Some days just take it out of you, don’t they? It’s all you can do to get out of bed, let alone contemplate a shower, doing your hair, makeup, or even putting on real clothes. But if you’re like me, too many days in a row spent in my pjs with messy hair starts to take its own emotional toll. There’s something about making myself a little more presentable that sometimes provides a morale boost. The hard thing is mustering the energy to do it…

If you find yourself in a similar quandary, read on for some ideas of ways you can gussy up, and use your limited energy in the places that count!

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Hair Care

I’ve written before, briefly, about my usual hair care routine. For me, it’s been a bit of a game changer. First, I wash my hair every 2-3 days. I typically save it for days when I’ll have the least energy expenditure elsewhere (for example, Mondays and Wednesdays are extremely busy days for me at work, so I will avoid washing my hair on those days at all costs!). On really bad days, I combine my shampoo and conditioner in my hair at once, so I only have to scrub and rinse one time. While the conditioner is still in my hair, I comb my hair under running water. This helps to loosen any tangles and minimizes the amount of work I need to do to comb it out. I rinse out my shampoo and/or conditioner, and then, while my hair is still wet, I put some gel in my hands and work it through my hair. I turn my head upside-down and run the comb through it once more, and then scrunch it up. Finally, I lay an old t-shirt over my lap and allow my hair to fall into it, and then wrap my hair into the shirt, in a turban style.

That all may sound a little crazy, but it’s my adaptation of the “Curly Girl Method” and “plopping curls.” The beauty of it is that I’m able to do everything with my hair at once, with little energy expenditure, before getting out of the shower. If I need to crawl back into bed, my hair can stay wrapped up in the t-shirt and it won’t make my pillow wet (and will only get curlier as it sits). Whenever I’m ready to unwrap it from the shirt, all I have to do it straighten out my part and tuck it behind my ears and I’m ready to go! Obviously, this works best for those with curly or wavy hair. But if you have straight hair, consider washing, combing, and applying any hair product while you are in the shower. There are many different types of hair turban out there, and if you’re likely to need a rest after showering, I highly recommend wrapping your hair up into something that will help it dry and stay out of your way while you sleep. Then it’s just a matter of shaking your hair into place when you wake up.

On the in-between days, I use dry shampoo to keep my hair looking clean. It’s quick and easy to spray and run my fingers through my hair, and then pull it back or style it however I want. As an added bonus, the process of dry shampooing seems to give my hair a little more volume, so I get more mileage out of my curls too!

Hairstyles

To do my hair on bad days, there are a few styles that I tend to default to, because they’re quick and easy and pack a lot of punch for a little effort.

The first, and easiest, is to simply throw on a headband. Sometimes I pin my bangs back first, in sort of a retro style. My favorite right now are top-knot headbands, because they’re fun and stylish, but super easy to use! Other times, I take a simple bandana and tie it around my hair with a knot or bow on top. I can leave my hair down, pull it into a ponytail, braid it, or put it up in a bun–whatever works for that day!

_{The author, a Caucasian woman is seen from shoulders up. She has brown hair, with a navy blue bandana worn as a headband and hair pulled into a bun. She wears a yellow sweetheart neck sleeveless dress and is smiling at the camera. Behind her are two wooden shelves with plants, and a red vintage wall clock. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

Another great option for bad days is a simple claw clip. These are all the rage right now, much like they were back when I was in middle school and high school (what goes around, comes around…). They can help you look put together with only seconds’ worth of effort–and they’re easy to remove and replace if you’d like to nap throughout the day!

My last trick, for the days when I don’t even want to bother with dry shampoo or a hairstyle, is a hat. Whether it’s a knit hat, baseball cap, fedora, or whatever style suits your fancy, a hat has a tendency to make a person look put together with no effort whatsoever!

_{The author wears a white straw fedora with blue brim, and a white and blue gingham button shirt. She has shoulder-length brown curly hair and smiles at the camera. Blurred in the background, a picture is seen indistinctly on the wall behind her, and an opening to the kitchen and white refrigerator over her right shoulder. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

Makeup

My makeup routine tends to be pretty simple, even on the good days. But when I’m flaring (especially when I’m spending most of the day in bed), I tend to feel pale and puffy.

For a little pick-me-up, I like to use two products in particular: blush and tinted lip balm. Brushing on just a little bit of blush usually brightens my complexion and makes me look a little more alive and alert than I usually feel. Lip balm is super easy to apply, and not very fussy. I’m often surprised by the difference a little bit of lip color makes in my whole face. It even makes my eyes look brighter! I have celiac disease, so I’m very careful about what products I use, especially on my lips. But the good news is that there are some great eco-friendly gluten free lip tints out there in a variety of shades, so I can dress up just a little bit on the off days.

