Looking your best at home has never been more important. Whether you are always home based or are working from home because of the pandemic, how you look really can affect not only how you feel but also how productive you are.
It’s easy to slide into the trap of comfort over style, but it’s very hard to be motivated if you are wearing your pyjamas or a track suit. Leisure wear, by its very nature, makes us feel like we are ‘at leisure’, so less likely to be able to focus or get those important items ticked off our to do lists. Also, it’s nice to save our leisure wear for times when we do choose to be at leisure. The very act of changing into our ‘comfy clothes’ can help us begin to relax and unwind.
When things are challenging both at home and in the wider world, we really need to keep our self esteem and energy high. Looking your best can help you do that. Here are some easy ways for looking your best while staying at home.
Looking Your Best While Staying or Working At Home
Look After Your Skin and Hair
Skin Care
Don’t neglect your skin care routine. Be sure to keep your skin hydrated from the inside by drinking lots of water, and from the outside with a good moisturiser.
Hair Care
Keeping your hair washed and blow dried nicely is also a great way to keep looking your best. I always run a hairbrush through my hair before I do a video call, just to be sure. Remember to deep condition your hair from time to time, especially now when you can’t have your split ends trimmed regularly.
Those of us who have our hair cut and/or coloured by a hairdresser may find the next few months challenging. If you haven’t got experience of it, I’d urge you not to cut or colour your own hair. The people selling ‘professional’ scissors and hair colouring want you to buy, so of course they are going to tell you it’s easy. However, these days are stressful enough without giving yourself a bad haircut or colour when there’s no one who can fix it!
I’m going to think about pretty headbands and barrettes to help me cope with what could become a very long fringe (bangs). When it comes to colour, I may just have to rock my roots for a while. The way my lovely hairdresser does my highlights means I’ll be able to get away with it for a time as my hair is many different shades of blond anyway.
Choose Clothes That Are Comfortable But Stylish
Don’t worry, no one is suggesting you ought to wear a business suit. It’s important to be comfortable. By all means wear a pair of yoga pants or jeans, provided they are in good condition and nice and clean. Pair them a smart top. You can’t go wrong with a classic silk blouse or a tailored pullover sweater (or what we would call a jumper here in the UK), especially if it happens to have a little cashmere in it.
If you are having to look after children while you are at home as well, you may want to wear a top that is a little more hard-wearing, just be sure it fits well and is a good colour for you.
Equally, if there is no risk of sticky hands or spills, you may want to dress up a bit more, especially if you are also working from home. A comfortable wrap or shirt dress looks fabulous and is comfortable too. Or finish off your more casual look with blazer or smart cardigan. I would caution against wearing a blazer on Zoom though, as they tend to ruck up around the shoulder area when you are seated. It’s probably better to choose a smart cardigan in this case.
For more tips on fashion, colour, style and looking your best while staying at home, don’t miss these tips from stylist Sarah van Dort.
Keep Looking Your Best with a Little Makeup
I love to wear makeup every day because it gives me a real lift and helps me feel more confident. However, if you aren’t as much of a makeup fan as I am, stick to a bit of mascara and lipstick just to help you keep looking your best.
Don’t Let Your Healthy Eating Resolutions Slide
It’s always important to think about healthy eating. Your hair and skin need nutrients to help keep them healthy, strong, and looking great. Eating well can also affect your energy levels and your mood. It’s hard to accomplish anything if you feel tired and lethargic. Being under stress can make you want to snack, so be sure you’ve got healthy snacks available. Too much sugar isn’t good for your immune system or your energy levels.
Keep Your Energy Levels High and It’s Easy to Keep Looking Your Best
It’s important for us to keep our energy high at this time, to help us stay optimistic and positive. There are some easy ways to do this.
Get Enough Sleep
Get plenty of sleep. This is not the time for late night Netflix binge watching.
Exercise
If you are able to go out for exercise, a 20 to 30 minute walk can give you a real energy boost. It can also give you a wonderful glow that will help you keep looking your best.
Take Time For Self Care
Be sure to take care of your physical needs by eating regularly and making sure you are comfortable. Give yourself little (non-food) treats to encourage yourself. You could download a new book (or audiobook), curl up with a magazine, spend a half hour working on a hobby or give yourself a twenty minute time out with a cup of tea.
