A Lockdown Letter From Liha

As the days are kind of running into each other at the moment, and time has been exposed as a social construct, I am trying to embrace that rather than work against it! My work ethos is always very much around flow and adapting to what the day brings so I am trying to stick to that.

 I wake up around 7am - I don’t use an alarm clock, and rely on my natural rhythms, so sometimes its earlier, sometimes later. I grab my journal which is by my bed and write about my (increasingly strange) dreams, or whatever I am feeling. I try and do 3 or 4 morning pages of free writing to start each day before I get out of bed.

I go downstairs, light an incense and put a nature image video with meditation music on YouTube on the TV. Sometimes I do a virtual sound bath if the space feels heavy with yesterday’s energy. My favourite channels are: Nature Healing Society, Woke Nation and Meditative Mind

 Depending on how I feel I will either walk for about 45 minutes or do some yoga in the lounge. I’m so thankful to live close to nature and be able to see animals and a river every day. Sometimes Yoga just means standing on my head for 5 minutes, or laying flat and staring at the ceiling and sometimes it’s a whole practice. I never push myself and just do what feels right that day.

I usually then take a long shower and play one of my upbeat playlist and start thinking about work. Like everyone my motivation is challenged to say the least at the moment, so I make sure to keep my self-talk positive and say some affirmations in the mirror if I need to. Putting on mascara and perfume and getting dressed is helpful to make me feel ready to work.

My work from home routine starts by doing the things I have prioritised and decided on before getting distracted by opening email. Write some content, plan for the future, search for inspiration. I add things I love and that inspire me to my whatsapp group with myself. There’s no one else in it! This was a tip from my friend Sharmadean Reid: it feels odd at first but it has been truly life- changing.

At 10:30 am I will turn on Pop-master Break - I’m a huge music geek and I love this quiz on Radio 2! My daughter sometimes joins in and eye rolls me when I take it too seriously.

I usually work until late afternoon and then help my daughter with any schoolwork, she’s been home-schooled for a long time and is amazing at managing her own workload.

At this point I start to wind down and have an internet break and do more creative and fun things with my daughter - we will cook, craft or just mess about and dance to music. She tries to teach me new dances and I teach her old ones. I keep trying to convince her to show me how tiktok works but no dice so far!

I will also try and write, read or make music during this time. It’s not about producing something good, or having an output, more about just clearing my mind and having some space. I’m so glad I started playing my saxophone again during quarantine but not sure my neighbours feel the same!

My night ritual is taking a bath with essential oils, I’m a sucker for fresh sheets on before bed… I’m known for changing my bed sheets far too frequently… who doesn’t like the smell and feel of newly laundered linen?! I make sure there are no electronics in my room at night and read before I fall asleep. I usually have a non-fiction and a fiction book in rotation at the same time - at the moment I’m reading ‘Future Shock’ by Alvin Toffler and re-reading ‘A visit From The Goon Squad’ by Jennifer Egan. Before I fall asleep I say three things I am grateful for out loud to myself.

10:30 -11pm-  if I’m tense I will take a bath with essential oils and put fresh sheets on before bed. I make sure there are no electronics in my room at night and read before I fall asleep. I usually have a non-fiction and a fiction book in rotation at the same time-At the moment I’m reading Future Shock by Alvin Toffler and re-reading A visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Before I fall asleep I say three things I am grateful for out loud to myself .

Liha x