AD | Morning Coffee Thoughts

What a time to be alive?! I think we’ve all said versions of that statement pretty much every single day. I can’t quite believe what this year has been for all of us; so much devastation, so much abnormality, so much sadness, so much unknown. Yet, despite all of this, there have been some amazing positives that have come out of this and I wanted to touch on those today because, hell, I need to remind myself of these things every now and again. 

The Busy Culture

We all fall into this trap and I remember listening to a podcast on this a while back but in normal life, our standard answer to ‘how are you’ seems to be a version of “Sooooooo busy”. Yawn. 

I love how this time has forced us to take a step back, slow down and make times for the things we normally ‘too busy’ to focus on. I really hope to hold onto this going forward. 

Creating coffee moments in our home

This is such a key one, and something I absolutely would not have explored had we not been confined to our home for 120 days (and counting). As you all know, I live for my takeaway coffee and always have. Aside from the much-needed coffee kick, I also just love the time-out and the little ritual of it all.

I have really loved taking the little time-out in the comfort of my own home. Making a delicious cup of coffee and doing something non-work/admin related whilst enjoying it.

We got the Philips Latte to Go machine in the early days of Level 5 and it has been such an absolute game-changer. The machine is a bean to cup (crucial, in my opinion) and is really easy to work. It makes five different coffee variants. It’s also really beautiful looking and not bulky at all, which was an important factor given our kitchen isn’t huge and the machine needed to be permanently displayed.

Another big win about this machine (especially given the never-ending lockdown cleaning), has been how easy it is to clean. There are no tubes or finickity bits, so a 15 second rinse does the job.

Focusing on things that align with me

I’ve loved this take-out from this time. I guess it would have happened anyway, but I feel like this period has fast-tracked this, and I’m so grateful for that. Work-wise I decided pretty early on to focus on relationships with brands where I just enjoy the company of the people I work with. Working for clients who don’t share similar values just felt exhausting and, in a time where we can’t afford to have someone cause unnecessary stress, this has become a priority. I am so grateful to be in a space work-wise where I work with people who value my style of working, actually ask me how I am and just make work so enjoyable. 

Sitting down for each meal

This may seem like a simple one but, with the slower-pace, we have loved sitting down together for each meal. Sometimes this is in our back garden, other times it’s just at the kitchen island. Either way, it’s time together, away from our phones and all about appreciating the meal in front of us. Oh, and on that note I have loved experimenting more in the kitchen and feel like I’ve tested so many great recipes that I would never have had time for (more like made time for) before this. 

Slow, quiet walks

My word, I am forever grateful that we moved past the Level 5 exercise ban as my morning or afternoon walks have been my daily ritual. I am also so grateful for having a new puppy, which has encouraged this even more. I love this time away from my laptop and off my phone. Due to safety, I don’t even take my phone with me which makes my walks even more relaxing. No podcast, no music, no phone calls. Just little Forest and I and time to think and unwind. 

Appreciating my home

I’ve always been a home body, you guys know this about me BUT this time has taken my appreciation and love of my little space to a whole new level. I’ve put extra energy into things I would have probably procrastinated about and never got to. I am so grateful for our little garden (which I have put a lot of time into), my scented candles and my beautiful fresh flowers next to my bed. Oh, and my top purchase of 2020: an electric blanket (and my first one at that!)

Helping in any way I can

I really feel like me (and so many others) have really done our utmost to help as many disadvantaged people as possible. I always feel like there is more I could be doing but I am forever grateful for this time as it’s allowed me to do things for others that has genuinely bought me so much joy (and a lot of sadness). This is something I will always continue to do,  but this time has made me realize I need to ensure my giving back is something I consistently do.

This post was done in partnershoip with Philips South Africa.