Claudia is a South-London based student studying nutrition and also works full-time as a model.
We caught up with Claudia to find out about her life in isolation…
What does isolation look like where you live? How has your local community been affected?
I am living in South London, near Battersea Bridge. It can seem a bit eery on grey days as all the shops are shut, but it has been a great opportunity to discover so many amazing bakeries and coffees near me and it’s lovely to see small businesses busy and being supported by the local community. Being so close to the river has been such a saviour and is heaven on a sunny day like today as well!
Can you talk us through your daily routine in isolation?
The first thing I do when I wake up is make a hazelnut oat cappuccino, then I try and do a workout first thing, as if I wait too long, I know I won’t end up doing it – I am loving Pilates and Barre at the moment. ‘Move with Nicole’ on Youtube is my favourite, and such a burner!
I set aside a few hours to study and then I try and do a walk a day. I have been experimenting with more vegan recipes recently too; I am usually a 1-pan cook but have been using this time to be more adventurous with cooking.
What are the biggest impacts the lockdown has had on your life?
I have found it difficult having so much excess time and having to be indoors more, especially in London where there isn’t so much space! I like to keep busy and the lack of work is definitely an adjustment that has taken some time to navigate. Pre-lockdown I travelled to Germany quite a bit for work, which I really miss!
What has been a silver lining from being in isolation? Any special memories?
I realised during lockdown that the path I want to go down is nutrition, which I began studying in September. I think having the time to reflect has given us clarity on what is important to us; in a way I am grateful for this strange moment in life for helping me to come to this realisation!
I spent most of lockdown with my family in Newcastle, which was such a nice moment to all just be together; we got a new puppy last year which kept us all busy and out the house too. I also bought a nut butter machine to make my own peanut butter, which I would love to start selling soon.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learnt during this time?
I think this lockdown has helped me take a step back and rethink what is important. At the beginning I felt like I was missing out on so much but had to keep telling myself that everyone else is too. I relaxed into my routine with diet and exercise too which I have continued post-lockdown and managed to find a balance, as before I was quite obsessive with working out and tracking calories and looking back it took up too much headspace!
What are your self-care tips at home?
I’m terrible at drinking water on its own, so I buy a lot of herbal tea to make sure I get 2 litres a day; I cleanse my face with ‘Fresh’ Soy Cleanser everyday. Not wearing much makeup has also worked wonders! For mental self-care and clarity, I go for at least 1 long walk a day and use the Calm app in the evening.
Where do you want to travel to when the restrictions are lifted?
I have a plan to go to Ibiza with a couple of friends in summer which hopefully will go ahead, I love Turkey and Italy as well. Right now I would feel lucky to go anywhere warm that has a beach!
Transport yourself to December 2021, what would you like to have achieved this year?
I would love to be signed with an agency in the US by the end of the year, have worked with a number of new clients and also get some experience working in the food/nutrition industry – I’d love to have something that is completely mine that I can keep growing after I decide to stop modelling, so will continue working on my peanut butter and want to be selling different flavours online and in a couple of stores.
