It's the little things...

With a lot going on in the world at such a large scale, it can be easy to feel daunted and overwhelmed by the situation. Something so significant is happening, and whilst we are all doing our bit, you can’t help but feel slightly helpless. Not only do you feel helpless, you also feel hopeless, as you’re unsure when normality will return. There are people in much worse situations, but when the things you looked forward to so much, such as races and holidays, have been cancelled, you are bound to feel slightly down. When we are surrounded by a lot of negativity, it is important to look for the positivity that does surround us. Whether that’s embracing the things we now have time to do, or by taking the time to cherish nature’s presence, there is still plenty to be grateful for.  
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Something I have found myself becoming more aware of, especially as I live in the countryside, is the increasing amount of wildlife and the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. The little things I never took the time to notice, such as the twittering of birds on my run, now bring a smile to my face. It is amazing how loud they can be, singing to each other. I have also taken the time to notice the harvesting of the crops and all the different phase that are involved in this. I am lucky that my house backs out onto fields, so I can take in all of nature’s beauty from my house. 

New life.​

Among all the chaos, there has been the arrival of new life to make me smile. Not babies, but foals. A friend of ours breeds horses, so we were able to walk there on our daily dose of outdoor activity to see them. Two of them have arrived and there are two more to come. Spending time with animals, be it your dog or just looking at a sheep, can have a very calming effect on you. It takes you away from the current situation and you find yourself forgetting about everything for a while. The animals don’t have a clue what is going on, which is quite nice. As you don’t have to talk or think about coronavirus for a while. 

The little things seem big.​

We are all so used to having big plans in our lives to look forward to, like I said previously, either a holiday, a race, or a party with friends and family, there is always something happening for us to be excited about. Currently, there is very little, if anything, in the diary as no one knows when normality will return. However, there is no point getting down and gloomy about this because there is nothing we can do to change it. Instead, other things in our daily life become the ‘big plans’ that we look forward to. Things you may have taken for granted and seen as the ‘small things’ aren't so small any longer. These big plans to look forward to are anything from watching a movie with your family, walking the dogs, and baking!! 

Dedicating time to the little things. 

It isn’t just about appreciating the little things in your day, but also giving time to the little things you may neglect on a daily basis in normal busy life. When you are rushed off your feet with work, training, cooking, and everything else that goes with it, the other things that aid your running are given little to no attention. Now is the time to be positive and embrace having the time on your hands to stretch, strengthen, sleep and recover. You may neglect these things during your normal week and be happy to sacrifice time spent sleeping to get up early and fit your training in, which may not always be a beneficial choice. However now, without the need to commute, travel to training, or go to lectures at university, we are able to get in a full nights sleep. Our bodies need time to repair and we may finally be able to actually give them that. We are able to factor in time off of our feet resting, time for stretching, which I know seems to take forever, and time strengthening our weak areas. These areas are more important that we actually think they are when we are stretched for time. Whilst this situation is far from ideal, it is important to take the positives that we can from it.