I’m not always a big fan of wearing nail polish, partly by virtue of working as a nurse (it just doesn’t hold up well to all that hand washing and sanitizing!). But there is something special about having your nails done, and it certainly feels a little more polished–ha! Pun intended… One of the reasons I don’t wear nail polish often, in addition to my work, is that I always smudge my nails before they are dry. I have a whole arsenal of polishes meant to dry in one minute, and I still manage to destroy the finish. A while back, a friend gave me a set of Color Street nails that were a black and silver plaid pattern. I’m a sucker for all things plaid (really, patterns in general), and these were ah-mazing. They were easy to put on, and there was no chance for me to smudge them. And they lasted a long time! So if you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, consider brushing on a little polish or looking into a set of nail appliques (and, hey, they might make a great gift for someone with chronic illness?).

_{The author, with long brown curly hair pulled back on one side, sits in a blue wingback chair with head resting on her right arm. She wears a dark green turtleneck sweater, and her nails are painted with black polish with silver plaid pattern. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

Clothing and Accessories

I hope to some day write a post dedicated just to flare day fashion. I love those outfits that are so put together, and yet so comfortable that you can crawl right into bed in them. In the meantime, though, here are my usual rules for flare days.

I opt for clothing that is easy to put on and take off. That way, I’m not wasting energy getting dressed in the morning (and will have an easier time if I need to change out of my clothes later in the day). Many days, that means choosing something simple like leggings and a sweater, a comfortable stretchy dress, or a soft pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I avoid clothes that are constricting (like those jeans that probably should have been a size bigger), that require fine motor skills (like fiddly button shirts, dresses with zippered backs, or pants with sticky flies). I often layer up, and I always have on socks and slippers, with the exception of the height of summer.

In addition to the type of clothing I’m wearing, I like to pay attention to the details in the clothing. For example, I’m an avid knitter (it’s one of the things I enjoy doing in my bad stretches, especially, to rest and feel productive). I have several sweaters that I’ve made for myself out of yarns I loved, and they include little details I enjoy, like cables or elbow patches. For Christmas recently, my husband asked a friend to make me a sweatshirt on her Cricut that had a picture of Tintin, a comic book character I grew up reading and loving. It’s soft and comfortable, and it just makes me smile. And that’s my point: on my worst days, I try to dress myself in clothes that make me smile. It’s a little pick-me-up in the midst of the struggle.

_{The author, with long brown curly hair pulled back on one side and black round-rimmed glasses, stands with arms extended at sides, grinning, wearing a grey sweatshirt with silhouette of Tintin, and black leggings. She stands in her kitchen, with fridge visible behind, an island and red stool to her left, and blue and white checkered flooring. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

And speaking of things that make me smile, I never underestimate the power of color to brighten my mood. For example, I’ve often called red my “happy color.” Many of my mobility devices are red, and it’s a color I’ve used as an accent throughout my home. As you can see in the photo above, I have a funky pair of round black glasses my husband chose for me, and they always make me smile. I also have another pair, red with polka dots. They’re silly and fun and they always make me feel just a little bit lighter when I wear them.

_{The author, with short curly brown hair, a blue fleece jacket, and black scrub top, smiles with head tilted to the right. She wears browline glasses with red and white polka dots along the top of the glasses and on the arms. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

When I began to have more frequent migraines, I realized I would benefit from getting some prescription sunglasses (since on those bad days I can’t stand to wear contacts that would work with my regular, non-prescription sunglasses). I bought one “serious” pair for days when I needed them, but I also bought a fun pair with red frames and retro styling. Since I buy all of my eyeglasses on Zenni, it doesn’t cost much to have a few pairs to break out on the bad days, and they always make me smile.

_{The author sits outdoors on a sunny day, with a sided garage and window behind her. She has her left arm bent, with one finger resting on her cheek. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail with curly bangs on the right side, and she wears red sunglasses and red lipstick, and a black and white polka dot blouse. Photo credit: Livable by Design}

As always in my journey with chronic illness, I’m ever on the lookout for two things: what is simplest? And what infuses some fun into things? Whether you’re having a good day or the worst day you’ve had in a while, I encourage you to look for the little things that will give you a boost without much effort, and make you smile just a little!