It’s a strange and stressful time to be alive. Who thought 10 days ago we’d be facing a national lock down and the world would have turned upside down?

While we fully support President Ramaphosa’s address last night and his heed for people to stay in their homes, we’ll try to bring you information to ease the boredom and stave off the anxiety.

So if you’re stuck indoors, either on your own, with a partner, a fur baby, a  group of friends or your kids, what do you do to pass the time? How do you keep stress levels down? We know the more you stress, the more susceptible you are to getting sick – with anything, including the new Coronavirus.

Besides washing your hands and keeping them away from you face, here are some beauty ideas you can try out to make quarantine/ self isolation more bearable and yourself beautiful.

1. Get enough sleep

There is an Irish proverb that states, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything”. When you sleep, you give your body a chance to rebuild, replenish and restore.

Sleep replenishes your immunity system and your killer cells, the first line of defense against any disease. Sleep helps activate antibodies, which enables the body get rid of an infection. When we don’t get enough sleep, we drop our immune system effectiveness by 50%.

Enough sleep also gives you beautiful skin and reduces puffiness and redness around your eyes. Try set your bedtime at the same time every night, even during this trying period when schedules are all out of whack. Your body (and mood) will thank you! Switch. Off. Netflix.

2. Drink plenty of water

Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate some more. Just because you’re vegging out on the couch bingeing on every series ever created, doesn’t mean you stop drinking water. And while you’re at it, moisturise your face too!

3. Don’t eat all your rations!

So you stock-piled at the Makro last week Monday after the President addressed the nation about the Coronavirus (naughty naughty!). Now you’ve ploughed through the Cheese Curls, the BarOnes and the loaves of bread. Your routine has gone haywire but your eating shouldn’t. Put down those carbs… Step away from the ice-cream. Just because you’re bingeing on Netflix doesn’t mean you have to eat your entire month’s worth of food in one day. Pace yourself!

4. Alcohol is not your skin’s friend

During this trying time, you’re probably eyeing your liquor cabinet or your wine collection laciviously. Stop. Remember moderation. Your skin will thank you later.

5. Review your skincare routine

In the time of COVID-19, all routines and structure are out the window. You’re now at home with kids, or you’re working from home and time flows in very different ways. But your skincare routine is constant… and now even a little enhanced. You have the time to dedicate to a facial, you have the space to possibly pamper yourself more. Skin-care routines still make you feel normal in this time of upheaval. Wash, scrub, tone, moisturise and mask – it’s a great opportunity to take your time with your skin.

6. Self-care is more important than ever

You’ve always complained that you never get time to self-care… well here’s your chance. You’ve gained about 2 hours in your day now from not traveling to work – use it wisely. There are so many great FREE yoga programmes on YouTube (here and here), makeup tutorials as well as loads of self- help and anxiety reducing meditations.

Self-care is a wonderful way to keep anxiety at bay. Remember to take care of your mental health and step away from Facebook and Twitter.

7. Join an online fitness programme

Besides some great yoga workouts, there are many personal trainers who now offer Skype sessions personally tailored to you as well as free sessions via YouTube. You literally have access to anyone in the world, and during this time, many are giving free sessions away. Google is your friend here 🙂

8. If you don’t already, add meditation into your schedule

You may already be a meditating guru, so ignore this if you are but for others, these trying times call for people to remain calm and optimistic… and you need some help sometimes to get into this frame of mind.

Again, there are so many great free meditations on YouTube and the app InsightTimer. If you would rather invest every month, then apps like Headspace and Calm are good choices. Remember, when you’re calm, your immune system functions better and your family and loved ones around you benefit too from your good mood 🙂

We’d like to think that purpose of COVID-19 and the havoc it’s wreaking on the world right now might actually be to help us slow down and focus on what’s important – our own health and that of our loved ones, taking it slower, tackling our anxiety, practicing gratitude for what we have and bringing us closer to our families and communities.

Share some of your self-isolation beauty tips with us in the comments or on Facebook.