Now that we have been self-quarantining and socially distancing ourselves during these strange times, how have you been looking? Have you been taking care of yourself and your looks? Are you engaging in your usual routine pre-coronavirus? Think about it for a second and remember your previous beauty routine and compare it to your new and current routine during the pandemic and the changes you have been applying to your life. I was walking around my home recently and caught myself in the mirror and stopped; I was kind of surprised at the way I looked. I had my hair up with oil in it, no make-up on and was wearing loose comfy clothes. I used to usually dress like this when I was on holiday and was being myself at home with the ultimate of goal of being comfortable and taking care of myself. So now I ask the question? Is this being lazy or being comfy? I believe it is being comfortable and not lazy but could potentially be a problem later on down the road.
I am a huge supporter of a person being themselves and not worrying about their looks so much. We should all aim to be natural and confident with our looks without any extras such as hair done or make up on. This might apply more to women but trust me, it also applies to men. We should definitely be enjoying ourselves and feeling strong and confident everyday. So when it comes to quarantine, I highly suggest that you let go of these unnecessary aesthetic requirements and relax. Many have done so already, but if you haven’t, you need to seriously give it a thought.
Take advantage of the time at home and let go of all the social pressures. Take care of your body, your hair and your skin. This is a huge opportunity for all of us to stop hurting our bodies from our usual beauty routines and give them a break. For example, I am proud of myself that I have stopped sun-tanning although I still can, and I feel my skin has greatly improved. I am extremely happy I have the time to put oils in my hair and pamper my skin while quarantining. I am also grateful that I get to leave my face bare and enjoy watching the rejuvenation process. What have you been doing to take care of yourself, your hair, skin and body?
Taking care of yourself is vital and this is the time to learn how to. You are now able to stay home and maintain your natural self, away from all social pressures, and you are able to focus on your physical state and health, simultaneously improving your mental health too. Although we are very stressed and possibly frustrated with the quarantine, we have to find ways to see the glass half full and this is one of my strategies. I feel blessed that I am able to stay home and take care of myself and my family, how about you, do you feel the same?
In conclusion, be natural, be yourself and put all those social pressures behind. Just do not let it become a habit of not caring for yourself and letting yourself go and be “lazy”; I’m not saying you shouldn’t tidy yourself up and maintain good hygiene, just do not put so much unnecessary time and energy into things that don’t matter so much. We all have to dress-up and change it up every once in a while but just forego the hair dye and nail polish this time and let your natural state be your favourite state.
*The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.
Reem Abdulrahman Jassim al-Muftah
