My Top Tips: Going Back To School After Lockdown

After months of doing studying online due to Lockdown. The thought of returning to education which isn’t on a screen may feel a little daunting. Here are some of my top tips on how to make this transitioning a little bit smoother .

A New Routine

Many students all over the country will have to start doing COVID tests in school and colleges. As someone with anxiety I know that timetable changes to my day can set me off to feel extremely anxious and I may have panic attacks. To help you overcome this you could maybe write out your time table in a more visual way using lots of different colours and pictures. Or you could have a little notebook full of little affirmations you can look at whilst your waiting to do your test. Many schools and colleges have created videos to show students what the new process will be like. If they haven’t shown you don’t be afraid to ask your teacher as they may have other resources available for you to you which you might find useful.

Eating Breakfast

This next tip might seem a bit silly but when you get up ready for the day make sure you have breakfast this could be some toast, a fruit smoothie or some cereal. If your stuck on what to have I recommend looking at Pinterest they have some really yummy, healthy, breakfast ideas to help kick start your day.

Did you know:

1. Eating breakfast can help you with your memory for the day and your attention span will be a lot better compared to days we’re you don’t have breakfast

2. Eating breakfast can help you have a more positive outlook on your day.

3. People who eat breakfast regularly are less likely to become obese. Their is still a lot of research going into why this may be. One idea is that eating breakfast helps to prevent large fluctuations in your blood glucose levels, helping you control your appetite.

Things To Have In Your Bag

Recently I was talking to one of my friends about returning to education and how they felt about it. They were feeling very worried and scared because their OCD has worsened through the pandemic and they are becoming more and more scared to touch anything or go out.

To help with returning to education they suggested always make sure you have a little bottle of hand sanitiser with you. As well as this they also have stress balls and fidget spinners with them to help them to control intrusive thoughts.

Talk, Talk,Talk

Another tip I have that may seem obvious is talk to someone. You never know you could be helping them too. They might feel the same and it’s nice to feel your not alone. You could speak to a family member, friend, teacher anymore who makes you feel safe.

Be Kind To Yourself

My final tip is remember to be kind to yourself. The transitioning from working from home on our screens to being back having to get ready to the day ahead , catching the bus so your not late for school. Our whole routine is changing. Make sure you do little things just for yourself and give yourself the attention you give to others. This could be watching your favourite TV show, reading a book, having a nice bubble bath. Give yourself breaks enjoy the outside. You could sit in the garden or go on a short walk with your dog. Ground yourself be in the moment. It doesn’t matter what you’re meant to do or shouldn’t have done. Just enjoy the here and now nothing else matters.

I hope some of this helped and I wish you all the very best of luck with going back to school. Sending all positive vibes. If you need any more support I have listed a couple of websites that you may find helpful.

Youn Minds: https://youngminds.org.uk

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

Headroom: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YfRzhXDKSZQxFVn30TlXBj/your-mental-health-toolkit

Bryony 💜

Little Acts of Kindness: Quarantine Edition

life, Stay Safe

So this year has been a rather strange year with all of the world living with the upside down news of COVID 19. All of our lifestyle has had to change in these uncertain times with us all living with the unknown. Not being able to see our loved ones and the people we care about. To having to wear masks when doing the quick weekly grocery shop.

So I thought I would share with you some small easy ideas on how you can make someone you love and care about feel that little bit more special at the moment.

Surprise Calls

Whilst in lockdown and not being able to meet up with friends. I have enjoyed having weekly get togethers on Zoom, FaceTime and House Party. If you are missing a relative or friend remember you can always call them up for a quick chat or send them a text . During this difficult period a lot of people don’t have anyone to talk to and can feel very isolated their are charities that you can volunteer for were you get to chat to people who don’t have anyone to talk to. Having a chat to anyone can brighten up their day in more ways than you could possibly think. Here is a link to a list of charities you could get involved with to help people in your local area feel less isolated.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/loneliness-in-the-elderly-how-to-help/

Cook a Meal Or Donate Food

You could make a meal for a neighbour and leave it on their doorstep. Or you could add your neighbours grocery list to your online delivery order if they find it hard to get out and about and don’t have people around them to help. You could give donations of food to your local food bank.

