Image from Residence Magazine
Learning what setbacks mean— moments that urge us to look at how far we've gone and what we've been doing so we could reassess our next steps might have us asking: how do I know when it's time to stop then?
The answer is never simple. In the course of our lives, we might have found ourselves questioning whether what we've been doing to achieve what we want is still something we need to pursue. This situation comes as easy as deciding on continuing a gym membership or as perplexing as shifting careers. Certain circumstances make us rethink. Is what we're going through a slump or a sign that we need to change track?
We're taking cues from our skin. As one of the easiest ways we could see if what we've been doing to it is a response to change or difficulty or if it's ultimately not good for us, here's what we learned from our skin when it comes to knowing if it's a setback or a sign to stop.
Breakouts and breakdowns
Image from Fine Art America
When we find that the combination of choices that dictate the way we live gives us a hard time and yields more breakdowns than breakthroughs, we have to take it as a signal to stop. This is something we learned from for our skin.
When we've been subscribing to crowd-favorites or old go-to's but have instead been getting more breakouts beyond the window of your skin adjusting to it, then it might be a sign that they are not for us. Instead of wondering what's wrong with you (or your skin,) take it as a signal to change track instead with the mindset that your current choices may not be the right fit for you. Understand the physical manifestations— no need to force routines that break you instead of building up the better you.
Sustainability isn't there
Image from Behance
When we talk sustainability, it doesn't always mean that your skin products and treatments strictly have to be Earth-friendly and that your routine should be conscious of its impact on the environment (though if it eventually does, it's a big plus!)
For skin, it's easy to want to commit to n steps of skincare (remember the 10-step Korean skincare craze?) While we can't deny that this type of routine works for some people, others will find it hard to keep up with it. Some Women in Progress®️ might have more difficulty getting the resources to continue the routine until they see the full effect. Others may have lifestyles that call for one that allows them more time to allocate their energy to something else. When these out-of-hand circumstances come into the picture, it becomes tougher to follow through with skincare at all, and it feels more like a burden or chore rather than the TLC we need. If this is the case, it's better to stop what we've been doing and start anew.
In another aspect, it's no longer a setback when we start to feel that our usual choices come to the point where it feels like we're adjusting too much around that lifestyle when it should never feel that way. We give ourselves unnecessary pressure keeping up with routines that aren't for us (or never were in the first place.) Allow yourself to let go. Your usuals should keep up with you, not the other way around.
It doesn't delight you.
Image from Janne Wellens
Although not everything we do day-to-day is always something we enjoy, we should understand which parts make doing our usuals more enjoyable. Understand that having tiny bits of our daily lives that spark joy helps us carry on in a world of uncertainties.
That said, allow yourself to pick choices that give you safety and provide you little pockets of happiness. If you've been sticking to your usuals that feel more and more like a black hole when you know there's a choice that could make you feel more excited, then don't be afraid to step out of what you've been used to doing.
Try to embrace that as we evolve and grow, our preferences and the factors that allow us that little spark of joy could change. Allow yourself to find that in place of the parts of your routine that no longer give you the thrill or drive to carry on with your journey. If this means finding skin places that welcome you and make skincare easier for you, then go ahead and add it to your must-haves!
It's not the easiest to determine whether what we go through are setbacks or signals to stop and shift gears, but we promise you that it's all worth it when we find them manifesting in our skin (and beyond!) What other signs to stop did we miss, Woman in Progress®️?
Thumbnail from Fairy Season and Residence Magazine