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Reading this? Great. Let’s unwind a little together indoors
As women ourselves, we love the feeling of being efficient multi-taskers—juggling everything from social life to work at the same time. Being productive keeps us on our toes, and nothing feels better than checking off things on our ‘To-Do List’.
But even the most efficient go-getter needs a time-out once in awhile. From taking time to enjoy a skincare regime to engaging in a hobby, it’s important to prevent burnout caused by stress and various other factors (such as the craziness of our situation right now!). Plus, investing in yourself is the only way to produce the best you, letting you conquer the world with finesse.
Here are 10 tips from us for a quick pick-you-up and fill the time you spend indoors:
1. Spend some time alone
Spending some time alone is one of the most therapeutic things that you can do for yourself. The benefits of solitude are plentiful, including allowing your brain to settle, clearing your mind and focusing your thoughts on the here and now. If the current happenings and news are becoming stressful to you, try disconnecting from the digital world for a couple of hours and do some activities on your own. Whether it’s trying out a new recipe or taking a hot bubble bath, you’ll feel quickly energized and refreshed after.
2. Pick up a practice like yoga or meditation
We shared some pretty nifty tips on mindfulness previously with some useful apps here, and we highly encourage you to try them out! If you prefer something with a little more guidance, consider picking up a yoga class (online!). There are plenty of options you can go for on YouTube without committing to a package, and you can practice in the comfort of your own home. The yoga teachers are specially trained to help guide you toward a more meditative state, which helps to really relax your mind and body especially during this unsettling time.
3. Refrigerate your moisturizer for a refreshing treat that treats dull skin
If eye bags and dull skin are a constant problem, especially when you're pulling all-nighters frequently, try this effective and relaxing trick: refrigerating your moisturizer! The cold helps to deal with puffy eyes, blotchy skin, and also boosts circulation and calms inflammation—all while relaxing and recharging your skin.
When applying, avoid vigorously rubbing the moisturizer into your face in a circular motion as tugging at your skin over time causes fine lines or wrinkles to appear.
Instead, gently spread out the moisturizer with an inward to outwards motion, then lightly tap or cup your face with your fingertips. This allows better absorption of your skincare. You’ll have soft, glowing skin in no time.
Be sure to check out our dedicated moisturizers over here, packed with high quality actives and concentrated ingredients that bring out the best in your skin. Adding one (or both!) of our high efficacy targeted moisturizers into your skincare regime is a great way to get softer, radiant and younger-looking skin.
4. Or try a DIY face steam mask (no more than once a week)!
The complete opposite of a cold face treat works wonders too—DIY skincare in the form of a face steam mask! Just like how most people love ending the day with a hot shower before bed, taking the time to indulge in a DIY face steam mask is a great way to relax your mind and skin at the same time.
To get started, simply bring a small pot of water to boil, pour the water into a ceramic or glass bowl (ensure it is resting on top of a flat surface, preferably on a pot coaster), add some herbs or relaxing essential oils like lavender or camomile, and then hold your face over the steaming towel for about 5 minutes. Besides helping you to unwind, you’re also clearing your pores for radiant skin at the same time! Do remember that with steaming your face, less is more. You should only do it once a week to reap the best results.
Finish off your steam mask session with a clarifying, antioxidant toner and a slightly thicker layer of moisturizer after to lock in moisture.
If you’re looking for a boost of radiance, try our serum-infused Brightening Moisturizing Cream with Arbutin and Vitamins. It luxuriously soothes and hydrates for instantly radiant, dewy and supple skin.
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To combat aging, slather on the Cell Regenerate Gel Cream with Mulberry and Squalane. It contains the miracle anti-aging antioxidant, Resveratrol, and a skin-pleasing mix of clinical-grade actives like Squalane and CoEnzyme Q10, which work together to renew cells and prevent collagen loss for firmer, smoother, younger-looking skin.
