What I do to beat lockdown blues

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding lockdown 3.0 a lot harder than its predecessors. I am unsure why it’s more difficult, perhaps because it feels a little bleaker this time.

I’ve written a blog similar to this before, but as my mood has evolved over three lockdowns, so have my ways of coping with the fact that I am not working as normal and running out of things to do. While I’m not alone in the house, my husband works in our study from 9am until 7pm at the earliest every weekday, so I don’t see anyone during this time and it can be lonely.

It got me thinking about those of you who live alone and whether you’re struggling to fill your time if, like me, you’re not working as normal. So, once again, here is what I do to stay busy – maybe you could take some inspiration from it to keep up your self-care and stay sane during this latest lockdown:

1.  Make the bed. I know it sounds simple, but on the days when you feel like you can’t face doing anything, just getting up and making the bed always makes me feel better. Albeit small, I feel by making the bed I’ve achieved something (my bed has two throws and a ton of scatter cushions, so feeling proud when I’ve made it isn’t such a crazy notion) and I can enjoy coming back to a beautiful bedroom later.

Seeing a beautifully made bed really perks up my spirits

2.  Move your body. It doesn’t matter how you do it, or when you do it, but getting exercise will help you shake off feeling low. It is proven to release happy endorphins (or ‘dolphins’ as my mate calls them, which in turn makes me imagine happy, playful dolphins jumping out of the water in excitement whenever I get that feel-good rush from a workout) and help you feel more energised. I see a startling difference in my mood on days when I exercise from the days I don’t. On the days I don’t, I always try to at least do a stretch or meditation. Even a fifteen-minute walk or a gentle yoga video from YouTube will help you feel good.

Even when the weather isn’t as nice as it is in this photo, I still love getting out for a walk in fresh air

3.  Write a blog or do a video. As you know, my business is closed, but I need to keep my name out there and my business going on, even though I can’t see clients. I try to do this by keeping my social media up to date and by writing these blogs or making videos. Of course, I’m not earning any money from this, but it means my business has adapted during lockdown and hopefully people will remember me when they can start booking treatments again. I also really enjoy it and even if nobody reads my work, it helps to keep my head in the game and feeling like I’m doing something. If you enjoy writing it can help to express your feelings and thoughts, so you could write a blog, or a diary/journal just for you.

Me writing my blog during lockdown 1.0

4. Vision boards. If you don’t know what these are, they’re a creative way of setting clear goals for what you want. The way I do it is not on a board, I have a scrapbook that I fill with pictures of things that represent my life goals – words and pictures. The idea is that this vision book helps me manifest my goals. I get my photos from magazines and do a classic cut and stick job, but you could do exactly the same thing on Pinterest if you prefer. 

One of the pages of my vision book

5. Light some candles. I find candles so soothing. I have loads dotted around my living room and I light them when I need a boost. I make a cup of tea, sit on the sofa and let the calming flames lull me into a state of zen.

Is there anything better than candlelight to soothe your mood?

6. Film night. Each night my husband and I watch a film (we alternate who chooses). We did this with my parents during lockdown 1.0 when we were ‘stranded’ in Dubai and it was fun. It’s a good way of seeing films you wouldn’t ordinarily choose and is something to look forward to during the day. If you live alone, why not do it over the phone with a friend or group of friends together on Whatsapp and suggest each person takes a turn to choose a film each night, each person watches it respectively at home and then you can discuss it afterwards.

Oh how I long to be back in a real cinema, but for now my living room will make do

7.  Do what you feel like doing. It’s so important to look after our mental health and the number one way I do this is if I really don’t feel like doing something then I won’t force myself. I don’t think wallowing for ages is good, but we all need a duvet day occasionally.

If you want a day in bed watching TV while chain-drinking earl grey then do it. You should never feel guilty for doing what you feel like. Of course, if you have children then duvet days aren’t easy, but there are variations of lazy days that you can take. Give yourself time and care because you cannot look after others unless you look after yourself.

Every day would be a duvet day if this was the view from my bedroom…

8.  Look forward. For me, travelling is what I enjoy the most, so even though I’ve had a few trips cancelled, I’ve made sure to have a holiday booked to look forward to. Of course, everything I have paid for is flexible or refundable, so if I need to postpone then I easily can. It doesn’t have to be booking a holiday, it could be getting a date in the diary for April to see your best friend, or planning a socially distanced outside walk with someone next week. I think it perks us up when we have things to look forward to, so try arranging dates for when lockdown should be over and look forward to them actually happening.

