With lockdown easing, many of us are slowly adjusting to normality beginning to resume and finding our feet. It's something Former Loose Women panellist and TV presenter Saira Khan knows too well.
"I’m a strong individual and I don’t get stressed easily. When the lockdown restrictions were first relaxed in April I took my son to the hairdressers and felt like I was doing something wrong. ‘Am I going to get into trouble?’ I thought.
I heard that more than 55 per cent of the population are feeling that re-entry anxiety and I think we all need to take our time to ease back into society gently after lockdown. Do what we’re comfortable doing, so we don’t feel pressured."
Live your best life every single day is Saira's mantra
"I think it comes from losing my dad (Jan Mohammed Khan) very suddenly when I was 28. He was 60 and died of a heart attack. I learnt a lot from his death about how to live my life. He used to say he would do things tomorrow but tomorrow never really comes. Life is short and you have to live your best life every single day."
She's a positive person
"I’m a positive person. I look on the bright side of life and I don’t moan very much but I have learnt to be kind to myself. I don’t bother about ageing but I do invest in myself. Every single morning without fail I practice self-care by looking after my skin, listening to meditative music on the radio and walking 7km with my husband and dog."
Saira likes to help her neighbours
"Treat other people the way you would want to be treated. Helping your neighbour makes you feel good about yourself and helps you become a valued member of the community. But do it for yourself. It’s not about receiving anything back. It’s about the generosity of spirit.
My neighbour, Pat, is in her 80s and she lost her husband in lockdown. I care that she might be feeling lonely and, as I love baking, I took her a cake over the other day. I don’t want to live in a world or be part of a tribe that’s spiteful and mean."
She's a warrior
"Being Asian growing up in the Seventies, there were lots of obstacles, so I’ve had to overcome adversity in my life including marrying a man who wasn’t Muslim (entrepreneur Steven Hyde), as well as infertility, racism and sexism.
What you have to do is to become a warrior, attack the obstacle and not take no for an answer. (Saira has a son Zachariah, 13, through IVF and adopted daughter Amara, 10). You have to fight because there’s always a solution. I think that probably comes from my family being immigrants. I’ve always been comfortable with the uncomfortable."
Saira is an ambassador for The Big Lunch
"I am very proud to be an ambassador for The Big Lunch, an annual UK get-together that has been running since 2009. People share lunch with friends and neighbours to raise money for a charity or causes close to their heart. For some, it ignites a passion for doing more good things in their local communities. I’m a really big supporter of community."
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
"Don’t feel like a failure if you make a mistake – mistakes are there to be learnt from so you can do better next time."
The Big Lunch, supported by the National Lottery, takes place from June 5-6 (dependent on the latest Government guidelines). To find out more visit thebiglunch.com
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