Stay Home. Save Lives. Stay Sane…?

2020 has been a year of extreme ups and downs, from having to stay home to not being able to buy wine or see friends and family. This year has tested us all in varying yet similar ways. During this time, I incorporated a few daily practices to help ease the anxiety around the current world we live in.

I decided to illustrate these daily practices, to make them easier to adopt and understand.

On some day’s it is overwhelming – the information overload that we can so easily fall into. It’s often caused by something as simple as watching the new’s or scrolling through Facebook can insight a bit of a panic if you’re having a sensitive day. I’ll be honest, for the first month, I religiously watched the night time news, waiting for the storm to hit my back garden. Which it inevitably did, but before it did, I decided to do the best I could for myself and those around me. I decided to stay home as much as possible, I picked up more design work, to limit my time on photoshoot sets. But I also took into account my mental health. From my time living in New Zealand last year, I learned that the best way to be kind to yourself and to others, is to simply give yourself small acts of live and kindness. You can only fill up other’s cup if you’re overflowing. Below is a self illustrated guide to feeling, hopefully, a little better.

1) Nourish yourself.

During South African’s lockdown, my family and I created Wilde Hill Bakery and Deli. It is a vegan and sourdough deli that makes – subjectively, of course – the best sourdough bread and rusks! I found that looking after myself through the food I consumed really helps me to stay healthy both physically and mentally. The foods, we eat play a big role in our mental health. As such, eating yummy wholesome foods can help you feel both comforted and norished.

2) Yoga and breathwork.

I’m a runner, I love the freedom running gives me, but without being able to leave my home, I turned to yoga and breathwork/meditation. When I lived in New Zeland I had a daily practice of yoga and meditation which I brought back into my morning routine. Anecdotally, this has helped me feel more connected to my emotions and keeping level headed when I feel overwhelmed. A simple 2-minute diaphragmatic breathing session and one cycle of a sun salutation can make all the difference. It’s small and simple actions which overall make a big difference. It’s easy to overwhelm ourselves and aim to adopt all these wellness goals. Because let’s be honest there is an information overload on this topic on social media. But as the old saying goes; slowly but surely wins the race. Let’s aim to be kind to ourselves and try to adopt small but meaningful practices, that you know you can manage.

3) Relax

For some reason, society values being busy and being productive as the best way forward, even if that means you’re just a seat warmer. The allusion of busyness is in or consumer society is highly valued. Unlike rest, which in some business and cultural models is seen as laziness. Because of this, we have tried ourselves out, we’re (I’m) exhausted. If you personally know me, you know keeping busy is my strong suit. But you see, for me, being crafty and creative is an outlet. I may not be particularly good at it, but illustration, weaving and, painting often help me to unwind. I’ve also found that reading, and getting absorbed into other people’s narratives makes reality seem a little further away. Which is a good thing sometimes?

We need to take the time to find things we like, even if it’s two minutes to do things that fill our cup up. It’s easy to say we don’t have the time – but have you done the scary exercise of seeing how long you’re on your phone for? I know I did it a few weeks back and shocked myself. I can’t tell you how often I said to myself I didn’t have time for this or that, but I realised I was prioritising my time in a way that wasn’t adding value or nourishing me. I knew, deep down, I wasn’t prioritising things I knew would help me feel better, but scrolling through social media was easier, it didn’t need my input. I could be passive, pick, and choose what I want to engage with. Which is not an active way to seek happiness. So instead, had a chat with myself and I picked up my iPad and drew this series to remind myself that I am worthy of spending at least 5 minutes of my day just paying attention to myself – to fill up my cup. And by doing this, we are also able to be kinder and more helpful to others.

All in all, everyone is different, we all have different coping methods, and some of us don’t have the luxury of time to fully give themselves the break the need. But I think, the best way to stay sane is to nourish your body, relax where you can and tend to your body in some way.

Find what feels good to you, and repeat it.