Reflecting on the advice I’d give my pre-pandemic self left me blank. So in true Gen Z form I took to Instagram polls to see whether my close friends and family had any reflections.

The results spanned bad hair choices, workouts and spending time outside. From ‘stay away from Chloe Ting’ (a sound piece of advice in my opinion) to ‘Don’t let your older sister dye your hair’ there was variety. The latter of which was my younger sister’s piece of advice… I think she had a point.

In search of some longer form advice I sat down to journal. Casting my mind back to 2020 me was bizarrely challenging and my 17 y/o self felt distant.

At the time I was juggling A levels with a modelling contract from a high fashion agency in london. There was little predictability about my life at that moment so feeling out of control wasn’t new.

I was living a (not so glamorous) life where taking advantage of the SWR toilets to quickly change out of my school uniform and into my all black casting outfits was the norm. Always ready to swap my chemistry flashcards for my modelling comp cards.

So when the pandemic put everyone into a national lockdown the little continuity was the unpredictability and lack of control over what I’d be doing next. But who could have predicted the journey and change we’ve collectively been through over the past two years.

So a couple of things I want my pre pandemic self to know are:

-Take every day as it comes. It’s a marathon not a sprint

-Talk to your friends. Spend time with you’re family. Your community is so important.

-Your body is here to take you through life. It’s your vessel to experience life. It’s so much more than what it looks like. So treat it with respect.

-You’re going to learn ALOT. Way more than you would have done sitting in an exam hall.

-You might feel stuck right now but hang on in there. Some beautiful people are coming into your life soon.

-Be proud of who you are and who you’re becoming. There’s so much to look forward to.

-And seriously go outside. You’ll feel a whole lot better.

P.S. It’s okay to relax. It’s not everyday productivity.