It’s now over a year since lockdown began back in March 2020. Now i’m really feeling the effects of all that time at home; which is why I started doing multiple long walks a week recently – something I didn’t do back in 2020’s lockdowns. The pandemic has left me feeling sluggish, i’ve found my first grey hairs, i’ve put on weight that i’m not content with and my already bad posture is even worse because i’m spending too long on the sofa. Then, let’s not even talk about my nails…

It’s not easy to keep up with your usual appearances when salons and gyms are all closed. In March last year I learnt how to tint and laminate my own brows and i’ll continue doing that forever now as it’s a great skill i’ve mastered. I very badly need to see a professional to get them waxed however. Now that lockdown is starting to ease and I have some seriously exciting plans for 2021, I feel that now is the time to take back control of my appearance, fitness and body to bring it back to even better than my old normal. So, what can be done to restore me to my former glory? Here’s all the plans I have for as soon as we’re allowed!

Sleep Better

First and foremost, I need to focus on getting a better night’s sleep. This single change instantly improves my mood and my energy. As I have Fibromyalgia, my sleep quality peaks and troughs greatly. When i’m in pain or very stressed, the quality of my sleep is very poor. However, when i’m getting on fine and work and have so sother significant life disturbances, I find that I can sleep all the way through the night and wake up feeling OK. Especially if I’ve spent some peaceful time reading my book in bed before going to sleep. I’m on sleeping medication due to my Fibromyalgia and my OCD medication also makes me sleepy, so I am never not tired. I’m always running close to empty. However, I can function so much better and get so much done when i’ve had a full night’s sleep. I think that now is the time to go to the pain clinic and see what can be done about it, as that’s the main hinderance to me sleeping well and for longer.

Repairing Your Nails & Fixing Your Hair

I feel really happy with my skincare routine and with how my skin is looking. This is something that I’ve managed to really keep looking good in lockdown as i’ve had more time to spend applying products and really thinking about what i’m using. This i’ll continue. What has gone completely to pot though is my hair and my nails. The condition of my hair is good, but it desperately needs cut and coloured by a hairstylist. In the last month, when my roots have been growing since my last at-home box dye, I can properly see grey hair. Yes, i’m 36 but I never even considered that this would happen yet. I still feel so young and it’s not something I want to embrace yet. I’m going to have to really keep on top of my hair colour appointments now!

The other beauty appointment I desperately need to make is to a manicurist. Since lockdown began, my nice nails are ruined as I started biting them off in my sleep due to all the stress and worry. Every time I managed to get them looking OK, I bit them off during the night, right down to the quick until they bled. I don’t know why I started doing this and i’ve tried everything to stop. I’ve started wearing false nails a lot of the time, but the glue from these are really damaged the small amount of my own nails I have left. I’m going to have to go and get a proper gel manicure or even acryllics to try to spot me continuing with this terrible habit.

Fix Your Smile

If you’ve not had an oral checkup due to the pandemic, now is the time to find a reliable dentist. Aside from getting your teeth looking cleaner and healthier, they can also help you consider things like teeth whitening. All these Zoom calls have made me really have to look at my own teeth for a good period of time every day and i’m not happy with my smile. My teeth really need whitening and I know that’s something I can pay for at my dentist surgery. This is going to be one of the first appointments I make.Get Fitter

I’ve had a Power Plate in the house for the last year on hire, but i’ve also now bought my own so that I can continue this toning journey. Other than this though, I was doing no other exercise in 2020 and so I put on some weight that i’m not happy with. I was very overweight to start with but I was kind of content with it. Now however, I have reached a point where I have needed to take drastic action. I used to hate walking, but since the gyms have been closed i’ve been forced to get out and pound the pavements as it’s the only option most of us have had. I can’t be doing with a virtual fitness class or workout. I’ve been doing multiple long and exhausting walks a week for the last 2 months – i’m very unfit – and I can really now feel the difference in my my body shape and how my clothes are fitting. I want to continue with this fitness and weight loss journey, especially with the exciting year ahead I have.

Practice Body Language

Limited interactions over the past year or so have had a telling influence. I feel like my body language and the way I visually communicate has really changed with Zoom being the primary method of communication. It has also affected my general confidence. I feel that i’m going to have to ‘learn’ how to work with people again and how to convey what I feel with my whole body rather than just my face. It’s a difficult thing to explain, but it’s about learning the impact how how you move your whole body rather than just your facial muscles. For example, it’s about thinking about how you sit and what that position conveys.

You can see more of what i’m loving, and what i’m doing, over on my Instagram.