The simple pleasure of sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in are a no no at the moment and I don’t know about you but my mental health craves being near the ocean. Whilst I am making do with long walks and runs along the coast, it doesn’t compare to the clarity I can get from sitting and staring at our beautiful ocean.
With this in mind I have created 2 simple tips to maintain our mental health and there’s a wealth of added benefits that comer along with them.
- Swap your commuting time for mental health time
We all have a few more hours available to us, as we are not commuting to and from work.
Use that time to actively work on your mental health. Don’t just wake up and get stuck into work. You didn’t prior to lockdown so why would you do that now. Use your time efficiently and take a walk with your family or a friend, Meditate, or schedule in a online exercise class for the morning.
Take turns with your partner for who can look after the kids while the other one gets some headspace and can return with a clear mind ready to tackle whatever the day or the kids throw at you.
In the evening why not use your commuting time to pamper yourself. Take a bath, do an at home facial, manicure or body scrub.
If we look good we feel good, so making sure you are scheduling time in for exercise and personal maintenance is a must not a treat.
Most of you won’t be able to do this daily but even ensuring you work into your schedule some time once or twice a week will make all the difference in the world. Remember you can’t fill from an empty cup so fill yourself up and then you can be the best version of yourself for your family and colleagues.
2. Set yourself goals
I find setting myself goals, especially now, keeps my mind focused and drives me forward. Your goals can be as simple as coming out of lockdown with healthier hair. You can do this by making time for a hair treatment once a week and not blowdrying your hair during lockdown. Limiting hot styling and adding nourishment to your hair will guarantee your hair will be healthier and happier whenever it is this lockdown ends.
Another goal could be running 5km without stopping. Scheduling time in to run each day or even every second day will be enough to get you there in a few weeks. Put those head phones in and get running, and don’t beat yourself up if you cant run too far. At the moment I am run/walking every second day. I warm up with a brisk 2 min walk, then I run for as long as I can and then walk again until I catch my breath and just repeat this for the time I have set aside. Each time I can run a little longer and feel more fit as each week passes. Try it, what do you have to loose.
How about setting a goal to look younger coming out of lockdown, Yes Please!
You can achieve this by creating and/or sticking to a daily skin care routine. Now they don’t have to be elaborate and all encompassing. Consistency is key.
Make sure you are using a cleanser every morning and night followed by your vitamins (this could be your A and B at night and your C in the morning, or maybe you have one super serum you like to use both morning and night) whatever serums you have just make sure you use them consistently. Using serums packed with vitamins will help feed your mitochondria.
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell. They are organelles that act like a digestive system which takes in nutrients, breaks them down, and creates energy rich molecules for the cell.
Energising and nourishing your skin cells are vital for a youthful, glowing appearance. Vitamin rich serums will also help normalise any imbalances in your skin, like oiliness, dryness, pigmentation and acne.
Then you want to finish your routine with a moisturiser. This will vary depending on what your skin concerns are. During the day ensure to wear an SPF. I know we are stuck at home but the glass typically used in homes and offices does not block the long-wavelength UVA light, even though it filters out uvb. The UVA can cause early signs of skin aging, wrinkles and can increase the risk of skin cancer.
At night you will want to use something to nourish and repair your skin while you sleep.
You can also add in an exfoliant after cleansing each day if you like and use a Gua Sha and roller to help a number of things including to promote blood circulation, improve fine lines and wrinkles, promotes lymphatic drainage and relieve tension from muscles .
I wanted to keep things really simple for you. Your routine can be as big or little as you like but sticking to the essentials of, Cleanse, Vitamins and Nourishment for your particular skin concerns will make the world of difference. And after just 28 days I guarantee you will see a difference in your skin.
These 2 simple tips can have such a positive impact on your overall wellbeing and mental health. You will be in a routine, focussed, working towards a happier, healthier and even younger version of yourself.
So go on utilise the extra time in your days properly and lets make some positive changes come from all the disruption to our days.