Even though it’s a while away, just having a holiday booked in the diary gives me something to look forward to

My Favourite Beauty and Fragrance Products of All Time

I’ve wanted to write about my favourite beauty and fragrance products for a while, but I have so many that I needed time to whittle them down into my absolute all-time favourites, otherwise this post would fast become a tome. 

I’ve been a lover of beauty products for as long as I can remember. While it may have been a nightmare for others to receive hoards of ‘smellies’ for Christmas, I was never disappointed.

So, after a lifetime of pouring, sniffing, lathering and smoothing, here is my carefully curated list of my all-time favourite beauty and fragrance products (click on the name of each one to find it online):

L’Occitane Rose Crème Mains

 If, like me, you suffer with eternally dry and cracked hands, this delicately perfumed hand cream will come to your rescue. I am very sensitive to smells and can always smell whatever hand cream I apply, so I cannot abide something that is not nicely scented. This smells floral, but it’s not overpowering and I think it has fresh notes to it that lighten it up, as a lot of rose scented products can be quite overbearing. Aside from the smell, this cream is really nourishing, but it’s light enough not to feel clammy, as I don’t like feeling anything on my palms when I put cream on.

Cire Trudon Scented Candle in Balmoral

This candle is an absolute dream. I first came across it when an old flatmate of mine had one when we lived together years ago and I have never grown tired of the scent. It took me a while to find it, as the jar we had was unlabeled, but after much nosing around, I did. I love fresh, herbal scents and this candle is no exception. I think it smells like there’s a hint of basil in it, but the scent notes say that it is foliage, mint, cut grass, freesia and tea (basically most of my favourite things…). It has a great scent throw and I can smell it when it’s just sat in the room and not burning. There’s nothing worse than investing in a scented candle only to find you can’t smell it unless you’re so close that you’ve singed off your eyebrows. It has between 50 and 70 hours of burn time, as long as you follow the instructions.

Hawaiian Kukui Cream by The Body Shop 

My first ever purchase of this body cream was accidental. I was away in Dubai and had run out of aftersun, so popped to the mall to restock. I went into The Body Shop and, after some over-zealous sales tactics from one of the ladies in there, the next thing I knew I came out with this cream. Never have I been more pleased to be shoehorned into buying something than when I tried this stuff. Firstly, it smells divine, like a much-more-expensive-than-it-is kind of body cream. It’s very rich and thick, but as long as you don’t use too much, it goes on really nicely and is instantly absorbed into the skin (I don’t like when a cream goes white on your skin and takes ages to absorb – who has time for that?). It is perfect both as an aftersun and an everyday after-shower body moisturiser and the 350 ml tub lasted me at least five or six months, which I think is amazing value.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune eau de toilette

This is an unusual scent for perfume, but one that I adore. It smells lively and energetic and reminds me of cocktails outside in the sun with the girls. It has distinguishing notes of grapefruit and bergamot, but also contains neroli, which is one of most loved scents (I wore Jo Malone’s Basil and Neroli on my wedding day, which is another of my beloved perfumes). I also love the bottle with its charming honeycomb collar and little bee engraved on the lid, which looks chic sitting in my bathroom.

I didn’t realise when I took this photo that you can see me in the lid!

Tan-Luxe The Face Anti-Age self-tan drops

As a rule, I really dislike self-tan, so the fact that this little bottle of wonder made the list speaks volumes. I like to tan my body naturally (but carefully) in the sun, but not my face. I wear hats, huge sunglasses and extremely high SPF when I’m out in the sun, so my face is always a lot paler than the rest of me and it can look a bit odd. These self-tan drops just go into your usual facial moisturiser and give you that gorgeous healthy glow that the pale ones among us love. Most importantly, they don’t smell like self-tan which is one of the main reasons I’m averse to fake tanners. As an added bonus, these drops are anti-aging. The serum contains aloe vera, raspberry seed oil and vitamin E for smoothing and brightening.

