Monday, March 13, 2017

Turning That Frown Upside Down

I'm sure I'm not alone in stating the obvious - we all have those days when nothing feels quite right, even though nothing particularly has changed.  Last week I was there.  Although I'm running more than ever, and focusing on making good-for-me meal choices, I was feeling blah.  It doesn't help that no matter what size I am, my stomach is always larger than I'd like, and couple that with wearing capris for my runs, which cut into my stomach no matter what size or how high or low the waist is, I was not in the greatest of moods.

A flip of my weekly calendar page showed that I had my hair appointment on Wednesday with my usual cut and highlights - all the good stuff.  Sure enough, I walked out of there feeling fabulous, and that feeling has stayed with me since then.  Nothing has changed except for my hair - I had more layers cut into it to take advantage of my natural waves, and of course the highlights brighten everything up.  But that's it - my stomach still looks the same, my clothes still fit the same...and yet?  I feel lighter, and my mood is much better.
During - all foiled up with highlights.
After - laughing because I tried to get my hairdresser in the shot with me and she literally dove out of sight yelling "NOOOOOOO!" (her hair wasn't done, haha).

Can a haircut really make that much of a difference?  I have to say yes, and I bet a lot of you will agree.  It's not that I spend a lot of time on my appearance, nor do I constantly look in the mirror (or the modern-day equivalent, take selfies), but on a subconscious level, when my hair starts to get overgrown, it drags me down.  How else to explain the fact that when I put on my capris to go run the next day, I didn't get that UGH, my stomach is so gross feeling...and believe me, nothing else had changed aside from the hair - I didn't miraculously have a body transformation overnight.
A real after - in the parking lot of the grocery store.  Had to document this style as I probably won't be able to replicate it.
Couple of days later, this is what I was hoping for - nice curls with minimal effort (aka all I have to do is scrunch my hair a bit while I blow dry).

I don't know why something like hair can lift me up or bring me down, but that was the only change I made last week, and my mood did a 180.  For good mental health, I'm glad I always schedule my next hair appointment when I'm there for my current one because obviously this is something I need to keep up with.  And I guess it could be anything - getting your eyebrows done, or your regular manicure, or whatever - but somehow, just a little bit of beauty pampering really makes a difference, doesn't it?

26 comments:

  1. It's often the little things that do the trick, like in your case going to the hairdresser. I hardly dare saying it but I don't like going to the hairdresser LOL. I do it every 8 weeks for cutting my hair and colouring but it's not something I enjoy.

    I do get the feeling though that if you feel blah something like this can lift your mood. For me it's often a walk or a recipe that turns out delicious or a new book.

    It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it works for you.

    By the way: love your hair this way.

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    1. You are right - find whatever works for YOU to life your mood. :)

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  2. You are so right about the benefits of a little pampering. I need a pedicure so badly! I wanted to go yesterday, but I was not feeling well at all--so I spent the day on the couch. Now I need to figure out when I can get it done before I go to Florida this weekend!

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    1. Is there such a thing as a pedicure emergency? I think so, especially when you're headed to Florida!

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  3. Yes a little pampering goes a long way to lift our mood! Thanks for the reminder!
    I love your new "do" it looks really nice on you.

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  4. I never take the time to do stuff like that, but I am always happy when I do. I've had a $200 message gift certificate for over two years that I have yet to use! I need to get on that.

    Love, love your hair! #jealous of the natural curls :D

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    1. OMG Biz, go use that gift certificate! I bet if it was to a cooking store, you'd have used it already. ;)

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  5. A haircut does the same thing for me.....new clothes too (although I hate to shape for them!)

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    1. Same here with the new clothes - it's harder to cull through the ill-fitting stuff but once I find something good? Cloud nine, baby!

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  6. I'm still cranky and I'm sure our weather lately has not been helping one bit. I have a hair appointment Thursday - maybe that will turn me around too.

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    1. Yeah your weather would make me cranky too. Here's to Thursday - may you have no snow and a good hair appointment!

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  7. I got a haircut that I liked last fall, and miracle of miracles, I have kept regular appointments since then. It does make me feel better that my hair almost always looks decent, even though a lot of the time I just pull it back in a band. I'm going to keep it up too!

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    1. Yep, forcing yourself to make that next appointment (and keep it) is huge. Your hair always looks good so I'd say you definitely have a great cut. :)

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    2. I forgot to say how much I like your new style. So flattering around your face!

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  8. Love having my haircut. It always makes me smile. I get highlights on my next appt. can't wait! It's like sunshine on a cloudy day.

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  9. Yes, I think it can make a difference! although it always takes me a few days to get use to my cut (even though I always get the same style..lol). I think we just all have our own way of styling that our hairdresser can not replicate! I really like your "few days later" look.

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    1. Thanks - I'm pretty pleased with how it's worked out.

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  10. Small things definitely help! I'm glad freshening up your hair made you feel better! I really like the color!

    I picked up a new 12 color eye shadow palette at Ulta yesterday that I had wanted to get for a long time. When I got to the checkout they told me I had enough coupons on my rewards card to make it cheaper than just one thing of eye shadow - totally made my weekend, and I'm excited for all of the fun new colors I have to play around with :)

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    1. Ooh, I'm excited for you - new eyeshadow AND a deal on it as well?? So nice!!

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  11. Well you look gorgeous so you SHOULD be feeling pretty spunky! I can totally relate to the smallest things making a huge difference in mood.

    (Crabby-logged in on wrong ID)

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  12. Your hair looks great! Self-care can do amazing things for our psyche.

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  13. Your cut looks great! Maybe my Mother's generation had the right idea! They had their hair "done" every week. Hmmm....

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