March 29, 2024

The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Self-Care

When you look at the months of 2020 when you were stuck at home and unable to do anything freely, you can easily see that it was not the easiest time for yourself. This was true for almost everyone. No one knew how to deal with the pandemic, especially in the first few months, and for the most part, people allowed themselves to forego their schedules just to keep anxiety at bay.

If you were one of them, you may have realized that you’ve changed your self-care habit, either for the better or for the worst

Even washing your face felt like too much work

During the start of the pandemic, the anxiety felt like a collective emotion. There was that brief moment at the beginning of lockdowns where you thought staying at home and not doing anything would be great. It was a short-lived moment. Then, you started to worry about what is happening with the world and why the government does not seem to know what to do with it. At this point, you’ve completely ignored your schedule, including your skincare. Even getting out of bed and changing out of your pajamas felt like work, and you cannot bring yourself to do it.

The flood of deliveries

After days that felt like months of procrastination, you discovered something new: online shopping. Even if you’ve already been buying face mask online before the pandemic, now, it feels like a brand new experience because you’re buying even groceries and essentials from online shops. It’s no longer luxury shopping; it’s essential. You’re not just buying essentials, though. You’re also buying a lot of unnecessary items, such as home improvements and trinkets you think will beautify your space. You want to work on your sanctuary, but success is not always guaranteed.

Then, you woke up

After months of feeling sluggish and lazing about, you realized this might not be going away anytime soon and you have to go back to some semblance of normalcy. The delivery parcels have been unpacked and you no longer feel the rush of positive emotions when you open a new package. You are starting to realize all the work you need to do for both your personal and professional life. You’re taking online lessons to pass the time, decluttering, and even actually working.

At this point, you make it mandatory to not work in bed, and to change into decent clothes. And along with that shift in mindset, you started to go back to your daily self-care routine and skincare regimen. Your online purchases reflect a more normal you–face masks, professional clothes, and gadget upgrades here and there. If you look at your purchase history, you can clearly see the descent of your mental health, and how you picked yourself back up.

As everyone worried about the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, we may have put our mental health on hold. But after months of waiting anxiously, it’s time to get back up and pull yourself together. Everything will be back to normal, and when it does, you will be on top of your game with your self-care routine intact.