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What a crazy time we’re currently living in, it still feels surreal that we’re on lockdown, that the world has come to a halt. I will never take the little things for granted again. Wandering around Homesense (I miss Homesense), going to Nandos, booking spontaneous trips and ya know, just being able to leave the house without an overriding feeling of panic and anxiety.

Lockdown was always going to be a challenge for someone who can’t still still, ahem, me but I’ve managed to keep myself pretty occupied and to be honest, it’s not as bad as I thought it might be and obviously it’s SO SO important that we abide by all of the rules and guidance.

SO, here’s how I’m spending my hours, days, weeks, in lockdown…(taking selfies, apparently?)

Client work

Fortunately, I don’t rely on my income as a blogger/social media person (I mean, at the rate my invoices get paid even without a pandemic it would be far too soul destroying) so I still have plenty of work to do. I’m extremely thankful that my clients have stuck around and see the value of marketing during these tough times, as if I didn’t have work to be getting on with I think I’d feel a bit lost. This work can look like – monthly content plans, social media posts, paid social campaigns, SEO blog writing, influencer outreach, Google Ads…basically all things digital for our (our being Gray Hop we’re a power duo) wonderful clients.

Working on my blog

With the extra time I have during evenings and weekends, I’ve found myself jumping straight back into my blog which I’m absolutely thrilled with! Whilst I know people aren’t travelling right now (and I wouldn’t ever suggest that you should either!) I’m building up my content for when normality does resume. This includes blog posts that I’ve been sitting on for the past year, and new posts too. I’ve started working on my vegan travel guide series which I’m super excited by as well as catching up on content from recent trips. I’m trying to create more of a plan (as I do for my clients, just not myself) for more consistent and regular posting. It’s easy for it to get pushed aside in favour of many other tasks but I’ve set myself a few goals that I’m pretty determined to hit in terms of traffic.

Re-watching my favourite shows

I’m struggling to get into anything new at the moment, I don’t know whether it’s my attention span or the comforting feel of something familiar, but I’ve been re-watching all my favourites. I’ve started with 5 seasons of Banshee, the best show to have ever graced this planet, and I won’t hear it any other way. It’s pulpy, violent, lots of murder/sex. All you could need, really.

Building my business

I went into a bit of a panic mode when this situation was unfolding, largely because I don’t have bank of mum and dad to fall back on, and I’ve always been very independent when it comes to, well, everything in my life including my finances. Thankfully, I do have some savings but I was pretty nervous as to how the pandemic could effect my relatively new business. Sure, I can get through a few months but what about the future? I’m feeling a lot better now, everything is still ticking along and we even managed to sign up a new client. This time away from everyday life and the cycle you find yourself in has also allowed both myself and my business partner a moment of clarity, plenty of time to plan and think about how we adapt and grow as a business.

Travelling from my sofa

Travel blogs have taken a major hit traffic wise – trust me wahh – but I’ve still been reading travel websites, watching travel vlogs (obsessed with van lifers – one day!) and ordering my favourite travel magazines online to find plenty of inspo for when I can travel again. That first trip is going to feel incredible. I’m never going to take my life for granted again after this, and I’m also determined to discover more of the UK and spend my weekends exploring as much as possible when it’s safe to, of course. I’d love to head up to Scotland for a road trip, so that’s pretty high on my list.

Taking time out

Real talk. I know some people are spending their Thursday learning French, baking bread, producing daily content etc etc…and that’s great, but sometimes I just need to sit in the garden doing sweet f all. Soaking up the sun and just taking a bit of time out to let my thoughts run wild. It feels like there’s a lot of pressure to be super productive during this time of lockdown, but I also think it’s even more important to give yourself a break. Having this time ourselves won’t last forever. I’m still working on finding the perfect balance of work and relaxation, because I tend to just keep working to give myself something to do and distract from the situation, but I’m learning to put the MacBook down!

How are you spending your time in lockdown?

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