Being diagnosed with a mental health issue isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, not doing anything about it is. According to the American Psychiatric Association, you could be depressed if you have one or more depressive episodes. What this means is that nothing in life brings you pleasure and you lose interest in just about everything. You have decreased energy, there is a noticeable difference in your sleep, weight and/or appetite, you begin to have feelings of worthlessness and increased suicidal thoughts. Once your mental health starts to decline, so does your physical health. In an interview with NYLON, dermatologist and psychiatrist Dr. Amy Wechsler says that mental health and physical health are inextricably linked – so when one decreases so does the other.
In her interview, she says, “Depressed people often find it hard to take care of their hair, skin, and clothing, at a time when a routine is so important.” There are few people with depression who feel it’s better that they invest more in their self-care routine.
Here are some influencers who share some ways to tackle those depressive episodes:
1. Olivia Gatwood – Poet (@oliviagatwood)
She tells NYLON, “I read somewhere that the full-body warmth and water pressure of a shower can actually comfort loneliness because in some way it mimics the feeling of being held. So I like to take long, hot showers and just let myself be with my body.”
2. Tiffany of @radioheadass on Twitter
To motivate herself, she says, “I surround myself with people who don’t make me feel pressured to have perfect pores, without a hair out of place. Routines and products are nice to have, but making peace with myself in all forms has been more important than anything.”
3. Alice Thomas – Beauty Blogger (@alxcext)
Thomas explains to Nylon what helps her get her day started, saying, “In the morning, doing my makeup makes it feel like a fresh day and a new beginning which is marked by a different beauty look or idea that I’ve had in mind. It’s taught me that my mind can be calmed simply by putting myself together and taking the first step to push myself out the door—especially on those days where even catching a train on time can seem impossible.”
4. Simran Randhawa – Model and Editor (@simisear_ on Twitter)
When speaking to NYLON, she explains her experiences as a model. “Being a model, you are constantly made to feel like your skin and hair needs to be flawless and healthy, which led to me splurging on expensive skin care that actually ended up making my skin worse,” she says. “The way I was expecting to look versus the way I actually did just fed into the negativity I was already feeling. It only made things worse.”
the amount of toxic stylists I’ve worked with …. I’m over it . how are you making ME feel bad because YOU didn’t pull the right sizes for me? am I supposed to just drop 5kg on the spot or
— simran ♡ (@simisear_) August 6, 2019
Moises is a full-time graduate student at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY reporting mainly on food and restaurants but maintains overall emphasis on arts and culture.