Opinion: Finding Beauty Within the Chaos

There are a lot of things that were once human nature but are now foreign to us due to COVID-19. People are not only forgetting how to socialize and converse with one another, but most importantly, people are forgetting to take care of themselves.

Now that everything is remote, not only is it hard to stay on a routine, but it is also hard to get up and get ready for the day. Before the pandemic, a typical weekday would involve us going to bed on time, getting up early, getting ready, and heading to school or work to be productive.

Since everything is remote and socializing is frowned upon, the simple things we relied on to start our days are no longer utilized or looked at as important.

People are working from home, school is online, doctors’ appointments are, for the most part, virtual, social events are not allowed, there is a limit of how close you can be to a person, masks cover your whole face so no one can really recognize or remember anyone’s features, and everything either has a curfew or is shut down for the time being.

These things may have seemed unimportant at one time, but because everything is remote, people use that to their advantage to avoid being productive or not getting ready. Something as simple as showing is avoided.

Although this may not seem like it would be detrimental to your personal health or affect your mentality, you may end up hating on yourself or constantly nit-picking things you should have improved.

Essentially, getting ready and being productive truly does have an effect of your mindset and will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Having a good mindset is one of the main things that aids self-love.

In my opinion, people have this perception that they should not view self-love and self-care as top priorities because it is wrong or selfish.

One thing I have noticed with everything being remote is that it is easy to get into bad habits, such as not having a routine, eating junk food, not exercising, or avoiding getting involved in activities.

When you allow yourself to withdraw from these things, sooner or later, you start feeling bad about yourself.

It is time to stop feeling the need to constantly critique yourself. Instead, there are things you can do to help yourself gain more self-love, because, trust me, you deserve it.  

Critiquing yourself can look like constantly making comments about things you wish you could change or things you hate about yourself. It’s those little harsh remarks we make to ourselves that hurt the most.

Working out is another activity that can help you boost your self-confidence and promote self-love.

When I typically think of working out, I think of a time-consuming hassle. There are many other alternatives you can do to make exercise fun. You could join a yoga, Zumba, or cycling class. I like to take hikes and walks out in nature because of the beautiful scenery. 

Making sure you drink a lot of water throughout the day and take your daily vitamins is also vital. Most importantly, get enough sleep.

Although eating healthy and working out are important for our confidence, mood, and energy, there are other things besides these that will help. Even so much as having a skin care routine can help improve your self-image.

As simple as it may sound, have a pamper day where you spoil yourself. Do your nails, hair, and makeup, go out, and be productive. Even if you do not have much to do, just going to the grocery store and the bank still allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment.

If you do not like to typically do your hair, nails, and makeup, that is okay. There are many other ways you can pamper yourself. Schedule a massage, exfoliate your skin, put on a face mask, or even take a bubble bath, and while doing so you can read a book or listen to a podcast.

Pampering is anything you can do that is relaxing and helps you decompress.

Self-love is one of those topics that a lot of people talk about and make it seem as if it is the easiest thing to do. It takes time to learn different things about yourself and learn to accept them.

You can have self-love and still have a bad day. Remind yourself that people are their own worst critics.

However, it is always important to remember you should not indulge in activities that are dangerous to your health in order to achieve a goal. There are no shortcuts. Goals take time to achieve, and you must put in the time and effort in order to see a difference.

If you are struggling with emotional problems during this pandemic, know that you are not alone. There are many resources and people you can talk to, such as the Counseling Center. Click here to view a list of on-campus and local resources available to help you cope with these uncertain times.

Know you are beautiful and valuable. Stay unique and embrace your true self.

The people who really care are the people who are going to accept you for you and not make you feel like you need to change or put on a façade.