A lot of us are struggling out here in these streets! Hair salons are closed, nail salons are closed. We all need a mani-pedi and a touch up on our color, several moments of silence have taken place for fallen lash extensions, and at this point God only knows how far we are from our next Olaplex treatment and nail extensions! We are now relegated to saving that money we probably shouldn’t have been spending pre-pandemic, and doing some self-pampering at home. I know I will not be coloring or trimming my own hair anytime soon, but I know an at-home mani-pedi is totally doable. Trust me, I know my limitations.
Beyond taking care of yourself physically (whether that be through exercise or pampering), it is important during this time to take care of your mental health as well. As a society we are not accustomed to being home this much. We are constantly out and about, moving, meeting friends at this restaurant, catching the train for work, brunching on Sundays, etc. In light of this we’ve had to shift our way of thinking, especially people who aren’t homebodies. This can really affect a person mentally. Our social butterflies are struggling! COVID-19 has also taught us to be more self-sufficient and reanalyze our presumed limitations. People are learning how to do their own hair and nails, as well as learning skincare techniques through free resources like YouTube, blogs and other articles found on the internet. This is not to say that when this is over we won’t go back to our favorite beauty techs — I personally love getting my hair and nails done. I think we will just re-evaluate how often we go because we have learned to do a satisfactory job on our own. Emphasis on satisfactory, because I know I didn’t go to school for hair, nails, skincare, or anything beauty related for that matter!
Between adjusting to new work from home schedules and keeping ourselves calm, but it is important to calm the noise and keep yourself busy. It is okay to give yourself a break and distract your mind from reality during this crazy time. Here are 7 self-care ideas you can try while social distancing!
Do Your Own Manicure or Pedicure
Personally, I love getting my nails done. Medium length extensions (or long depending on my mood) with a dark polish is my favorite combination. When I want a break from the extensions, I like to keep them short and apply a gel polish. Since the stay at home order I’ve had a fun time learning how to do my own nails. You can get everything you need to do a dip powder or gel manicure at home! They sell dip powder kits online, and you can find gel polish and LED/UV lamps on Amazon and Ebay. For pedicures, I highly recommend using a foot file. It removes a lot of the dead skin off your feet, leaving smooth mule-ready heels.
Facial
Treat your skin to nutrients and moisture that it’s missing by doing a facial. A facial can be as fancy or as low key as you want it to be. You can use a pre-packaged mask, a clay mask, or you can get creative and make your own with fresh ingredients.
Hair Mask or Deep Conditioning Treatment
Try making your own hair mask or doing your own deep conditioning treatment. Give your hair that bounce and shine for your next Zoom meeting! You can level up your deep conditioning treatment by putting a disposable plastic shower cap on your freshly washed and conditioned tresses. I love doing this method because it mimics the same process at the salon, just without the dryer! I’ll put my hair in the cap and leave it on for a few hours while I do other things. Personally, I find that I have the best results when I leave it on overnight. Bear in mind your own hair texture and the type of conditioner you use, as not all conditioners are good to leave in your hair overnight.
Try a New Recipe
Options abound. You can find recipes anywhere these days. From instagram, to facebook, to snapchat, and some killer food blogs. They are literally everywhere. If you are a cookbook collector like myself, I know you have multiple cookbooks that you haven’t cooked from because you didn’t have the time. Well, there’s no time like the present!
Start a Journal
Journaling is not for everyone, but it can help sort out your feelings during a difficult time. Sometimes I wish I was a dedicated journal writer. But if I’m being transparent, I don’t like writing by hand for extended periods of time. However when I get super in my feelings about something putting my emotions into words helps make sense of it all. Putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, can do wonders to assist in processing your emotions, as well as making memories.
Start an Exercise Challenge
Starting an exercise challenge doesn’t have to be difficult. Also a challenge is relative from person to person. For example, you could challenge yourself by making the decision to exercise/move your body for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 2 weeks. Or whatever configuration it may be for you. An exercise challenge does not mean you have to start and complete the Insanity program! There are so many exercise programs available for us to do at home these days; the at-home workout programming has come a long way.
Catch Up on Your Reading List
You know that stack of magazines from that subscription you forgot about collecting dust on your coffee table? Read those, sis! Take the time to read it front to back, take the time to appreciate the photography, the written content, and take the quizzes too if it’s that type of magazine. If you aren’t a magazine person catch up on your favorite blogs, or crack open that book on your bedside table that you’ve been meaning to read, but always fall asleep before you can get to it.
Now go forth and love on yourself a little. You deserve it!
What do you like to do to for self-care while staying at home?
