A Wonderful World

US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has changed the narrative around mental health. In stepping away from the Tokyo Olympics final after achieving her lowest Olympic vault score, she’s sparked conversation around the importance of putting ones health first and prioritising caring for ourselves. Losing her bearings mid-air and experiencing ‘twisties’, a mental block resulting in the loss of spatial awareness, she pulled out in fear of her mental and physical state. Despite the discomfort or difficulty it may cause along the way, we have to continue to consider our mental wellbeing and the benefits of doing so. The young athlete was and is a huge name across the world, and therefore faced with a huge amount of pressure and expectation from those watching, she was expected to win gold by many as she has so gracefully many times before. She was set to succeed similarly to her wins at Rio 2016, with expectations from the nation on her shoulders. It’s this unnecessary burden and strain that ca...

CHANGES TO FASHION, CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT Do you think about where you buy your clothes from and the process of how they get to you? Sustainable fashion  is a movement and process of fostering change to fashion  products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity  and social justice.  Sustainable fashion concerns more than just addressing fashion textiles  products. It addresses the whole system of how clothing is produced, who produced it how long the life span of a product is before it reaches landfill. This means dealing with interdependent social, cultural, ecological, and financial systems. Put simply, it's   an approach towards sourcing, manufacturing and designing clothes which maximizes the benefits to the fashion industry and society at large, while at the same time minimizing its impact on the environment. Sustainable fashion is the recommended and preferred alternative to fast fashion as it has less negative implications and...

                                                                         THE BEST BROWNIE'S ON THE BLOCK. We all love a brownie. Who doesn't? Especially a homemade one. Even better if it also has our favourite chocolate in the mix.  During the first lockdown it became a common occurrence within households to experiment with baking, particularly banana bread. Conversation grew across social media platforms as many shared their banana bread adventures and documented the finished product before enjoying and tucking into their creation. As a nation, baking has also grown in popularity with shows such as 'The Great British Bake Off' airing, it's helped inspire aspirational bakers to pursue their journey, tempt those who may not have baked much before, and tickle the taste buds of all viewers... ...

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT PILATES? Over the past few decades, Pilates has grown in popularity. A form of exercise that focuses on improving posture, flexibility, strength and rehabilitation post injury. The core is the central focus of all movement. Some forms use mats and others use equipment, including reformer Pilates which provides added resistance. Since it originated, it aims to focus on 6 elements: Concentration, Centring, Control, Breathing, Precision and Flow. It's very similar to Yoga, but traditionally yoga is the practice of connecting the mind and body through breath, whereas Pilates is a system of exercises that emphasise core engagement to promote functional movement of the body. With the rise in conversation and hype around certain fields of exercise across the media and social platforms, there's been an increase in exposure to things like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and over lockdown, running. Despite the benefits of incorporating these styles of training ...

                                              “LISTENING TO EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN, AND INCREASE CONVERSATION.” A podcast is an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening, they’re available via the podcast app or can be accessed on websites, Spotify or Apple Music. Their popularity has increased greatly during the last decade. Over the course of the pandemic, there’s been a rise in both Podcast listeners and creators, perhaps due to an increased availability of time on ones hands. They can provide entertainment when faced with boredom, or when wanting to keep occupied or engaged with something they can be useful in keeping the brain ticking. Whether you’re walking, on a long train journey or getting ready to go out, listening to a podcast whilst doing so can be comforting. Alongside the benefit of ente...

'Music streaming services rocket over the course of the Coronavirus Pandemic.' Music has been a lifeline for many during the midst of lockdown, a source of continuing a sense of community, togetherness and release throughout such challenging times. Services including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon have grown in popularity, a space used to create Playlists that are often being titled 'Quarantunes', a home for songs that have helped individuals cope during quarantine. It's not new information that there is power in music. Scientists have found that music can directly influence the way we feel through having an impact on our brain which in turn, releases certain hormones. Listening to music has been found to increase Dopamine levels, (known as the 'happy hormone'), as well as Serotonin which influences our mood and feeling good, and Oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone'. It's even used as a form of therapy as it can help kick-start the ...

'It's important to hold onto our passions throughout this challenging time.' As we continue through our third lockdown, we're faced with our own hurdles. Whilst it's important to stay updated, safe and follow government guidelines, it's also acceptable to have time away from the constant hold of Coronavirus and tune into what makes you feel good within the premises of what you can take part in from home. Aspects of the situation we're in can become overwhelming, so it's vital to find your own coping mechanisms that aren't a detriment to your wellbeing. Your own release, way to relax, feel good, shift emotions and tune out of the unnecessary noise for a while.  Although the circumstances at home will be different for everyone, we're all able to ensure we take some time for ourselves to unwind and take part in what we enjoy. It may be learning something new, it may not, there is no pressure attached, just freedom and enjoyment. Explore, experiment ...

                    'Further restrictions for London and South East resulting in a Tier 4 Christmas.'  On the evening of the 19th of December, Boris Johnson announced that due to rising cases and level of infections there will be further restrictions in place for London and South East areas from Midnight, resulting in the original plan of a little more relaxation and mixing households over the Christmas period to be cancelled. You must remain with only the people in your household when indoors, or those in your existing bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. Three households are able to mix on Christmas Day alone, rather than the original plan of 5 days (23rd to the 27th.) Further details are on the Government website:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home . Of course, this is extremely frustrating and upsetting for us all. Christmas will not be the same this year, and unfortunate...

So far my 'Love In Lockdown' series has been made up of others stories and experiences, selfless acts carried out by other people to help support those in need. This week I'm sharing my own story. After researching, learning about so many charities and hearing the inspiring stories of others and how they're offering support, I wanted to get involved and help those in need in any way I can. Even more so after learning that there are so many simple ways to offer support, every little goes a long way, and due to Covid19 this is a particularly challenging time for everyone.  Today, the 13th of December, I took part in a 10K walk to raise money for the charity 'Shelter'. Shelter is a charity that helps to combat homelessness with advice, support and legal services. For every £1 you donate, 79p is spent directly on helping people through advice, campaigning and support, and 21p is spent on fundraising. If you are concerned about someone you have seen sleeping rough, y...

Since the first lockdown in March, 'home workouts' have become extremely popular.   With the pandemic leading to lockdown, gyms suddenly closing and those working in the fitness industry taking a hit, working out from home has not only become an alternative to the gym, but a new way of continuing business. Proving that you don't need a gym to move your body, or to look after your body and mind. During Lockdown, as well as working to continue online personal training and zoom sessions, many established fitness influencers have used the Social Media app 'Instagram' to share 'Live Workouts' where followers can watch and follow along with their workout live from home. A lot of influencers have used these 'Live Workouts' via Instagram to support themselves with a form of income, sharing information about a monthly or weekly cost for the workouts and then allowing access to an account where the lives then take place. However, others are sharing them for fr...