Self Growth

How I Boosted My Confidence During A Pandemic Year

mindbeautysimplicity

I think we all can relate that this past year has been quite the mood. I went from having some what of a fashion sense to primarily sporting comfy joggers & athleisure wear & being bare faced / no makeup even when I left the house. Old me could never! And honestly, even though I miss some things, I’ve actually gained more confidence in myself than any other year combined. So, really was it all that bad? Ok, some parts were pretty bad ( & still are) but I’m here to take the positive spin on things & let you in on how this pandemic year lead to a more confident me.

I BECAME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MY NATURAL APPEARANCE

I love the artistry around makeup & find the routine to be very therapeutic at times. Same goes for my hair routine as well. There’s just something about taking your time in the mornings to get fully ready that really puts you on the right track for a productive day. But when you are barely leaving the house, it started to seem pointless. I quickly started just waking up, throwing my hair in a messy bun & going along with my day. And I realized as much as I found my makeup routine to be soothing, I also relied on it to feel more pretty. In the past, I couldn’t image leaving the house even to just run a few errands without makeup on. And I could have never felt comfortable enough to let my dark under eyes show around my boyfriend. Now, I think I wear makeup maybe 2 days a week (if that) & I don’t feel self conscious about it anymore. I just have my skin breath & let the occasional breakout have their moment. Crazy enough, the less makeup I wore the better my skin became anyway.

I DIDN’T HAVE THE NEED TO DRESS TO THE NINES EVERYDAY

Before the pandemic, my appearance meant everything to me. It’s a way to show off your personality without having to say a single word. But there was a sense of lack of contentment. I thought I couldn’t feel pretty in a baggy t-shirt & jeans. Now, I have the same confidence regardless of what I’m wearing & it’s rather empowering. It doesn’t mean I don’t miss dressing up. Believe me, I can’t wait to go to more events & vacations in the future & have an excuse to experiment with fashion. But until then, I’m proud to have gained a type of confidence that revolves more around my personality & what I bring to the table over how I look. Honestly, trying to keep up with trends & what society deems as attractive can be rather exhausting.

MY STORY IS MINE TO TELL & NO ONE ELSE HAS TO UNDERSTAND

Having to basically start my life entirely over after losing my day care job from COVID could have put me in a dark bubble. But I decided to see it as a fresh start & reflect on what I truly wanted in life – like writing. Whatever path you take, there will always be people questioning your every move. I say, do what works for you & f*ck everyone else. Sorry if that sounded harsh, but it’s true. If you listened too hard at every opinion & comment, you probably would immediately halt in your tracks & stop living. So, keep doing what you are doing & write your story how you see fit.

I LEARNED TO LET GO OF THE PAST & ACCEPT IT

During such reflections, I couldn’t help but go down memory lane sometimes. Not to mention, I spent a lot of time decluttering my belongings which drudged up all kinds of memories. I really learned how to accept the ideas of letting go – whether it was physical belongings, people & even thoughts. By having extra time on my hands, I didn’t have an excuse to get out of the process. It was the perfect time to set some things straight for a better future. As much as you wish you could, you can’t change the past. All there is to do is learn from it & move forward. And now, I feel so much lighter with a wave of possibilities.

SIMPLE PLEASURES ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE BIG MOMENTS

With following the minimalism lifestyle, I’ve always been trying to appreciate the small moments in life more. But during the pandemic, it was a must. I think one of the main reasons I stayed so positive during such tough times was having gratitude for even the most simplest of moments. I made sure to look forward to the nights we binged watched television shows or had movie nights. Quality time cooking dinner, putting together puzzles or even bonfires in the backyard with smores became such highlights. And looking back we now have so many fond memories in our first home. We didn’t need any fancy vacations or events to maintain our relationship. It made me realize, to be happy in life you really don’t need much.

What are some things that made you more confident during the pandemic? What fun memories did you make?

-B

Published by mindbeautysimplicity

43 thoughts on “How I Boosted My Confidence During A Pandemic Year”

  3. Something that made me feel more confident during the pandemic was slowing down to truly listen to my body and intuition. Not only has this brought on a wave of self-acceptance, I just genuinely feel so much comfort inside my own head and it’s truly lovely.
    I absolutely love this post and admire you for being able to find something positive in a negative situation. The pandemic took a toll on all of us, I’m happy you made it through with a reason to continue smiling!

    xoxo Bri Cruz

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  4. I had to get comfortable with my own natural appearance, too! I used to wear makeup everyday to work — nothing crazy, but just enough so I can hide my redness and dark circles or a pimple if one pops up. Now, because we have to wear masks everywhere, I just put mascara on and call it a day! We just started going back into work this week, so it’s been hard adjusting from working in my pajamas makeup-free to having to dress professionally and put mascara on in the morning. Great post!