Message on a Pebble

If the love doing anything crafty, you could have a go at painting messages or drawings onto pebbles and stones. You may find some from your garden or maybe you have some pebbles you can paint from a trip to a beach. You could then put them around your local park for people to find whilst they walk their dog. Little words of encouragement can go along way.

Donate to Charity

In this hard time charities need our help more than ever to help the lives of others in the community. Their are lots of charities out their that you could donate to. For example Riding for the Disabled Association, Cancer Research, Action for Children and The Theatre Shed to name a few.

I would love to know all the kind things people have done for you. And what you have done for others over this period. Please leave your comments in the comment box below.

The Lockdown Tag

life

Hannah from Luxury Blush created her very own lockdown tag. When I found out about this I was so excited. I knew I needed to take part! This tag has 11 questions and is just a bit of fun and sure to put a smile on your face.

1. Come On, Own Up…. Did You Stock Pile Anything?

I didn’t stock pile anything so it was a bit of a shock to see loads of empty shelves around. We found it very hard to find flour but now we’ve finally got some!

2. Have You Discovered A New Hobby?

One thing that I have done in lockdown is finally getting tropical fish. I now have two tanks. I have enjoyed creating the interior of the tank, finding out fish facts and of course getting them. Having fish is much more of a hobby than I originally thought from learning about plants, community fish, temperature to name a few.I now do really feel like part of the fish tank community. I don’t know if you could say this was a hobby. But during lockdown I am enjoying making and painting my own rabbit hutch.

3. Where Is The First Place You Will Go Once Restrictions Are 100% Lifted?

I can’t wait to see my friends and finally getting back into the saddle for my Saturday morning ride. I can’t wait to see the amazing horses and ponies, instructors and volunteers because boy have I missed it!

4. Lounge Wear Or Normal Clothes For A Of Isolation?

I would say most of the time I wear my normal clothes as this helps me with having a routine I feel comfortable with. Also I feel that it helps me set up my mind for the day ahead.

5. Have You Been Wearing Makeup Whilst Staying At Home?

Before lockdown I wasn’t wearing makeup everyday. However during lockdown I have enjoyed reading skin care books and trying out new looks. I have found that lockdown has given me the time to let my skin breathe helping me with my complexion.

6. How Many Zoom Quizzes Have You Done? And Importantly, Did You Enjoy Them?

I’ve done a couple of quizzes and I really enjoyed them it was really nice to be able to chat with friends and have a laugh. I’m awful at quizzes.

7. Did You Give Into The Hype And Bake Your Own Banana Bread?

This is something I haven’t done but my mum has been very busy making delicious birthday cakes and treats.

8. Were You Still Ordering Takeaways? If You Did, What Was Your First One?

I don’t really eat many takeaways even before lockdown. However I recently enjoyed stealing a little bit of my sisters Chinese takeaway meal .

9. Has Your Blog / Instagram Content Had To Change Since Lockdown?

I wouldn’t say my content has changed loads on my channels. However being in lockdown has given me lots of opportunities to write guest blog posts for other organisations. Lockdown has also shown me that when everything is 100% ok again that I would love to do more modelling shoots and post these photos on my social media platforms. I want to also work with other creatives from modelling to acting to things I don’t even know about yet!

10. Are You Waiting Until The Hairdressers Re-Open Or Have You Cut / Dyed Your Own Hair?

Right now my hair is a the length I would like however when the hairdressers re-opens I will go and probably have a small trim. Personally I can’t wait till the beauty parlour opens up again so that I can get my eyebrows threaded and waxed!

11. Who Have You Missed Seeing The Most?

This questions hard I’ve missed so many people so this answer maybe quite long. I have missed seeing and meeting up with my close friends. I have missed not going to The Theatre Shed and seeing my Shed family in person. I have missed seeing everyone and the horses and ponies at South Bucks RDA. I have missed working on the farm with friends. And finally I have missed not being able to perform on stage with college friends.

Thank you to all you amazing key workers out there and Thank You for reading. Stay Safe💜