home but rather safe at home'. This has come about because most of the world is currently in lockdown in one way or another. Everyone is trying to combat the effects and impact of COVID-19 by staying at home. As a result, this has made people feel stuck, unsettled and confined against their will.

But what about looking at it from a different angle, with a different set of eyes, a change in viewpoint? What if we looked at being at home in the same way we look at our children everyday, the way we admire our parents, or how we look at our lovers and partners - with love, compassion and warmth. Looking at the situation with these set of eyes can significantly change the way you approach and spend our days in lockdown.

So, I have done this. I have taken the time to see the situation as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones, spend time communicating and indulging in long and meaningful conversations with family, looking after my energy and embracing my home.

Home really is where the heart is...as cliche as it may sound. It's where we cook meals for our families and ourselves, where we feed our body, where we sleep and dream our best and worst, where we cry and pray, where we laugh and make memories, where we create family, and make friendships, where we live, where we rush to at the end of each day, its what keeps us safe from the world. This is HOME!

While being home 24/7 with the option of going out whenever we want being taken away from us, see it as a blessing. Sometimes we tend to runaway from being alone, or being bored, being quiet and reflecting until a time like this comes along. A time like this does not come around often, maybe once every century - so in a very messed up way, we are living through a momentous time which will be recorded in the history books in years to come.

Take advantage of the time on your hands, utilise the 'unnecessary' being removed and explore your space in new ways, be creative, do things you have never done before in your home - maybe its as simple as enjoying a camomile tea on your porch alone or as crazy as painting your entire house yourself. Whatever it is - do it and do it well.

Me - I am enjoying sinking my mind into books I have never previously had the time to read and enjoy, geeking out to my favourite series, turning my lounge and balcony into the coolest pub on Friday nights aptly called 'Jazzy P' (jokes - but I wish it was) which is accompanied by a snazzy outfit, a riveting drink and golden oldies.

When I am not doing this, you can find me breathing with Adrienne (on YouTube) as she guides me through easy-to-do yoga movements, or pretending to be a human cucumber as I lay still for 15 minutes while my Manuka honey and jasmine face mask dries, which is normally followed by a mid-afternoon glass of wine or decadent Cappuccino , in between working, blogging and planning my next holiday when all this is over. In the evenings I like to zone out and relax with my essential oils, take a hot shower and prep for the next day.

A tip I would offer you that has come in handy for me while in lockdown is planning my days. Staying at home all day can throw your routine completely off schedule, so I have been compiling a to-do list every night, planning my next day. It's assisted in keeping me motivated, feeling like I am being productive, keeping me organised as well as helped the days go faster. If I am busy for most of the day and ticking off tasks on my to-do list as I go, I forget to check the time.

For the sake of making this post look beautiful, I shot all of my favourite items in my house that I am making good use of recently. Enjoy :-) Comment below telling me what you have gotten up to during the lockdown as well as what makes you the most worried, perhaps we can all support each other during this difficult period.

Here is a list of things you can do while at home:

Yoga with Adrienne https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
Interact with a superb online community focussed on supporting women and their businesses Kickass bosslady Network on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/536033360530274/
Take part in online fitness / dance classes https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionDanceZA/
Join a watch party that is suited to you, I am sure there are several on your social media pages
Cook, bake, learn something new, watch documentaries, exercise, and be better, do better and act better.