Lockdown hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. With thousands furloughed and businesses having to change and adapt their procedures. This has caused millions of people all over the world a huge amount of stress, so finding ways to relax and unwind in this uncertain time is extremely important for mental health.
With most beauty salons still closed, there is a huge rise of people buying their own beauty products to try and replicate a self-spa treatment at home. However, it seems challenging to decide what will make people feel better during this time and lift spirits. With this in mind, here are some key ways to de-stress during lockdown:
Massage
Massage is an amazing method of de-stressing, as it improves circulation, reduces stress hormones, relaxes the muscles, reduces anxiety and depression. As it’s harder to go out and get a professional massage right now, people are starting to buy new advanced gadgets and gizmos to help replicate the treatment.
Massaging the face is important, as good skin gives people the confidence they need to feel good. Also, there are many benefits including the release of sinus pressure, the management of scar tissue and the prevention of acne and wrinkles. A good beauty tool for massaging the face is the firming facial massager from bioecosan.com. This uses electrical muscle stimulation to massage the face which relieves muscle tension and encourages rejuvenation. Tools like this cost less than a professional massage, which makes them a very cost-efficient product to use in the home.
Meditation and Focusing on the Present Moment
Meditation has a huge amount of research to back it up. It’s known to reduce depression and anxiety and controlled breathing has been used for thousands of years to calm the mind. Yoga and meditation are amazing for relieving stress. A study with 85 participants stated active yoga was more effective in reducing stress than simply taking time to relax.
With classes cancelled, you can find lots of great yoga and meditation videos on Youtube, such as Yoga with Adriene. You may need to create a peaceful reserve for your sleep, and that can be achieved by burning incense that is relaxing and soothing like Nag Champa.
Keeping Active
Keeping active is not only good for the body but good for the mind too. There are many reasons to do physical activity for improving heart function and improving joint movement. Researchers have found that physical activity has had a huge impact on lifting people’s moods as it releases endorphins, which boosts mood and serotonin production in the brain. A 20-minute walk a day in a nearby park, woodland, or field can do wonders for your day-to-day stress
Cook and Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a healthy diet with seeds and a good mix of fruit, vegetables can greatly impact mental health. Poorer nutrition can lead to physical health problems, including obesity and diabetes.
Stay in Touch with Friends and Family
We are highly social beings, with a huge need for sociality and feeling a connection. Harvard University uncovered an 80 year-long study showing social connection to be one of our most basic psychological needs. However, at the moment, people have to be more creative with media in order to see their loved ones.
Zoom is the new low-risk method of communication for everyone at the moment. It allows people to talk and see their loved ones from the comfort and safety of their own home. As a video conferencing app, it’s amazingly reliable and easy to use.
Skin Care
We are all looking online to find new beauty tools that will replicate going to the salon. A simple massage to the face can get rid of dead skin cells, increase blood flow, increase cell regeneration, and combat acne. This makes people feel more confident and less anxious about the condition of their skin.
Now may be the perfect time to try that multistep skin-care routine too. Start with an organic facial cleansing oil to get rid of dirt, makeup, impurities, and excess oil. Next, use a toner to cleanse the remaining impurities, correct and balance the pH of your skin, and prep your skin for the next step.
Following the toner, apply essence, serum, and moisturizer in that order. (Products with active ingredients, like serums and ampoules, first before applying moisturizers.) If it’s daytime, put on sunscreen to protect the skin from sun damage. Exfoliate twice or thrice a week to complete the facial-spa experience.
Declutter
Take time to be productive by organizing, cleaning, and decluttering the home. Studies show cleaning offers a sense of control in a time of uncertainty and offers your mind a release from stress. Before the lockdown, many people were seriously behind on their house chores. If your home is in dire need of some TLC, take this opportunity to catch up on all your home maintenance and cleaning duties. Make a list of all the chores that need to be done, and prepare everything you need before you get cleaning and decluttering. Consider investing in quality cleaning tools and supplies to get best results in less time.
Cleaning your entire home can get overwhelming. The list will help guide you through the process and let you know how much progress you’ve made. It’s okay to take breaks from cleaning; it will help you push on and finish everything on your list.
Pick up a New Hobby
Whether it’s unleashing a creative streak, learning a language, or baking a cake, learning a new hobby is an amazing way to keep entertained relieve some stress. It’s been said that it’s always
a good idea to have at least three kinds of hobbies: a hobby that can generate
income on the side, one hobby to get fit and healthy, and another hobby to stay
creative. There are thousands of fun and exciting hobbies to try, but some
hobbies are also practical and useful in life, such as lockpicking.
Lockpicking is such a useful skill that will come in handy in certain situations. Countless TV shows and movies have already shown it—picking a padlock, a doorknob, or a locked vehicle using tools such as a hairpin, a paper clip, or a thin steel rod. Although it is possible to pick a lock using these, the job will be easier and faster with the assistance of reliable lockpicking tools. Lockpicking may even be a potential career or side hustle.
Read a Book
Reading can be an amazing stress-reliever as it can sharpen the mind but also give a sense of escapism. Especially for the younger generation, if they are still not yet back at school, it’s a great way to keep the brain engaged. Audio-books have become very popular for people that don’t enjoy reading but will happily listen to someone else.
Practice Gratitude
This is not one of the easiest ways to de-stress, particularly if they have felt more of the unruly effects of the pandemic. However, practicing gratitude for the things that they have is massively beneficial to mental health and wellbeing. A study showed a group of people wrote down what they felt grateful for once a week was linked to increased wellbeing, so get journalling.