Your home life might seem a bit bleak right now — your hair may be getting shaggy, your eyebrows may be a bit unkempt, but you’re not alone in letting some of your routine slide in the current situation.
Dr. Lynn Bufka, Ph.D., is the Associate Executive Director for Practice Research and Policy at the American Psychological Association and a psychologist who specializes in anxiety, stress, and cultural issues. She says that it’s perfectly normal to see your routine fall apart in the current environment.
“When we are at home for an extended period, it might be easy to stay in pajamas all day, or super comfortable clothes all day, and it feels like we aren’t really making a decision,” Bufka says. “We aren’t operating the way we usually do, so we have some different cognitive challenges that happen when our routine is disrupted. ”
Those disruptions can mean that we let some of our self-care, fitness, and beauty routines slide, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break from those things, Bufka says that the routine of self-care can offer real comfort in these tough times.
“Routine doesn’t require as much mental energy. We don’t have to make a decision. It makes it easier for us to stay centered and focused,” she says.