Neal’s Yard Orange Flower Facial Oil and Frankincense Hydrating Cream  

I have clubbed these two products together because I always use them in tandem. One of the best pieces of skincare advice I was ever given (and have followed religiously ever since) is to massage a couple of drops of oil on your face before your apply your moisturiser. As the oil sinks deeply into your skin, it takes the moisturising cream with it and thus benefits the skin much more. Now, I don’t know whether the latter is really a thing, but my skin has been in much better condition since I adopted this routine (about five years ago).

 My skin is on the dry side of combination, so I need moisture, but nothing too heavy because I can still have breakouts. I love the Orange Flower facial oil because it is quite light, but it does free me from that tight feeling after I’ve washed my face. Unsurprisingly, the fact it contains neroli oil is also a huge bonus for me, as well as the fact it contains anti-aging ingredients too. I think facial oils can really help balance your skin’s moisture levels as well and this has certainly done the job for me.

My wonder duo

Frankincense hydrating cream is the one I always came back to. I will admit that I tried other face creams and thought the grass was greener, but I was wrong. For my skin, this little blue pot is the business and I will never stray again. Frankincense is said to help with the appearance of age spots, wrinkles and scars and has a lovely relaxing smell to it. This cream absorbs really quickly on my skin and leaves it plump and hydrated all day (and night, as I rarely remember to take my own advice and use a night cream).

 So, there you have it. My list of my all time favourite beauty products and fragrances. I’d really love to know what your all time favourite products are, so do get in touch through my Instagram (@sarah_anker_spa) or by email and let me know.

Boredom busters in lockdown: the workouts, meditations, puzzles and TV that have kept me going (and my dog Badger too)

As lockdown continues, for those of us who can’t work as much as we did, it can be hard to keep the days from whirring into each other. I have lost count of the times I’ve mixed my days up and not had a clue what date of the month it is. 

We’ve all got our different ways to keep ourselves occupied, entertained or relaxed. But I wanted to share what I’ve done, as I thought it might be interesting, and it may give you some ideas if you’re struggling.

As a human, I don’t cope well with being bored, luckily I have my adorable dog Badger (who is in the photo above) to keep me company. Perhaps I shouldn’t admit it, but as well as snuggles with Badger, I need constant mental stimulation, otherwise I think too much and my mental health can suffer. Here is what I’ve done to try and keep the boredom at bay.

I’d be really interested to hear from you with what you’ve been doing to stay occupied in lockdown, so please do get in touch.

Jigsaws

This may sound like a slightly odd choice, but I’ve really enjoyed doing little jigsaws. I even managed to order one with my grocery shop that was double-sided, so I got two puzzles in one, and it had dogs on it – bonus! You can find jigsaws in lots of different online shops, but I got mine from Ocado.

Anything with a dog on it is a win with me

Crosswords

At the start of lockdown, my husband and I got stuck in Dubai at my parents’ house. I’ve never really been in to crosswords, but my mum suggested trying one and we both really enjoyed it. She had a little book full of crosswords (and the answers at the back – thankfully, as we did need some help now and again!) that she bought ages ago and it was a real saviour when we were at a loss for what to do. Again, loads of online retailers sell crossword books, Amazon being the obvious one, but I think Waterstones also has a really good selection.

Meditation

Not everyone likes to meditate, but I think that it’s a really healthy thing to do. I don’t do it every day, but every now and again when I’m feeling a bit ‘meh’, I find a guided meditation on YouTube, lay down, close my eyes and let myself relax for half an hour. I always feel re-energised and motivated afterwards. These are some of my favourite meditations to watch for relaxation and help sleeping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lArtWtxPUw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGWdUTifIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQ

Meditation by the sea

Netflix/TV

My favourite happy Netflix series

This might be a controversial suggestion, but I find watching a brilliant TV programme or film really helps me escape boredom. I don’t like to sit in front of the TV all the time, but every now and again I have a really lazy day where I ignore my phone, drink cups of earl grey and enjoy back-to-back episodes of whatever I feel like watching. Below are some of my favourite watches so far in lockdown:

For happy escapism – Gilmore Girls series 1-7 and Gilmore Girls A Year in the Life (Netflix)

For laughs – Gogglebox (Channel 4) 

For edge of your seat tension and absolutely brilliant writing – FAUDA (watch the subtitled version, not the dubbed one; Netflix)

A great film – Rocketman (wasn’t expecting to like this, but I loved it!; Sky movies)

