There is no reason to go out. If you do step out of your front door to get groceries or takeout, you still have to wear some kind of face-covering to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
The pandemic has led to lockdowns that closed schools and businesses, canceled parties and other social events, and shut down restaurants. Even family get-togethers have been discouraged to prevent the spread of the virus.
As such, so many people in the past year have lost their routines and have to create new habits. For some, losing to the lockdowns has thrown their lives into chaos. In order to cope with the global crisis, they may have adopted daily patterns that negatively affect their physical and mental health.
However, the pandemic is a good reason why people should maintain their regular habits and routines. That includes your hair and skin care. Although there is no reason to get out, or even if your face is covered with a mask when you do get out, your hair and skincare might save your sanity during the pandemic.
Why It Matters
Sweatpants have become the official uniform of the pandemic. Most adults continue to work from home and fulfill their professional roles despite offices being closed. Because jobs have turned remote, many traded their jeans and slacks with jogging pants. People no longer have to wake up earlier to get ready to leave for their respective offices.
There is an instinct to just slack off, especially with your appearance, when you are at home with nothing much to do and while expecting no one to see you. Unless you have to appear at a video conference, with which you probably will just wear a nice shirt to appear presentable, there is no motivation to make an effort with how you look.
That is understandable, but it could also be wrecking your mental health. You would have to wait to see your favorite hairstylist safely and get your balayage hair fixed or touch up your roots.
However, the rest of your beauty regimen you can do at home without the help of a professional.
Doing your hair and skincare while in quarantine might sound pointless and a lot of work for nothing. But, during situations like these, when the only thing you can do to help end the problem is to stay home, you need something that you can control to maintain a positive disposition.
The Importance of Routine
The lack of a daily structure can feel mentally taxing and it can exacerbate negative emotions that you already feel. Your daily routine keeps your mind occupied. Without it, you will likely overthink the situation, making you feel more hopeless and anxious.
However, previous research has proven that having a daily routine can lower your levels of stress, help you focus, make you feel more productive, and encourage you to make better habits and take care of your well-being.
A Form of Self-Care
Moreover, maintaining your beauty regimen is a form of self-care. You are living through a very traumatic time. Although there is not a lot to do at home, you might feel more tired or stressed because of the seemingly endless list of bad headlines coming out of your social media feed or television screen.
By taking care of yourself, you make yourself more resilient to physical and emotional exhaustion. With self-care, you empty your mind of stressors and be more equipped to handle more challenges that come your way.
You also get to remind yourself that you have needs and your needs are important. Neglecting those needs will only make you feel worse.
From the Outside In
Your body image, or how you look at your appearance, can have a major impact on your mental health. According to research, people who have higher body dissatisfaction are more likely to experience psychological distress, have unhealthy eating behaviors, and have an overall lower quality of life. In short, they are unhappy.
A positive body image starts not from the way you look, but from your mind. However, it helps to take care of your appearance by following your hair and skincare routine, exercising, eating a balanced diet, sleeping a full eight or nine hours a day, etc.
The pandemic is a major concern, but you should also take care of yourself during this stressful period. Part of maintaining a healthy mind is doing things you enjoy and following routines no matter how pointless they may seem right now.