Self-care in Quarantine: 3 Simple Ways To Relieve Stress

While there are actionable ways to help preserve your mental wellbeing during an imposed quarantine, sometimes you can’t help but still get overwhelmed. Times like these call for easier actions that function as grounding exercises to help redirect your thoughts away from stress. Doesn’t hurt to pamper yourself a little bit, too — a little extra care goes a LONG way when it comes to relieving stress!

These simple pampering steps help us relax when we’re feeling a little wrung out — here’s hoping they’re helpful for you, too. Check them out below:

1. BALM UP

When we're stressed, many of us tend to nibble at our lips, damaging our pout. Apart from the risk of lip wounding, the saliva that gets on your pout evaporates quickly, causing your lips to dry up further - something we want to avoid!

What you can do:
Take 5 minutes to lean back, take some deep breaths, then balm up. Retreating and taking deep breaths may help you realign, while the action of applying a soothing balm on your lips serves as a way to focus on ONE thing that’s actually going right: You, treating your lips well.



2. MIST AWAY

Stress is a common rosacea trigger, and can also make the body produce more body heat than usual; this can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re in an enclosed space with no option to step out for a breather.

What you can do:
Pull back your hair gently to get more air on your face. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, hold, and then mist your face a few times (we suggest a spray packed with Vitamin C, which can help minimize redness). We don’t want to exacerbate the feelings of tension, so keep your eyes closed for a few minutes while your mist settles and continue breathing deeply.



3. TAKE IT EASY
With less to do at the end of the day, it’s not uncommon to get derailed and subsequently stressed out. It can be very tempting to hop onto social media and scroll away when you’re finally winding down, after all — and while there’s a likelihood you’ll just be entertained, the possibility that you’ll find something distressing on the internet is pretty high.

What you can do:

· Set an alarm way ahead to help snap you out of the social media black hole and remind you to get on your evening care routine.

· Load up a podcast or a groovy playlist (here are some great jams to wash your hands to!), then gently remove the makeup you put on with a creamy makeup remover, just like any other day.

The tactile sensation of going over your face to remove makeup residue can be quite calming. Just make sure your hands are clean before you start!