It just became a whole lot more important to have some 'me time'.....
With Covid-19 gripping the world by the balls, it's never been a more important time to practice self-care measures and to look after yourself. With so much uncertainty and with stricter regulations encouraging you to self-isolate, it's normal to feel overwhelmed and slightly panicked (you'd be a robot if you didn't). However, an easy way to kick these feelings in the butt is to provide yourself with the ultimate self-care (sans spa)/at-home routine that'll have you feeling back to your usual fan-f**king-tastic self in no time.
Nothing helps relax the mind than a hot bath and a face mask. While you'd usually have the option of treating yourself to a day at the spa, an at-home pamper sesh will have you feelin' just as good (without the hefty price tag).
There's nothing quite like our Cactus Clay Face Mask to help you on your way to glowin' skin (doesn't matter that no one else will see it for a while). Guaranteed to leave your skin feeling super soft and super hydrated, this face mask uses the power of Nopal Powder, Aloe Vera and Rosehip Oil to truely invigorate your skin, helping to restore youthfulness and radiance.
....because some of the simplest things can often be the most effective.
Now's the perfect time to focus on you and only you; for once your phone's not ringing off the hook, you're not late for dinners with friends and you're not rushing to get to the gym in time to make the 6pm F45 class.
Roll out your yoga mat (or clear some space on the floor), pop some calming music on (avoid the 90's R'n'B) and concentrate on taking some deep breaths. This will flood your system with happy hormones, tricking your brain into thinking it's totally chill and didn't just spend the morning wondering where you're gonna buy toilet paper from.
That's right skinfood lovers, bust out the DVD's and the fitness bands because it's time to shake your groove thang, get your heart rate up and allow those happy endorphins to start flowin'.
Now you might be limited in the amount of exercise you can do but getting your body movin' & groovin' is a sure-fire way to not only cure boredom but to also bring a sense of normality back into your daily routine.
Acting as a way to smash through your stress levels and shift your mood from grumpy to lovin' it, exercise can also provide you with a shot of much-needed happiness and once you're done you get to content yourself with the fact that you won't come out of self-isolation looking like a potato...
I know you thought you put the days of writing down your every thought and action behind you (primary school was tough and needed to be chronicled), but starting an activity where you can be both insightful and creative is a good way to help you appreciate the good things in your life.
Not only will you be able to write down your feelings, emotions and thoughts in a way that allows you to reflect on them later, but journaling is also a good way to remind yourself of all the fun things you've done, the memories you made and the people you've met who've made even the tiniest of moments matter.
Instead of just thinking about your favourite sweet treat, why not bake it?
Baking is a process that requires both concentration and patience, meaning your mind is not allowed to wander to scarier topics like what happens if you run out of hand sanitiser. Baking can also be very therapeutic as mixing or kneading the dough (depending on what you're making), can be comforting.
Our advice? Enjoy each step; don't stress if you get some eggshell in the batter, lick the spoon, and inhale the sweet, sugary smell of your creation in the oven.
The best bit? Sittin' down to eat them with a rich, delicious cup of coffee.
You'd be surprised at how much good can come from simply putting away last week's trackies that are still sitting on the floor (they've probably made their own imprint in your carpet by now).
We know the task of cleaning or decluttering your whole house can seem a little daunting (like where do I start?!) and we're not saying you need to 'Marie Kondo' your whole house but making sure your things are where they should be can go a long way in helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
Our advice? Just pick a room, could be your bedroom or living space and start small. Put the book back onto the shelf (instead of strewn haphazardly on the bed), straighten up the pillows (so it doesn't look like a herd of elephants have just trampled on them), give the plant in the corner some much-needed water (you finally have the time to give it the love it deserves), and light a candle so your home goes from somewhere you're stuck into a place you'd rather be.
Besides, just think about the smug satisfaction of sitting down with a hot cup o' tea or a substantial glass of wine and admiring all your hard work. Pop on some Netflix and put that frozen pizza in the oven, you deserve it.
It's time to binge-watch your favourite tv shows without feeling guilty!
Grab your doona and the Timtams and make yourself comfy (you might be here for a while). We recommend watching something that's uplifting that brings a smile to your face. Sitcoms will often do the trick so prepare yourself for the full 10 seasons of Friends.
Or maybe try some movies you wouldn't normally have time to? Foreign language films are great for combining two mediums, watching and reading, and will help you learn about a different part of the world by encouraging you to embrace and think about other cultures.
PSA: try not to get stuck into the true-crime documentaries or horror shows. This won't do your mental health any favours and will probably* make you more paranoid than you need to be.
*100%, definitely and absolutely
Being able to communicate and seek comfort from our loved ones is so important but during these times, when travelling to the special people in your life is pretty much impossible, it's the perfect time to turn to your pets.
Not only will they boost your mood (all you have to do is look at their perfect little furry faces) but you can now spend the quality time with them that you've been meaning to.
This could look like snuggling on the couch binge-watching your fave tv show (see the above point), taking naps together (a healthy component to any relationship whether furry or human) or you could even throw your dog a ball inside and hear their nails scratching your wooden floorboards as they run down the hallway to fetch it.
It is also the perfect time to pamper the hell out of you fur baby, we're talking the ultimate spa treatment, froth them up in a bath, give them a mani + a pedi (same thing for dogs right?) and finish it off by brushing their coat so it stays soft and shiny.
Move over adult colouring books!
There's probably no better way to pass the time than to embark on a journey that may take hours upon hours of concentration and patience to complete and that's by doing a massive jigsaw puzzle.
Not only can doing puzzles lower your blood pressure and heart rate, but it can also help you disconnect from your phone (bye-bye Instagram), forget about the fact that your social life has now been put on hold, and encourage you to go to bed at a reasonable time. Oh, and it's way better than learning TikTok dances in your living room.
There's never been a better time to dust off your year 10 French skills and see how much you remembered!
Some simple tips to get you started:
Okay, time to look up how to say 'nailed it' in French.
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