There are days when you feel tired for no reason or overwhelmed by work. That’s when you need to remind yourself that life is sometimes difficult to handle, and you need to take care of yourself to feel better. It’s good to stay positive but realistic; you try your best to do everything as good as possible, but you can’t control everything, and that’s okay.
Sometimes you might get stuck on the same routine every day, or your day gets ruined and your plans are delayed. When these things happen, you have to be patient with yourself and accept that some things are uncontrollable. But because you still need something to lift you up, here are a few tips that should help change your mood.
Take time for your skincare
First thing in the morning, try waking up earlier and take your time for your daily skincare ritual. The first thing you should do is create a relaxing environment and vibe. You could try listening to your favourite playlist, podcast or anything else while preparing for work. You can light a scented candle if you’ve never tried this before. There are a few that can help with stress (lavender), relaxation (jasmine) and brighten up your mood (orange, grapefruit).
After setting up everything, gather all the products needed. A simple skincare routine should look like this:
- Cleanser: clean your face and remove makeup before applying the next products to let them absorb better. You should choose a cleanser based on your skin type.
- Toner: used to unclog pores and prevent breakouts, there are two types of toners; for dry skin, AHA ingredient-based and BHA for oily skin.
- Face mask (optional): because it’s a self-care day, you can choose a fun face mask like a gold facial mask, bubble mask or a chrome-coloured peel-off mask.
- Eye cream: it helps with preventing puffy under-eyes.
- Moisturiser: the second most important element in your routine because it hydrates the skin.
- Sunscreen: even if you don’t feel it, the sun is responsible for premature ageing when it comes to your skin. It would be best if you had sunscreen that’s at least 30 SPF.
Make yourself a gift
You don’t need to wait for your birthday to get a beautiful packet gift, and you can make it yourself. Think about what you have wanted for a long time; maybe it’s a small device or a qualitative blouse. Buy your gift and then put it in a beautiful gift bag, with your favourite printed ribbon wrapped around it. Or you can buy your favourite flowers and create an arrangement with paper ribbon or bows and place it in your living room. It’s not unusual to give yourself gifts from time to time; even if it’s not a surprise anymore, you’ll still enjoy it.
Go to the gym
Probably the most overrated piece of advice, going to the gym is overlooked when it comes to mental clearance. Regular physical activity can help you with:
- Decreasing feelings of depression, anxiety and stress: exercising increases the production of endorphins, which results in positive feelings. It doesn’t matter what kind of workout you choose, and it doesn’t have to be intense. A light run or a walk in the park should do the job.
- Skin health: moderate exercise helps in increasing the production of natural antioxidants.
- Relaxation and sleep quality: you can try stretching and aerobic exercises (alone or in group classes).
- Memory improvement: exercise helps blood flow to the brain, preventing conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
If you can’t find your motivation to exercise, try making a list of a few relevant reasons. Set small goals that are easily reachable and continue increasing the intensity or try more exercises.
Try new recipes
Most of the time, you don’t have the time to prepare more complex meals; but did you know that it could make you feel better if you’re getting creative? It could develop into a new hobby that you can use every time you feel overwhelmed. A good method to find a way to express yourself is meal prepping.
Think about your favourite fruit or vegetable and look for recipes that mix unusual tastes, for example, peanut butter and pickles, salted watermelon or prosciutto with melon. These are some tested ideas, but you can try some unconventional aromas by yourself.
Also, for good general health, don’t forget to eat a variety of foods, that means including vegetables, fruits, grains (oatmeal), protein foods (meat, poultry, eggs, nuts) and dairy (milk, yoghurt).
Journal
If you’re having a bad day, it’s clear some thoughts are bothering you and most of the time, these problems are related to work, relationships or health. First of all, try to convince yourself that if it’s not something that you could’ve changed, you need to accept the consequences. But if it’s a situation that is continuously on your mind, it’s best to try expressing it. And because it’s not that easy to sincerely express your feelings to someone, you should start having a journal.
How can journaling help you? First of all, it’s a good exercise for your brain because it helps reconstruct memories and enables you to see everything more objectively. Second of all, in time, you’ll find it easier to be true to yourself and put your peace of mind in the first place instead of trying to please other people. Furthermore, after writing, you can analyse specific habits that are not helping you anymore or find out that you have a need that’s not yet taken care of.
You can try online tools for writing or a normal paper journal; it’s up to you what helps with the process. And take it easy, try having fun with it and remember that it’s meant to help you, not make you feel like it’s another chore to be done.
To conclude, there are many ways to help you feel better after a bad day; you just have to find what’s the most enjoyable way to destress.
