Anxiety is a word that seems to be on everyone’s lips these days.

People are busier and more “social” than ever with social media, but not necessarily happier. Fortunately, we’re beginning to have an honest, public discussion about it. If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety, you’re in the company of about 40 million other Americans. Almost all of us have dealt with anxiety in one form or another, and all of us have our own ways of dealing with it.

If you’ve ever felt relief from your beauty routine, it turns out there’s something to that. An article in Teen Vogue a few years back talked about how for some, their beauty routine provides them with a positive outlet for their anxiety. When their anxiety knocks them off course, their makeup routine gives them back their control that’s beyond just slowing down to practice self care.

We absolutely loved this idea and wanted to dive into it a little more and talk about why we think makeup can be such a healing ritual for so many women.

Doing your makeup can interrupt a negative thought loop

Your beauty routine can be almost like meditation: you stop focusing on all of the crazy stuff going on around you and you start to focus on each individual step of your routine, one at a time.

When a negative thought loop pops up, whether it’s fearful thoughts about our body image, our job, or life in general, it can be hard to get out. Turning your attention to doing something productive or creative can be a huge relief from these loops and interrupts them.

Your beauty routine gives you some control

There’s a lot we don’t have control over, but when the makeup brush is in your hand, you’re the artist! You get to create yourself the way you want to see yourself, and the possibilities are almost endless. You can be a different person from one day to the next with your makeup if you want to be, and there isn’t a whole lot else in life that gives you that much control.

A finished face feels like an accomplishment

Getting stuck in a negative thought loop can drag you down and make you feel like you can’t do normal, everyday things. When we struggle with anxiety, it can feel like a chore just to get out of bed, clean up, or get ready for the day.

But, when we can muster up the energy to put our face on, not only do we get the other benefits of slowing down and interrupting our thought patterns, we also get a finished product that we can feel good about all day.Also, a study actually found that when we wear frumpy clothes that don’t feel good, or if we neglect our personal appearance, we can actually start to feel more depressed and anxious.

So when you look good, you really do feel good!

Tell us, does your beauty routine help you deal with anxiety?