People across the country have been stuck indoors for the past few months. The coronavirus pandemic has swept the nation and confined people to their homes to minimize the spread of the disease. To keep everyone safe, social events, bars and restaurants, and public gatherings of all kinds have been put on hold.
In these times, you would be forgiven for letting your beauty regime fall to the wayside and not look good at all. With outdoor excursions mostly limited to work and essential tasks, there seems to be little point in looking at our best. Yet with routine out the window, loneliness, boredom, and stress are all kicking in. Many people are finding their mental health is beginning to suffer. So do I!
Although there is not much we at home can do to end the pandemic, other than maintaining social distancing, we can work on ourselves to make us feel better. Your perception of how you look has a massive impact on your mental wellbeing, so it is important not to let yourself wallow at home and occasionally make an effort. It will make you feel more confident, more positive, and happier. That’s not to say you need to put on your most beautiful clothes every day, but changing out of your pajamas is a start.
Here are ten tips to help you look good and feel your best in the current global situation to get you through the pandemic and looking towards a brighter future.
10 tips to look Good and feel Better
1. Have a routine
With our work-life balance completely off-kilter, our routines have changed. The standard nine-to-five workweek is on hold, and in this situation, it’s easy to fall into bad habits. Make an effort to create some structure in your lockdown life, even if you’re not leaving the house. Set your alarm in the morning and get dressed. Even this simple act will make you feel more confident and motivated. Schedule activities each day, whether it’s a personal project, exercise, or socializing with friends to ensure you make the most of your time.
2. Look Your Best
Even if no-one is going to see you, that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. Your clothing isn’t just for other people to enjoy. In fact, 96% of women believe what they wear has a direct impact on how confident they feel, so why not change into something that makes you feel good? Even if it’s just a work conference call, looking good with a great hairstyle and fashionable pair of glasses will dramatically increase your self-esteem. Moreover, just applying minimal makeup can make a huge change in how you feel!
3. Have Social Nights At Home
Just because you can’t go out to a fancy restaurant or clubbing in the city, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a social life. By scheduling a date night with your partner or a virtual get-together with friends, you have an excuse to dress up and look good!
4. Exercise
No one is saying you have to get in the best shape of your life while in lockdown, but it is worth taking part in some exercise even just for the mental health benefits it provides. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day is proven to alleviate stress, as well as making you feel happier and more confident in yourself. Go for a short run, walk, or take advantage of the many free online workouts being provided at this time. And that you look good after the whole lockdown is just a nice benefit, right?
5. Eat Well
What you eat has a significant impact on the way you feel and if you look good or not. A diet full of takeaway pizza and other oily, fatty foods will make you feel lethargic and low in energy. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables to give your body the nutrients it needs. Drinking plenty of water will keep your body functioning at its peak, as well as making your skin look more radiant and sag-free.
6. Look After Your Skin
You can still look after your appearance and look good even though you can’t go out for expensive cosmetic treatments and makeovers. Your skin, in particular, maybe especially susceptible to the effects of lockdown. Poor diet, lack of exercise, and the intense levels of stress and anxiety you may be experiencing can all play havoc with your complexion. You can reduce the effects by keeping healthy, but nothing is stopping you from implementing a little self-care each night as well. Stick to a daily skincare regime of moisturizing and exfoliating, and you will leave lockdown looking magnificent. I’ll teach you how to easily determine& treat your skin type.
7. Socialize
Socializing has a hugely positive impact on our mental health. Talking to loved ones helps you foster a sense of belonging and self-worth as well as giving you an outlet to share your troubles and provide emotional support. If you are struggling with your situation, don’t keep it inside. Talk to a trusted ally about what is bothering you. Even just calling a friend for a quick chat can be an instant mood booster.
8. Go Outside
The benefits of nature for our mental health are well-documented. Spending time outdoors can reduce feelings of stress and anger while boosting your confidence and self-esteem. Going for a short walk in the park and immersing yourself in nature can do wonders for your happiness. Don’t let yourself be cooped up indoors all the time; make an effort to leave the house and enjoy a green space at least once a day.
9. Treat Yourself
You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself at this time. Everyone is struggling in some way, so you shouldn’t feel you need to be constantly forcing yourself to maintain good habits. An occasional treat is a good thing. Every now and then, do something just for you. Whether it’s treating yourself to an at home spa day with candles and music, an or curling into a duvet for an afternoon of movies and snacks, do whatever makes you happy because this will definitely help you look good and feel better.
10. Be Kind To Yourself
We could all do with being a little kinder to ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t be motivated to exercise or cook a healthy meal. Or being productive at all, which I struggle with a lot during this pandemic. These are unprecedented times, and you shouldn’t feel you have to be always at your best. The lockdown will end, and life will go back to normal eventually. In the meantime, just keep going and do what it takes to be happy. If you are struggling with your mental health, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional.
What is your favorite way to make yourself look good and feel better? Let me know in the comments.
I think that working from home for nearly a year has benefitted me during the pandemic, as I already have my at home routine in place. I admit that I let some skincare products run out and kind of changed my routine a bit there. Otherwise, I do find it super important to get up, get dressed, exercise, eat well, and do all the things!!
xoxo Amanda | theaestheticege.com
I can definitely imagine that having an at-home routine already has benefited you during the pandemic! So nice to hear you didn’t have a full-on life crisis like I did because of the lack of a routine lol.
I definitely need to work on getting outside more, I should know better after quarantine but I’m such a homebody I struggle with going out so much!
I feel you, I’m a homebody too! Quarantine definitely taught me to go outside more + appreciate it as well. But I’m still 80% of the time at home lol.
Great tips here! I thoroughly agree that putting on some nice clothes, doing your hair and applying your makeup feels is great for your mental health. I know a lot of people see it as a waste during lockdown as they’re “not going anywhere nice”, but if doing it makes you look and feel good, you should just go for it. Anything that makes you happy should be enough reason to do it! Loved reading this uplifting and motivating blog post x
Totally agree with you, it’s not a waste if it makes you happy! 🙂
Hi Simone, I am Aanushri from India, I have done Master in Human Resource Management, mother of two beautiful children, and I am also USA Obsessed, I love yoga and meditation.