Facemasks at breakfast, baths in the middle of the day, endless workouts streamed in your garden, sitting room yoga, re-creating Master Chef dishes and catching up with friends over supper via zoom – I spent the first three weeks of lockdown feeling like each one of these self-care items was a dangled carrot that I never quite caught. The reason? I have kids – two boys, Max (5) and JJ (2) – and so after three weeks of failed self-care attempts, where most of the inspiration was drawn from twenty-something Instagrammers (sans kids), I decided to re-write the rules, so that I, too, could take part in the self-care creativity. After much discussion with other parents, wellbeing experts and my therapist, I think I may have just mastered the isolation self-care game as a busy parent.

Plan out your weekly self-care, not daily
Daily self-care targets are likely to set you up for a fail. I have learned that even on my most organised days, I am but just one five-year-old drama away from the whole plan crashing down and before you know it I am drinking rosé, eating crisps in front of the TV feeling guilty that I should in actual fact be in the bath with my hair in a clay scalp mask reading a book…

Invest in your favourite candle ever
For me, nothing quite says “it’s grown-up time now” like a Diptyque Candle burning away in the kitchen. Investing in my favourite candle feels perhaps a little indulgent but the joy it brings me goes a long way and requires zilch effort.

No phones upstairs
I have always tried to create some sort of digital curfew in the house but with days rolling into weeks, weekdays rolling into weekends and no real on or off times, it’s become difficult.  So instead – there are no phones upstairs meaning that my bedroom feels more zen and less work-den.

Get creative
I always thought colouring books were not for me but I have now found that they are bloody brilliant at creating the mindfulness I need at the moment. I am loving colouring with the kids but even better when I am on my own, with my wine and my candle and no-one asking if they can “help” colour mine in for me. 

Become a beauty junkie
This has been such a fun thing for me – I have totally got into beauty products in a way that I never have before. I am loving the process of researching, reading and ordering new beauty products and trying them out on my skin. This doesn’t require an hour of my attention, it’s something I can pick up and put down as and when yet it totally makes me feel like I am spending some time on myself. Plus, I am hoping I shall look ten years younger after this lockdown! I’m currently slathering on REN’s Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream.

Workout with the kids
Everyone is going a bit stir-crazy and my daily exercise still remains one of my top priorities to keep my mind and body healthy and happy but if I am unable to get out for my morning run on my own I make it a MUST that I workout with the kids. My favourite people to tune into a workout with are: Chloe Hodgson (@ChloesPilates) and PE with Joe Wicks (@thebodycoach).

Words by Sadie Reid