When did the world get so dark?

With the headlines dominated with the relentless spread of Covid-19, and pretty much the entire world on lockdown, it does feel like we’re living in a film at the moment.

Most of us have had to get used to new, restrictive routines overnight. We no longer have the outlet of seeing friends, going to the gym or having a night out. Our days are topsy-turvy, and pyjamas have become acceptible day wear.

In these times, fashion might seem frivolous. But I firmly believe it can be an outlet - for creative expression and for boosting your confidence.

The spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic certainly feels like something out of a horror film or a bad dream, but it's real and it's here.

As it feels like the whole country is racing to the shops and fighting each other over hand sanitizer and toilet paper, we’re focused on the physical implications of keeping safe from the virus. But there are also a whole lot of mental health implications as well.

There’s a very fine line between the very necessary social distancing that it is absolutely our responsibility to undertake and preserving our own mental health, and I’m not sure that any of us quite know where that is at the moment.

The thought of being placed imminently in a lockdown situation - which many European nations are, and the UK is teetering towards - where we can’t go outside and socialise can be quite an unsettling thought. Anxiety is ever-present right now, and even those of us who are normally relatively calm are beginning to have to fight the panic.

I work from home a couple of days a week anyway in my marketing job, but it still feels like a huge leap to cut out all physical interaction at work, in your social life and even through things like gym classes in one fell swoop.

Last night, I could feel this claustrophobic sense of panic threatening to take over at the thought of not knowing how long this situation might continue, whether my loved ones will get ill,  how it might affect my job, and even whether the building work we’re having done will get done (which is agonisingly close to completion but could easily come unstuck in an instant).

For me, the answer is to try and find balance and normality in uncertain times. I’ve come up with a plan for myself to look after my mental and physical health, and I’m going to share it in case any of the points also help you.

The best fashion happens when you mix it up - high-end and high street,  vintage and new, minimal and out-there. It's these contrasts which create the tensions that make style interesting.

So even though there is a part of me that’s focused on buying quality classics that will go the distance, I also like to add interest to my outfits with pieces which are a little more current. Primark remains a great place to experiment - the price points mean you can flirt with a trend without committing to it.

Equally, I always find it a great place for staple basics - plain vest tops, tights and socks - that you need to restock on every so often.

I haven’t been in there since last summer, when I picked up some holiday clothes for me and my daughter, but I was drawn in on a recent lunch break on a hunt for thermal tights to combat the sub-zero snow flurries of Storm Ciara - and I found some great pieces for my work wardrobe and homewares for our renovated master suite as well.

You can’t really go wrong with a Primark haul - it's the ultimate in affordable style. Plus, we all know science has proven it's physically impossible to emerge with just one item...