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      1. It is very weird! I haven’t commuted to and from work in over a year, and having to get up an hour earlier isn’t fun, but it’s nice to get out of the house.

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  5. I think that I’m a bit more relaxed surrounding what I look like & eat – I haven’t worn makeup in a few months but weirdly my skin is at its worst at the moment 🤦‍♀️ Great post, it’s nice to reflect x

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  6. “Whatever path you take, there will always be people questioning your every move. I say, do what works for you & f*ck everyone else.” – I love this!

    Like you, I find myself going out in Yoga pants with no makeup and I don’t care what people think. Even on video calls at work, I turn my camera on even if my hair’s a mess and I have no makeup on. If people don’t like it, too bad!

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  8. I agree that we have al learned to simplify our lives and appreciate the good things about home life. I’m sorry you lost your job during Covid. That must have been incredibly hard. I’m glad you are looking forward to a new path.

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  9. I had to prety much re-invent myself during the pandemic as well! I also lost my job but it gave me the push i needed to finally start making money blogging!

    It’s crazy to say, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that otherwise!

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  10. That’s awesome that you got more confident, I definitely got more comfortable with my appearance too during this time. I still though look forward to the days I can wear makeup 💄it’s good to see the bright side of things. I love reading this post.

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  11. I relate to these so much! Last year I was working from home every day, so I got out of the habit of wearing makeup. Now Im back in the office and I still don’t wear, despite previously being an everyday-makeup wearer. Love the extra 20 minutes I get in the morning. Great post :).

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  12. Omg, I love this! I loved that you brought up how you’re more comfortable with your natural appearance, you learned to let go of your past, and not let anyone stop you from achieving your dreams. I tried getting into makeup before the pandemic, but I couldn’t do that because the face mask covers my lipstick. I don’t mind though because it was a lot of work putting on makeup every time I went out. I kind of look at it like drugs, once people see you with makeup on, it’ll be weird for them to see you without it, so it becomes a habit to wear makeup all the time.

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  13. This pandemic has taught me to embrace my natural beauty. I can’t even remember when the last time was when I actually put a full face of make up on. I feel like it is so pointless, especially since we have to wear a mask. What good is putting on lipstick, just to smear it?

    This really has boosted my confidence because for so long I felt like I could not leave the house without make up.

    xo Erica

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  14. Loved reading your post! Thank you so much for sharing.
    Six months after the pandemic, I started to battle with acne. After having clear skin for so long, it was challenging for me to adjust to having a lot of acne and this really impacted my confidence. However, I’m thankful that this happened because I learned so much! As cliche as it may sound, it reminded me that beauty comes from within.

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  15. definitely the simple things, little moments, I am so thankful for them every day. I rarely wear makeup, only for a night out, not every day though, my skin feels all the more soft and I have less spots and all that. xoxo

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  18. Seeing you pulling the positives out of this negative situation is inspiring. I feel the same way, I have seen my confidence grow this past year as well. There were perks to this experience, as it has been an opportunity for personal development and growth. This is a great read!

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  19. What a tough year all around. I’m so sorry about your day care job. I think you’ve done incredibly well to use this as a springboard, to take the time to reflect, grow stronger and make a fresh start. Not easy at all. Letting go of the past is also very, very difficult (or so I find). Love this post – fuck what everyone else thinks, live your life your way and keep kicking ass!

    Caz xx

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  20. Loved reading this and so glad that this time gave you an opportunity to change what you were doing after losing your job. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been! I learned too to be more comfortable with myself and decide to do what I want despite people’s opinion x

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  21. I’m so glad you were able to boost your confidence! We really had so much time to work on ourselves last year and, instead of letting it go to waste, I’m glad you were able to work on yourself!

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  22. This post speaks to me so much! I feel the same, I barely wear make up and I’ve been in leggings for like 15 months straight at this point – which before were only on weekends! It’s wonderful to hear this has helped boost your confidence, I feel similar! It’s great to read stories of what joys the pandemic has given us, as a change from the regular pandemic news. Thanks for sharing!

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  23. I LOVE that the pandemic, while it was stressful, helped you find your inner confidence. It is funny how all the treatment in the world does not help our skin as much as suddenly wearing less make-up does. Though, I rarely wear make-up and still have spotty skin. 🙂

    I am inspired by your perspective on your story being yours, no matter what anyone else says. Who am I?
    Knowing the answer to that question is as strengthening as it is uplifting.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

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