We live in an anxiety-prone society. On top of pressures to succeed personally and professionally, merely keeping up with the daily news can be exhausting at times. It’s easy to get overwhelmed to the point where the nearly constant tension begins to take its toll on your mental health.
While you may already treat yourself by practicing yoga, getting massages, or taking relaxing bubble baths, you may not have considered how a regular skin care routine can become a daily ritual that calms you and keeps you grounded and mentally healthy.
Skin Care as Self-Care
There is an impressive body of research showing the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. Setting aside time each morning and evening to follow your skin care routine can become almost a meditative practice, since you’re taking a few minutes to set aside the stresses of the day and focus solely on yourself. You can even take the self-care aspect a step further and listen to soothing music or nature noises while you cleanse, tone, exfoliate, and moisturize your face, neck, and chest.
Having a set routine for your skin care can give you something to look forward to, which can come as a relief when you begin to feel overtaxed by all the other aspects of your life that are outside your ability to control. Your skin care routine can help wake you up in the morning and become your cue that it’s time to wind down at night. It’s your time to step outside of your hectic lifestyle, take a deep breath, and put everything on pause for a moment.
The Simple Pleasures of a Skin Care Routine
For people who struggle with mental health disorders like depression or anxiety, self-care is often the first area to suffer when their illnesses hit hard. Even a simple skin care routine like washing and moisturizing your face can be comforting, provide structure, and allow you to feel like you have done something productive that also boosts your beauty, even on days when you have trouble finding the energy to get dressed or leave the house.
Taking good care of your skin can also improve your feelings of self-worth when you find yourself drowning in negativity and it’s challenging to stay afloat. Doing something nice for yourself, even if it’s small, will help you power through and give you that much-needed sense of accomplishment.
Change Your Outlook on Life
When you learn to look after your skin, you also learn to prioritize yourself and your well-being. Too often, we neglect the importance of doing small things to make ourselves feel happy. Skin care is an easy step onto the pathway of practicing much more significant acts of self-care, like working with a therapist or finding new hobbies that bring you joy.
Remember, being stressed out can take its toll on your skin in more than one way. For example, if you are prone to breakouts, you may experience an acne flare-up when you get overwhelmed. Or, you may be so busy you forget to stay hydrated and eat healthy foods, which can lead to signs of premature aging. Taking your “me time” every day will give you a more positive attitude and help you feel more confident about taking on life’s challenges.
Shake up Your Skin Care Routine
If you feel inspired to make a positive change, remember that another essential part of self-care is treating yourself every now and then. Dermatology Medical Group offers many of the most popular and cutting-edge skin care treatments available today, including dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, Fraxel® skin resurfacing, Botox®, and Ulthera®. We also offer a line of high-quality products to help you improve your skin care routine. Contact us when you are ready to learn more about any of these options, and let us help you improve how you look and feel about yourself.
