How a makeup and beauty routine can help lift your mood—even in times of self-quarantine and social distancing.
In the era of self-quarantine and social distancing, psychologists and aestheticians agree—maintaining a daily beauty and skincare routine and putting on makeup can have positive impacts on your overall mood. That's right—the "glow-up" effect you've probably seen all over Instagram and YouTube? It's real. And while, objectively, it might seem futile to put on a full face and do your hair when you're the only one paying attention, the ritual of self-care and its effects can be far more profound.
"When we save doing makeup solely for other people, it's as if we are saving our beauty for others," says Tricia Wolanin, Psy.D., a community and clinical psychologist and author of The Fragrance Wanderlust: How to capture the essence of travel in our everyday lives. "Why can't you be special enough to get ready for? Shouldn't you want to get dressed up to make yourself feel good versus impress others? I know over the years I've opted to wear bright lipstick at home, even alone, because it lifts my spirits. Explore what works for you and treat yourself to a beauty regimen."
Tatler talked to psychologists and makeup artists to find out why and how the psychology of the glow-up works—and to get their expert advice on how to integrate an effective mood-lifting beauty routine into our daily lives. Here's what we learned.
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What you choose to put on your body affects how you'll feel
"Getting ready in the morning is one vital way to pump our motivation for the rest of how our day will infold," Wolanin says. "Even if we're not going anywhere, why not opt to put on makeup, do our hair, or wear a fabulous outfit? Our clothes impact our mood. If we opt to wear pyjamas all day, it will bring about waves of coziness and comfort—but also perhaps lethargy and an urge to veg out all day on the couch and binge on television or Netflix. Keeping up a routine is vital, as we don't know how long social isolation will last. When opting to choose what types of clothes to wear or how to do your makeup, explore: How do you want to feel today? Is it to be chilled out or do you want to be productive?"
Sticking to routine helps us adapt to uncertain times
"Having a routine and sticking to it is essential, especially now that there is so much uncertainty on so many different levels," says Tara Well, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Barnard College. "Keeping a simple routine can help you stay sane—think: mind, body, spirit. If your mind immediately goes to issues about the current crisis, balance that with a physical routine—this can be a strenuous activity to work the stress out or something very simple like some stretching or a few yoga poses. Also, a morning meditation practice for at least 10 minute can set the tone of the day. Research on meditation shows it helps manage stress. We have a negativity bias in which our attention gets automatically pulled toward potential problems and threats. You can manage this natural tendency by limiting your time watching the news and commiserating about the state of the world."
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