We sat down with our Founder, Lara Mead, to see how she's balancing work, kids and her home life.
HOW ARE YOU COPING WITH STAYING AT HOME?
I’m trying to be as positive as possible about being at home. I’m enjoying the time spent being close to the children and Ben. We have a family WhatsApp chat with my parents, sister, and cousins, and it’s providing an endless source of amusement.
I have organized mine and the kid's closets and our kitchen pantry. Doing jobs I have wanted to do for a long time and keeping us all busy.
I turned my spare room into an office/ gym, so I have a quiet space to escape the madness and keep my body moving.
ARE YOU STRESSED, AND HOW ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
I'm not going to lie. Yes, I'm stressed, but I'm trying my best to be as positive as I can every day and develop routines that balance out my family, work, and lifestyle. I can only control what I can control, and at the moment, that's staying in.
OUTFITS?! ARE YOU DRESSING UP OR DRESSING DOWN?
A little of both. Sometimes its head to toe Varley, and then some days I put on some nice pants and do my hair and pretend I’m heading into London for a meeting. It helps…but then it’s quickly back to my leggings and sweatshirt.
ARE YOU STAYING HEALTHY OR ARE YOU OPENING THE WINE?
A little of both! I’m trying to be as mindful as possible about everything I eat and drink. I’m trying not to be wasteful; I’m making stews and soups and making sure to cook for my family every night. I think sitting down and having a meal together, no matter what, brings an element of normality to the day.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE THIS WEEK?
I’m wearing less makeup... using loads of nourishing oils and balms on my dry skin, applying hair masques and also soaking in Epsom salts every night. I ordered a huge tub of salts this weekend from Amazon and it came the next working day, which is ideal while social distancing!
WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO AT-HOME WORKOUT?
I love p.volve (I've already been using this streaming service for years) and I also invested in a Peloton. I have been doing many of the online streaming classes from all of my favorite gyms, studios, and trainers. This weekend I devised my own workout that consists of dancing around the living room with ankle weights and hand weights for 20 minutes. When Ben walked in, he thought I had finally lost it. But I felt great after!
WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?
I have lots of books on the go at the moment… some I have already read and I enjoy re-reading, such as Happy Gut, by Vincent Pedre, MD. The gut is such a key to healthy immunity, so it seems appropriate reading at this time.
FAVOURITE PLAYLIST, SONG, AND/OR ARTIST HELPING YOU THROUGH THIS WEEK?
I have Lewis Capaldi on repeat. I also was caught dancing around my living room like a madwoman to Florence and The Machine's ‘You’ve Got The Love.'
FAVOURITE BLOG?
I have been reading a lot of stuff from Ben Greenfield's blog regarding BioHacking. In fact, I ordered his book from Amazon yesterday.
CURRENT MOOD?
Trying to be nice to everyone at the moment. The world is a scary place, let’s do what we can, and be kind!