Quiet your mind, especially in stressful times, with just a few minutes of meditation each day. The Calm app is my favourite and I like Headspace as well.
Above all, be kind to yourself. We’ve never known a time like this and we need to cut ourselves and each other a little slack if we are struggling to deal with it.
Looking your best is a big part of feeling your best, so most of all I hope these tips will help you to feel calm, confident and happy both as we make our way through these challenging times and when we work at home in the future.
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Comments & Reviews
I strongly agree with your recommendation that if you do not have the proper tools and supplies to cut and/or color your own hair, it is better to hold off rather than screw it up. I am definitely very fortunate that my husband has been cutting my hair for me for years. He has the proper hair shears, hair clips, combs and a stylists cape. He is very meticulous in his process of caping me, combing out my long hair, sectioning it just behind my ear on each side, then pinning it up with hair clips. He trims the bottom layer first, then he lets my hair down in increments to trim each layer to match the guide he established on the layer below.
He does this so he is cutting my hair in manageable amounts as if he tried to cut through too much hair at once, the blades of the shears would push the hair before it cuts, leaves an uneven line. He would never put my hair in a ponytail and saw through it leaving an uneven mess. He checks That the length is even on both sides checking it under my chin. It takes him about twenty minutes to trim my hair. He trims my hair dry so he can see the splits/damaged ends that are not visible if my hair is wet. I have him do it every other month, so my hair doesn’t get ratty looking on the ends. My boys get their haircuts every 3-4 weeks by him, so I am saving hundreds of dollars more a year. He gave my friend a trim on her bangs last week, because she was ready to cut them herself with kitchen shears, I convinced her not to, and volunteered hubby to trim them instead. So for me, it is not any change in our routine, and I do get up, showered and dressed each morning, I don’t walk around in sweat pants all day.
That is brilliant that your husband has become so skilled at hair cutting, Carolyn! It is great that he has all the correct equipment too. What a labour of love, and a great skill to have, especially now. I’ve always been very meticulous about routine too, and have never been one to wear sweats around the house either. In fact I don’t own sweat pants, although I have seen a few very fashionable pairs recently which have tempted me 🙂 Take care and stay well.
April, thank you for this little reminder. While my eating habits are still on point, and I am losing weight, I have let my exercise slide. I feel bad taking out 20-30 minutes of family time to exercise. I know I really need to though. It helps with my Fibro and my overall mood. You have just given me the push I needed.
I’m so glad I could help, Angela! You mustn’t feel bad for taking time to exercise, In fact, it will benefit your whole family if you feel better 🙂 Take care and stay well.
April, I so appreciated this timely article. I made a point of getting my hair cut a little shorter than usual in February so it could “tide me over” for a longer period of time. But I always cut my own bangs and hair in the front, so I should be okay. Also, my husband hasn’t been to a barber in decades. I’ve been cutting his hair our entire married life. I think that is how I learned to cut hair! Now I have a friend I cut regularly, and I cut her hair extra short in February as well, so she should be okay! :I think your tips are good for everyone’s morale. If they doubt it, they should just try it for a few days. I’m sure they’ll be convinced. We even dressed for dinner the other night–suit and tie for him, dress and heels for me. It gave us a boost.
Thank you so much, Jean! I love that you got dressed for dinner one evening! That’s the sort of thing that would lift me right up on a challenging day 🙂 And how wonderful you can cut hair! That is a fabulous skill to have, especially right now. Take care and stay well, my friend!
Ooh, perhaps this post was inspired by a Zoom call with me! 🙂
Since I work from home in any case, I’m generally following my regular principles of a reasonably decent top, paired with comfy leggings. I admit I’m wearing much less make up these days, and early in lockdown my hair was driving me so crackers I cheerfully told my hubby to hack an inch + off it (he did pretty well, actually!).
Last week I realised that a little extra baking and a little less exercise isn’t serving me well, but fortunately there’s so much yummy fruit in season now, I’m not missing the treats too much.
It may well have been, Pauline 🙂 I’m paying a lot of attention to what tops I wear these days with all the calls, that is for sure 🙂 I got up the nerve to trim my fringe a week or so ago, and I’m feeling so much better about my hair now – although it needs a colour desperately! I’m really glad you are doing well!