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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Harvard chapter.

Due to the coronavirus, we have months of free time to finally get that glow up and come back slaying everyone’s lives. Below are 5 steps to getting you started on your journey. 

1. Sleep (yes, it’s that simple)

Slumber Cloud

During sleep, the body repairs daytime damage to the skin produces collagen (the structural protein in our skin) and releases the human growth hormone which increases muscle mass and strengthens the skin. On the other hand, getting a poor night’s sleep can lead to hanging eyelids, swollen eyes, darker under-eye circles, paler skin, and more wrinkles. So turn off Netflix and make sure you’re getting your beauty sleep while you can!

2. Don’t wear makeup 

For people who don’t know, there’s a setting on Zoom that retouches your appearance in your video. So, there’s no need to get up 30 minutes early to beat that face. Let your skin breathe during this quarantine, and make sure you don’t forget to do your skincare routine. No makeup means that your pores are less likely to get clogged, leading to fewer breakouts. Also, popping pimples may have been acceptable when you had a social life, but now there is no excuse for causing damage to your skin unnecessarily. Let your skin chill during this time and it will greatly appreciate it.

3. Do protective styles and moisturize your hair

woman sitting and smiling excitement
Pexels / @instaguilherme

Now is the time to ditch those tight buns and ponytails and start protective styling. Those sleek hairstyles may look nice, but they predispose your hair to breakage. During quarantine, protect your strands by putting them in protective and low maintenance hairstyles such as braids, twists, or even letting it flow free. This point works especially well on drier, kinkier textures, but all hair types benefit from low-manipulation. 

4. Reorganize your wardrobe

a person sits crosslegged on the ground folding laundry, including jeans and shirts which sit in piles before them
Sarah Brown | Unsplash

Usually, our busy college lives leave us throwing on whatever is in our closet and getting to the mall once the semester ends and we can catch a breath. However, now we have the chance to evaluate our wardrobe, throw out things that we don’t wear, and get to hours of online shopping in order to revamp our style. 

5. Work out

Photo by Elly Fairytale from Pexels

This is something I personally want to improve on because before quarantine I had no exercise routine at all. But now that I’m laying around bored, this gives me time to plan how to get that summer body back. At school I would have brushed off working out with the excuse of having work to do, however now there is nothing to blame being unfit on. 

I hope this list helps you in getting started on going 0 to 100 over the quarantine. And even if you’re already a 100, hopefully, this will give you something to entertain yourself with as you find yourself chained to your house!

 

My name is Savannah Rae Richard, and I am a freshman from Georgia. Currently, I'm interested in studying Integrative Biology and going into medicine. I plan to go into Dermatology and also create my own cosmetic brand someday. I also love beauty, fashion, aesthetics, and most things that come in pink!
I am a senior at Harvard College studying Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Economics, and I am planning on getting a language citation in Spanish. I am currently a co-president and campus correspondent of Harvard's chapter of Her Campus! I am also a committee chair of a student organization that works with University Health Services called HealthPALs (Peer Advisors and Liaisons). Additionally, I am a member and co-director of service in OAASIS (Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service). Apart from that, I spend a lot of my time as a Learning Lab Undergraduate Fellow at the Harvard Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. I am also the co-founder of a project at the Office of Diversity of Inclusion at Harvard. I am super passionate about math, health, and higher education! In my free time I love to work out, experiment with makeup and fashion, visit museums, and try new foods!