A great story – Unorthodox (Netflix)

For dreaming of holidays – The Durrells series 1-4 (Apple TV and Netflix, but Netflix only has series 1 to 3)

For some good old British action – Bulletproof series 1 and 2 (Sky 1)

Indulge in a hobby

I don’t really have a specific hobby. I kind of envy people who do, as I think they must never be bored. However, I do have lots of interests that I want to explore further, so I decided to download the Masterclass app. I’ve done classes on cooking, interior design and gardening and it makes me feel like I’m being productive with my time. While I was in Dubai, I had a go at doing some mosaic, which was really fun as well. You don’t have to download an app, just think of something you’re interested in, have a search on Google or YouTube and learn more about it.

Indulging in my ‘hobby’ of baking… and having an accident with the electric whisk!

Exercise

I will be the first to admit that I don’t really like exercise. I like it when it’s done, but I usually always have to motivate myself to do a workout. However, since lockdown began, I’ve realised that if I want to eat cake for lunch then I need to get moving. I started off while I was in Dubai doing the ‘PE With Joe’ workouts on YouTube and soon got addicted. I love that they’re only half an hour long, but still make you sweat and really feel like you’re doing something. Since I got home, I’m still doing PE With Joe a few times a week, but I’m mixing it up by doing yoga and Body Pump online on days where I don’t feel like jumping around. It makes me feel so good afterwards and helps me stay motivated to do other things throughout the day.

Phone a Friend

If you’re anything like me, you’re not a lover of the video call. I don’t particularly like any kind of phone calls (I’m much more of a texter), but I’ve overcome this dislike during lockdown because I miss my friends and having a call with them always makes me happy. Everyone is in the same boat at the moment, we’re all missing our loved ones, so what better way to keep spirits up than by having a gin and tonic over Zoom or FaceTime on a Saturday night.

My friends and I on our weekly Zoom call.

Self-care

I often buy myself fresh flowers. They bring me so much joy to have in the house.

I know this is the current wellness buzzword, but I genuinely believe the world would be a much better place if we all took some time out to give back to ourselves now and again and it’s a great way to say bore-off to boredom. Self-care isn’t about lighting some incense and looking through your third eye (although it absolutely can be if that’s what you’re into), it’s simply about taking some time every day to let your mind decompress by doing something that relaxes you and takes your mind off your worries. For me, I love ASMR videos (check out my previous blog if you don’t know what ASMR is) and listening to audiobooks (see my recommendations below*) or podcasts (I love Table Manners with Jessie Ware). It focuses my mind elsewhere and allows me to relax and clear my head of any negative thoughts that might have weedled their way in.

Even if it’s just buying yourself some fresh flowers, sitting down and having a cup of tea (or glass of bubbly…) for five minutes with your feet up, self-care is so good for you and even better for your mind.

*Audiobook recommendations: The Foundling by Stacey Halls, Soldier Spy and I Spy by Tom Marcus, The Corfu Trilogy (My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods) by Gerald Durrell, The Secret Barrister (author unknown), The Cows and So Lucky by Dawn O’Porter, This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay and Becoming by Michele Obama.

Winter is coming – my colour consultation experience

I was recently at a summer party, surrounded by beautiful women looking fabulous in their finery. As I sat down at the table, I looked up and noticed the lady sitting down opposite me. My first thought was, “wow”. She looked incredible, in a striking red dress and gold jewellery, red lips and blonde hair.

We got chatting and she introduced herself as Jane and told me that she is an image consultant. She explained to me that her red dress wasn’t anything super special, but simply in the shade of red that best suited her warm skin and hair tones. She also told me that she added some ‘fairydust’ to her look with the sprinklings of gold jewellery, another hue that suits her colouring. She told me that each person suits one of four colour palettes which is categorised by season – spring, summer, autumn or winter.

For example, winter colours are clear, bright, vivid and icy. Summer colours are soft, blue, smoky and rose.

Another guest at the party said she’d had her colours done years ago and still carried around the wallet with swatches of fabric in the shades she can wear, so when she’s shopping she can check the colours are right. That was it. I was SOLD on getting my colours done.

