Guest Blog by Ashleigh Jane-Lockdown reflections

7 weeks in lockdown already! It only seems like yesterday I was rushing around at the office like a crazy person. Time flies when you are having fun.


Fun I hear you say?! How? Well for starters this period has not only given me a time for reflection, but has also given me more time to do the things I love! I imagine for the majority of us it has made us become more aware of just how much we were not living in the present moment, and also given us a chance to appreciate what we already have.


It’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race and tell ourselves we don’t have enough time to do the things we love or spend time with the people we care about, but at the end of the day it is our choice and we choose what we prioritise. 


This has a been a chance for us all to slow down. It has been a chance for us to think about how we want our lives to look like going forward and the type of person that we want to be, and even the type of world we wish to live in. It all starts with us and our choices. 


We all put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to achieve, to live a certain way, to have certain belongings, and in times like these it makes us realise that the only things that really matter are health and our loved ones, because without love and our ability to be alive and appreciate it the world is a pretty dim place. 


The hardest thing for me has also been the best thing for me. I miss visiting my family and friends, but on the other side I have had a flat to myself in London, that I would under normal circumstances not be able to afford. It has given me so much time to reflect, to have space to think, to work on different projects and truly show my appreciation for everything I have right now. 


I for one do not wish to go back to my old ways of working, because for me they did not work. work/life balance did not exist in my life and this period of reflection has enabled me to think about the changes I need to make to make my own lifestyle a better one.


Awareness is key, and I have chosen to direct my thoughts positively during this difficult time to focus on the good, not the bad, the opportunities not the difficulties, and the lessons to be learnt. 


In an uncertain and sad time there has also been such kindness demonstrated across the world that reinforces together we are stronger.


The world is changing and I am ready to change with it and make it a more positive one. 


Ashleigh