How I'm Doing Self-Care During Lockdown *

-If a product is marked with an * then it was PR/Gifted to me. This post is also in collaboration-
 Although we're technically not in "lockdown" anymore because of our incompetent government (let's not get into that in this post) I'm still staying home as much as possible just because I feel safer that way and so does everyone else in my household thankfully. I know I'm kind of lucky because I already work from home and a lot of people don't have that option and have to go into work because of the new "rules" but I thought I'd share some ways that I've practising self-care during my time in lockdown as they're things that everybody can do.

Avoiding the news as much as possible 
I've been really trying to avoid the news as much as possible as I find it's quite triggering and it can really affect my mood and set off my anxiety and just ruin my day basically. I'm happy to hear dribs and drabs and I'll watch any big announcements or statements on a Sunday evening but that's about it and I definitely feel like it's helping. I guess you could I'm kind of being ignorant to what's going on but it's not that I'm being ignorant, I'm just trying to protect myself mentally as well as obviously physically by staying home as much as possible.




Taking long baths and having a pamper
Ever since we had our new boiler put in and we can now actually have a hot bath instead of a lukewarm shower that keeps going cold lol, I've been taking full advantage of having long soaks in the bath. I've spent so much money on bath and shower products recently that it actually makes me feel a bit ill thinking about it. However having a bubble or bath bomb bath and popping on either a lovely sheet mask such as one of the masks in the Mad Beauty Animal Classics Face Mask Collection RRP £13.99 from Truffle Shuffle* or a high-end clay face mask if my skin is breaking out and just doing a full-on pamper routine works wonders on my mindset. The Animal Classics Face Mask Collection* contains four different sheets masks, all with a Disney character on and they all have different ingredients to cater to different skin concerns/types. So there's Tigger with Hydrating Honey which kind of coincides with Winnie the Pooh which is cute, Thumper with Conditioning Strawberry, Cheshire Cat contains Pomegranate which has antioxidant properties and Patch contains Coconut Oil which is super hydrating.



I've also been doing a couple of new extra beauty steps such as tinting my eyebrows again for the first time in years. I'm currently using the Schwarzkopf Brow Tint in Dark Brown* and I've been really impressed. It lasts easily 3-4 weeks and fades gradually during that time and it's available to buy in 4 different shades too. I think it just makes me feel better as I'm going barefaced a lot at the minute or wearing a tiny scrap of makeup such as tinted moisturiser and mascara, so having tinted brows that frame my (very round) face makes me feel a little more put together I guess. I've also just started to use an at-home Microderm device which I'm going to be talking about in a review post soon once I've (hopefully) seen some results and I've been enjoying using pillow mist over my bed and around my room in the evening which I talked about in this post more.

Practising meditation
I started to look into meditation and started doing very basic meditation just before everything kicked off here in the UK and I do feel like it's a good way to take 5-10 minutes out of my day to just relax and clear my mind. My main method of meditation is very basic as it's just sitting up straight on my bed, closing my eyes and focus on taking big deep breaths whilst either clearing my mind completely or thinking about positive things that make me happy and I personally find it does help a bit.

Staying in touch with family and friends 
Keeping in touch with family and friends is another thing I've been making sure to do. It's also a way of just checking in with everyone and making sure they're coping okay during this weird time too. 

Don't beat myself up if I have an off day or week
If I have an off day or even week, I've been trying my best to not beat myself up about it. When it all started here in the UK, I was getting that stressed that I was actually causing my pain to flare more. So now if I have a day when I just want to stay in bed/lounge around the house and watch TV then that's totally okay. 

Appreciate the little things 
I've also been appreciating the little things more such as listening to the birds sing in the early morning If I'm awake (my sleeping pattern is non-existent rn), I even sometimes go and make a cup of tea and stand by my back door and watch the birds fly around the garden. I've also been watching the sunrise and/or sunset some days and I've been having a bath later on in the evening which I'm not usually a big fan of but I have been lately because I feel like it relaxes me more. I've also just been enjoying and appreciating the fact that I get to spend lockdown with my family.



Distractions
Lastly is using a distraction as a coping mechanism, especially if I'm having a bad day or feeling a little on edge. From reading for 10-20 mins with a sheet face mask on as a little pick-me-up, planning out blog content and taking blog photos, watching TV (I'm currently watching old Gogglebox episodes on Prime because you just can't beat it, can't you?) and also playing games on my Xbox. I'm just so thankful for all the things I can distract myself with. Another good distraction can be shopping online for things you need. As you’re not going to get much “outside” shopping in, looking for the essentials is both a handy way of passing the time and a good way to be prepared for an extended or second lockdown. Whether it’s a new pair of specs from Eyeglasses.com or stocking up on cleaning supplies, it’s a productive use of time and helps you feel ready for what may come. And you know you’ll be at home for the delivery, too.

follow me: twitter / instagram

1 comment

  1. Some really good ideas. Sometimes when I'm down, I wallow. I think I'll try some distraction techniques as reading always absorbs me.
    Those Disney sheet masks look interesting. I'd love to see what they look like on haha!

    Helen
    Tea in the Tub

    ReplyDelete