Goodbye dull, hello sparkle

I was so excited. I’d never heard of anything like this before, that you can go and see what colours suit you. Never again would I buy a gorgeous dress in a beautiful colour, without knowing why I didn’t look quite right in it. This happened to me all the time. Now I understand that sometimes I was buying clothes in the wrong colour for me and they were washing me out or making my skin look dull.  

This was me before Jane worked her magic

I booked my colour consultation through Jane’s website, which was so easy, and went along for my appointment to her stunning home studio in Chiswick. We had a cup of tea, there were breakfast nibbles and then Jane explained what we were going to do. 

Jane showed me a colour wheel of many shades split into four groups – spring, summer, autumn and winter. I secretly hoped I was a winter because it’s the only season that features black (and I love black), but thought I’d probably end up as an autumn.

I sat down in front of a large mirror, under a skylight in the studio roof, so that Jane could assess me in natural daylight, which is important. Electric lights can alter the way colours look, so natural light for this was a must. Jane explained that, as I have dye in my hair, she would cover it up for the consultation. This was so we could see what colours made my skin and eyes look the best without my unnatural hair colour interfering. We laughed that I looked like a girl from the Handmaid’s Tale when she put the white linen cover-up on my head.  

One by one, Jane draped pieces of coloured material around my neck and shoulders and it was immediately obvious that I was more suited to cool tones (colours with a cool blue undertone, as opposed to a warm yellow one).

Goodies from my consultation, including the coveted swatch wallet

It was fascinating how a deep navy drape, contrasted with a crisp white one underneath it, made my face and eyes come alive and sparkle, whereas anything yellow or brown made me look sallow and as though my jaw was bigger.

She made sure I didn’t look like Kermit the Frog – and made me realise I’m a winter

We really laughed when Jane held a shade of green to me that made me look full-on terrible – we nicknamed this drape Kermit. However, that wasn’t to say that green wasn’t my colour, just not the shade of Kermit. In fact, two of my ‘wow colours’ turned out to be shades of emerald and pine green.

After Jane had found I suited cool tones, she then narrowed down what season I was by draping me with the colours from both winter and summer, the cool-toned seasons. I was thrilled to discover that I am winter.

 The next part of the session was to show me what makeup colours suited me best. Jane explained that she was going to do a 90 second makeover on me that I could replicate every day if I wanted to, as I never usually wear makeup in the day unless I’m going out to a restaurant or a meeting. She showed me some mineral foundation that brushed on so quickly and covered a multitude of sins.

This shade of wine burgundy really suits my skin tone

My skin looked as though it was bare, just without any blemishes, which I loved. I hate feeling caked in makeup. She then swept some blush over the tops of my cheekbones which really complimented my skin and gave me back the hollows I had before I turned 30 and formed a love affair with beige carbohydrates. Lastly, Jane gave me a few different lipsticks to try. I seldom wear lipstick, but after today I am going to try to wear it more. It totally complimented my face.  

With my makeup done and a lovely shade of burgundy on my lips, Jane then told me we were going to find out what my ‘wow colours’ were by draping the winter colours over me, one by one, and seeing which ones looked exceptional. She made notes in a little book for me to take home and refer to, so that I would know which colours I could wear in their entirety and which I should keep for patterns or below the waist. It was so interesting, as there were some colours in there that I would never have thought looked good on me, like magenta and fuchsia pinks for example.

It turned out that I am a jewel winter, as my wow colours were tones of ruby, emerald, sapphire and the like. I always knew I liked precious stones.  

At the end with my jewel winter colours - Jane tied my hair back so she could really see my skin tone

At the end of my session Jane showed me my before and after pictures and it’s so obvious that the colours make such a difference to how I look. She also gave me the coveted wallet with swatches of each of the colours of the winter palette that I can wear, so that when I’m out shopping I can use it to help me decide if something is going to suit me or not.

Now I feel like I can take on the world

I’ve always loved clothes and have spent a small fortune on them over the years (much to my husband’s dismay), but I believe that wearing good clothes that really suit you makes you feel so empowered and confident. When I know I look good then I can take on the world and have the best time doing it, full of smiles and confidence. If I feel I look frumpy or don’t feel good in what I’m wearing because I feel scruffy, then I want to disappear into a corner and be largely unnoticed.

I think discovering what looks good on you goes so much deeper than a person’s vanity, it is an investment in yourself and a method of self-care that will have positive benefits for you for the rest of your life.