Smartening Up After Lockdown

If you’ve spent the last few months in your sweats, not washing your hair, pigging out and barely doing any exercise, you certainly aren’t alone. If we’re honest, most of us have used lockdown, and extra time at home as a chance to let ourselves go a little, and with all of the uncertainty around us, who could blame us? If you’ve enjoyed the chance to rest and give up on beauty standards, good for you. 

But things are changing once more. While social distancing and other safety measures are still crucial to slow the spread of coronavirus, most of us are getting back out into the world again. You might be back at work, getting ready to enjoy social engagements or even braving the school run. 

Which might mean that it’s time to smarten up, at least a little bit. This might not be as easy as it sounds if you’ve gotten out of the habit, so here are some tips to help you. 

Consider Keeping Some Changes

If you’ve grown your hair out, tried a new style or color, grown a beard, or done something else a little dramatic with your appearance, you don’t necessarily need to reverse things. You might just need to learn how to care for them a bit better. Touch up your roots, get a trim or invest in budget-friendly beard care products and there’s no reason you can’t carry on experimenting with your appearance. 

Get Some Exercise

Exercise isn’t all about how you look, and you shouldn’t head back to the gym just to lose any lockdown pounds that you may be carrying. Exercise is also great for your confidence, your mood and your energy levels. Exercise boosts your circulation and helps you to look alert and working out can help you to take a new pride in your appearance. If you need a kick-start getting back to real life, a big workout could work well. 

Get into a Routine

Chances are, in real life, when you are busy rushing around, you rely on routines to keep on top of everything, including how you look. You might have had skincare routines, hair wash days, exercise days, rest days, and days when you ironed your shirts for work. 

During lockdown, all of these routines might have fallen by the wayside. You didn’t need them, there was no rush to do anything, and all those work suits were pushed to the back of your wardrobe anyway. 

Now that you are stepping back out into the real world, those routines will help you to smarten up, and get used to real life again. Try to get back into them, even if you need to make a few changes, as soon as you can. 

Go Shopping

Let’s face it, your work clothes or smarter attire, might not fit as well as it once did. Don’t panic, don’t starve yourself, just hit the shops for something new. 

Work on Your Posture

Posture is important for health and wellbeing, but also how you look and feel. If you’ve spent months lying around the house, your posture might need some work. Make an effort to stand tall, and practice yoga to strengthen your back.