The Philippines has one of the longest and most restrictive lockdowns in the world. As of now, it is one of the countries that are yet to reopen schools. Now, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading across the nation.
A return to normal will not happen any time soon for many Filipinos, and it is causing high levels of stress to the population.
Pandemic Stress
The pandemic created numerous challenges for Filipinos. The public health crisis led to an economic recession, the worst in years. Many businesses had to close, and as a result, job losses occurred. In 2020, the country’s unemployment rate reached a record-high of 10.3 percent. For comparison, in 2019, the annual unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.
So many households, therefore, lost their source of income. Many people felt financial pressure as they scrounge for ways to earn money and buy necessities, including food. While there has been government aid, it rarely happened and was never enough to support the whole family.
Moreover, the fear that themselves or their loved ones will become infected is a frequent cause of stress.
Premature Aging
Stress can affect the human body in multiple ways, and it does have a negative impact on a person’s appearance. If you think that you have aged faster since the start of the pandemic, you are probably right.
When you are on edge, your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol which is known to cause inflammation and premature aging. It is one of the reasons why, in the past year, your skin and hair lost their luster.
In addition, doom-scrolling at night in bed is causing you to lose sleep. The cells in your skin cannot regenerate as quickly when you do not get adequate sleep. Moreover, your body produces less melatonin, an antioxidant that protects against premature aging.
Luckily, it can still be reversed. There are some things that you can do to bring your appearance back to its pre-pandemic state. Here are a few strategies.
Use the Right Skincare Products
There are a variety of products in the market that will target skin concerns related to aging, but you must be careful with choosing which to buy and use. You need a product that not only contains antioxidants but is also mild and moisturizing.
Products from Harmony & Wellness contain active ingredients that stimulate and speed up the production of collagen, which provides elasticity in the skin. Moreover, these products are formulated based on decades of scientific research to guarantee that you will get exactly the results that you want. In addition, these products are mild and will keep the skin moisturized.
Fill Your Plate with Color
Your diet also contributes to improving your appearance. Many people turned to comfort foods, which often are unhealthy, to cope with pandemic stress.
Now is the best time to start eating right again. To undo the damage caused by your mental health and unhealthy diet to your skin, you need to consume more colorful and whole foods. The Mediterranean-style diet is a known anti-inflammatory. It consists of a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, seafood, herbs, and whole grains. While red meat and poultry are permitted, these should be consumed in moderation. The diet also minimizes or completely cuts off food that is high in added sugars or was highly processed in a factory.
Do not worry about missing chocolates or baked goods. You can still eat those if you need comfort, but only as a treat. It should not be consumed regularly and not in large amounts.
Sleep
Sleeplessness is only contributing to your high levels of stress.
Instead of browsing Twitter or Facebook for negative news, limit doom-scrolling at night. Make the decision to turn off your phone an hour before you sleep. While it is important to be informed, especially right now that restrictions are constantly changing, you do not need to be given an update every hour. You will still read the same news the next morning. So, put your phone down and go to sleep.
When you get adequate sleep every night, your skin can recover from damage. You will wake up with the glow of a person who is well-rested.
The stress caused by the pandemic is affecting everyone in different ways. For a lot of people, it is reflected in the way they look. The consequence of pandemic stress on your appearance can still be undone by maintaining a skincare routine that is right for you and choosing a healthy lifestyle.