Three things NOT to stress about this week

What a week! 

Who would have thought this time last month Britain would be in a state of near-lockdown? Overnight our lives have changed, and so many things we used to take for granted are now off limits.

There’s plenty for people to worry about genuinely, and my heart goes out to those who may be facing the loss of homes or businesses, or those who may be going hungry, or those whose loved ones are seriously ill. It would be crass and insensitive to do anything other than acknowledge what’s going on for so many people and express real empathy for people’s fear and pain.

These things are important to be concerned about. The survival and welfare of yourself and your dear ones are paramount. Your number one job is to keep yourself and them safe. 

But I’m seeing a lot of stuff on social media about worries people have which aren’t necessary. Theyjust cause you anxiety for no real reason and divert you from where your focus is needed right now. I want to highlight three groundless worries that I’ve seen and suggest to you why it’s time to let them go.

1.      “I’ll put on weight”

First of all, let me reassure you that, unless you change your diet extremely significantly your weight is unlikely to change very much. One thing that may be comforting to some people is that it’s much harder to get hold of less nutrient-dense foods such as bread and pasta, which can also have a less beneficial effect on blood sugar management. In fact, your diet could very well improve as a result of the current situation.  In any case, a small amount of weight gain really won't have a significant effect on your health. So, unless you're having multiple packets of biscuits or the equivalent every day, you probably don't have much cause for concern.

People are concerned that they won’t be able to exercise as much. First of all, unless you’re a serious athlete, exercise has very little impact on weight. Feel free to look up the studies if you don’t believe me. Secondly, you can still do plenty of exercise. At the time of writing, you’re allowed to go for a walk, jog or cycle every day. And there’s loads of stuff online that you can do with little or no equipment from the comfort of your living room. In fact, I can’t leave the house at the moment and I’m exercising more than ever because there are so many great classes to join! If you play your cards right, you could come out of this stronger and more supple than when you went in. That’s the real benefit of exercise.

Imagining the worst-case scenario for a moment. If you do get this illness and you get it even moderately, you will shed a ton of weight. But you won’t be happy about it. You won’t be jumping on the scales rejoicing that you’ve lost more in a week than you did in the previous year. You’ll be too busy fighting for your life. You might even be grateful for a few additional energy stores to burn. And that really puts it in perspective. Let go of the worry. At the present time, it really isn’t important.

2.      “I look a mess”

Maybe it’s just me, but I was very nonplussed at the amount of people crowding into nail bars at the weekend. I know that some people find appearance important, but your health is far more of a priority right now. Being very blunt, if you are lying in a hospital bed fighting for every breath, do you think you’ll be concerned about how your hair or your nails look? Of course not.

This is a really liberating time for us; no longer do we need to ‘put on a face’ for the world, because the world isn’t looking. Your kids don’t care about your hair or your nails; they just want you. PJs are the new fashion item; I’ve coined the totally un-PC phrase ‘Corona Grunge’ to describe the new workwear. You don’t need fancy nails; they’re totally impractical for the household tasks we’re all doing more of, and they won’t survive the amount of handwashing we’re all doing.

While you can, be your beautiful, unadorned self.  You may even get to like it.  Think about the time you normally spend on an appearance and what else you can do to enrich yourself and bring value to your family’s life. A year ago, I almost chopped off my finger, and it may have damaged my nail growth forever. I may never be able to get my nails done again. I promise you this causes me not a moment of unrest; I’m just grateful to have the finger at all. These serious crises can be pivotal moments for determining where our priorities lie.

3.      “I won’t have enough to eat”

Last night I watched a video of a mum telling her child that all the fast-food outlets she liked were closed, and she would have to eat mummy’s cooking. The child was bawling her eyes out.

Call me cynical, but I think this child is a brilliant actor, and mummy was playing it for laughs. 

Sadly, the video got a huge backlash with people getting all judgy about this mum. Let me be quite clear; there’s no room for judgemental people in my tribe. We don’t know this mum and her circumstances, so it’s utterly inappropriate to pass judgement. And if, as I suspect, the video was playing for laughs, all those judgemental people are going to end up looking pretty silly.

But I suspect that many of us like to cook a few staples, and don’t venture much beyond that. We have busy lives and multiple priorities demanding our attention. Perhaps we have children who are autistic and will only eat a limited range of foods. Perhaps we ourselves have allergies or strong food preferences. Perhaps we have particular cultural beliefs about what a meal looks like or tastes like.

With all that’s happening it may become harder to get hold of the foods you used to take for granted. That can feel a bit scary. It needn’t be. Because this is precisely where I can help.

I see people getting worried that they have to rely more on packets or tins because fresh food can be hard to source, especially if you have to stay inside. Don’t worry; it’s still possible to eat a healthy balanced diet. Let’s stop beating ourselves up that things aren’t perfect.  Bolstering your physical and mental health is still 100% achievable even if you have to rely more on convenience foods and things you wouldn’t normally eat. Let me show you how.

Every weekday I’m going to do a Lunchtime Live from my Facebook page where I’ll make something to eat with ingredients from my storecupboard and fridge. I’m in social isolation at the moment, so I genuinely can’t shop to suit myself; what you see is what’s actually there. You can cook along with me. Your kids can join in too. It’s going to be fun.

You can get involved too. Tell me about the things at the back of your storecupboard that you don’t quite know how to use, but don’t want to waste. Let’s bring the creativity and fun back into mealtimes without it taking all day. We’re all supposed to have more time on our hands, but if you’re anything like me, you’re busier than ever. So, let’s work together to make the most of your mealtimes.

I know that times are tough. I know you may be worried about your income. The thing is, so am I. So, if you want to access my content for free, you can.  But if you’re able to, I’d like to encourage you to buy me a coffee. You can’t do that for real at the moment, but you can do it virtually by clicking here. It’s a bit of a posh coffee, because I’m a posh kind of girl. If you really like any of my content, you'll soon be able to buy me the equivalent of a sandwich too. I’ll appreciate it far more than a real sandwich, because I try to avoid bread in real life. 

I’d love to see you in the kitchen very soon.