Makeup means different things to different people. For some, it’s a creative medium or a non-permanent way they can experiment with various looks. For others, it’s a confidence booster—a way that they can put their best foot forward each day. But for a growing amount of people, it’s even more than that—it’s a way they can get near instant relief from their anxiety symptoms.
It all started when beauty blogger and entrepreneur, Jaclyn Hill, posted on Twitter. “I swear doing my makeup helps my anxiety so much!!” she wrote. “If I start getting anxious for no reason & just sit down & start doing makeup, my anxiety settles down within 10 minutes. Every time! Thankful for makeup!”
And it seems she’s not the only one. From there, hundreds of responses from fellow beauty-lovers started rolling in.
yes me too. It’s called grounding yourself and within minutes I can feel my anxiety dissipate. Makeup isn’t just about beauty!!!
— Tina Ter Horst (@Jacobymicahmom) March 13, 2018
Girl I feel the exact same way. You're the first influencer I've ever watched, but when I first started watching your tutorials, and it helped distract me from my eating disorder! Thank you so much for being amazing always!!
— Bridget Ballard (@brighid___) March 14, 2018
Same! If I find myself at the beginning stages of a panic attack or bad anxiety, I start doing my makeup and listen to music and I feel a lot better
— alyssa☾ (@red_velvet_ari) March 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/BSmakeupBS/status/973906630525050881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Flifestyle%2Fcan-makeup-ease-anxiety-beauty-blogger-fans-think-164329298.html&tfw_site=YahooSports
It’s clear from these responses that among some anxiety sufferers, the simple act of applying makeup is enough to get them into a better headspace. It seems these relaxing benefits have less to do with the aesthetic aspect and more to do with it being a familiar routine. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the ritual of putting on makeup can soothe anxiety for some people.
“Anxiety is about uncertainty — not knowing how a situation will turn out, negative thinking, and ruminating on unhealthy thoughts,” he says. “An activity that is structured and routine, such as this blogger’s morning makeup ritual, provides a degree of predictability and certainty that can help curb anxiety.”