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To banish pimples and refine pores, try the Ultra Pore Refiner Anti-Blemish Night Cream with Niacinamide. This night cream contains a unique, potent mix of Niacinamide, AHA, Wild Yam Extracts, Witch Hazel and Ceramide to help you achieve clear, smooth, and supple complexion with reduced blemishes and refined pores. Or to put it simply, just look absolutely flawless!
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5. Read a book, or jot down some thoughts in a journal
Reading is a popular activity to relax and recharge because it allows you to escape to another world quickly, taking your mind off the hustle of everyday life. If you’re not much of a reader, try jotting down your thoughts in a notebook instead. While the habit of writing may not be as intuitive as posting a photo to Instagram these days, penning down pure, unfiltered thoughts is a great way to relax negativity and feel refreshed. In fact, from the journal of ‘Advances in Psychiatric Treatment’,
it’s proven that people who write for 15–20 minutes a day about stressful or emotional events have found to have improved physical and psychological health.
6. Take a few minutes every day to enjoy fresh fruit
The next time you take a 5-minute break from work to make a cup of coffee, consider finding a nice, quiet spot in your office / home and munch on some fresh fruit instead. While coffee is a go-to for many in a bid to get instant energy, caffeine actually blocks adenosine receptors in your brain from receiving adenosine, a neurotransmitter that causes fatigue. Eating fresh fruit is a much better alternative as fruit contains fructose, which converts to energy. This helps give you a little more zest to get through the day, while loading you up on fibre at the same time.
7. Try the art of aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the act of using essential oils to relax or heal one’s mind. They’re great for everything from calming anxiety, helping you to sleep, and of course, clearing your mind. Try sprinkling a few drops of lavender into your palm or getting a citrus-scented diffuser (they make great room decors as well)—trying out aromatherapy is an effective and safe way to restore your inner calm and put you in an instantly lighter, happier mood.
If you prefer something a little more visually stimulating, get a candle infused with aromatherapy oils. The soft illumination of a lit candle in a dark room instantly relaxes you because of the mind’s associations with candlelight.
8. Get cleaning!
If you balk at the thought of cleaning and sanitizing your household, it’s time to change your perspective.
“Regular cleaning with normal cleaning supplies does a great job of removing all kinds of germs, not just coronavirus, from surfaces,”
said Catherine Roberts, associate health editor at Consumer Reports. “Focus on high-touch areas — that’s faucet handles, doorknobs, stair rails and countertops — the things that you have your hands on all the time.” Whether you’re giving your space a good, thorough mop or finally clearing years of stashed notes, give it a go and you’ll have a clean state of mind and a spotless place at the end of your session. While you're at it, don't forget to clean and disinfect your mobile devices too!
9. Recharge via output
If you feel like you’re in a slump, don’t head straight to bed and pull on your jogging shoes instead. Have a try of one of these full body workouts at home or even attempt an abs workout challenge. Contrary to the thought of being exhausted after a cardio workout or a treadmill session, exercising gives you instant mood-lifting chemicals like endorphins. It also gets your heart pumping and restarts your motor, giving you higher energy levels that can increase productivity and improve your mood for the day.
10. Rest, but never quit
Perhaps the most important and simplest way to recharge—treat your mind and body as a scale. If one side feels unbalanced, take a few minutes, close your eyes and concentrate on taking a few deep breaths. Life can be extremely fast-paced or crazy, so it’s up to you to inculcate self-care. And acknowledge that while you may get tired at times, getting upset or feeling negative about a situation is not the answer. Instead, allow yourself some time to readjust before continuing to move forward.
While you might not have the time to drop everything and head on a luxurious beach holiday (though you should definitely make some time for that in the future!), we hope we’ve inspired you with our little tips to rejuvenate your mind and body.
Feel free to share any tips you may have with us!
About us: We are Skintelligence, a team focused on a 'skin-first' approach to beauty through artificial intelligence. We match products to you based on your unique skin type and needs. Results are highly accurate and personalized with AI and machine learning. It's fun, convenient, and it works. Try it here.
As featured in Her World, CLEO, FEMALE, Shape, Nuyou, Singapore Women’s Weekly, Daily Vanity, Layers of Skins.
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