Five small things that help you feel good in your own skin

I was delighted to partner with ZIIP for this article, however opinions, as ever, are my own.

Somewhere between the school run, the to-do list, the stream of pinging notifications and the ever-increasing demands, a lot of us stop showing up for ourselves. It’s not necessarily dramatic, but happens gradually when everyone else’s needs fill any space first and yours get nudged into ‘later, tomorrow’, or ‘when things calm down’ (spoiler, they don’t really!)

For me it started long before motherhood. I always felt that putting others first felt like love, and prioritising other’s needs meant I was a ‘good person’. This narrative got affirmed through friendships and in workplaces. Then I became a mum, and I made my home at the bottom of the list of priorities until burnout forced me to refocus.

Feeling good isn’t vanity. It’s not self-indulgence or a reward you need to earn. It’s one of the ways you remember you are worth more than the sum of what you do and give to others. I’ve learnt that caring for yourself doesn’t just benefit you…it gives you capacity, it charges you up.

Some of that capacity inevitably gets offered to the people who need you. But don’t forget, some of it you get to keep. Not so you can DO more, but so you can BE well. You need capacity and margin to feel yourself, to find ease and engage in joy.

I talk a lot about giving ourselves away like wedges of cake until we are left with sad, joyless crumbs. These five things are how I make sure I keep a decent slice for myself:

Before (left) and After (right)

1. Absolute no-brainer worth it: My Ziip Halo:

I was lucky to get my hands on a Ziip Halo a couple of months ago and I am loving it!

Years ago, a friend told years ago that faces don’t like being touched, so I’ve historically kept away from touching mine besides putting on skincare! However, I can confirm this is wrong! My skin and muscles LOVE these few daily moments of attention. Just me, sat in my bed before the kids get up, moving through a 4-minute Facial or Sculpt treatment. I love the immediate oomph the lifting treatments give you.

In a nutshell, the ZIIP HALO is a 17-in-1 microcurrent and nanocurrent device, which means it does a LOT more than one thing. Think lifting, sculpting, lymphatic drainage, reducing redness, targeting blemishes, boosting collagen AND improving texture. Because you see results straight away, unlike with a lot of other beauty devices, I actually keep reaching for it. And with at-home beauty tech, consistency is half the battle. That’s why it’s become one of the few gadgets to earn a permanent place in my bathroom.

The ZIIP works by sending gentle electrical currents into the facial muscles, strengthening and plumping them so the skin above fills out too. I really enjoy the gentle tingling as I pass the device over my face. I think of it as less of a skincare product and more as a workout for my face.

I was keen to address fine lines around my lower face, which have felt more evident recently. So the first treatment I picked was called ‘Jowls’, where you’re guided through the treatment by the Melanie, the ZIIP founder. I’m doing this treatment daily and am excited to see the difference! I love exploring the other treatments, depending on what need or time I have. I did the 90 second ‘Pimples’ treatment the other day when an angry hormonal spot! It calmed quickly. Using my ZIIP has also made me know my face more intimately, which has been lovely!

The ZIIP HALO is £379.99. Undoubtedly, it’s a significant investment, but one that’s worth it in my opinion simply because it just works and can help with multiple skin concerns, so it actually feels worth the investment. But if you are someone who has regular professional facials, or buys pricey creams, this replaces them. A single facial can cost anywhere from £80 to £150. If you treat yourself to three or four a year, you’re covered the cost without the booking and logistics. ZIIP have kindly given me a code to share, you can apply the code MATHUR at checkout for 10% off. Cannot recommend highly enough.

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2. The one thing that makes you feel pulled together

For me, it’s having a nice stack of earrings, adding a few curls to my hair, and putting on a bright, orange-red lipstick. It elevates the most simple, comfy of outfits. For you it might be mascara, a spritz of something that smells gorgeous, or a non-rushed shower to slowly wake you up, instead of rushing through the motions.

What feel joyful and meaningful l for one person, will look different for another. But ‘what’ that thing is for you matters far less than the principle and statement behind it. Taking a few minutes to do something you could easily skip, says ‘How I feel matters. I’m deserving of this moment, this gesture, this comfort, this joy’. Taking those little minutes can put a spring in your step and a smile on your face, making you feel a little more ‘you’.

3. The doorway pause

Before you walk back into the house after school drop-off, or push open the door at the end of a long day, pause. Literally, stop moving and take three slow breaths. Look around, notice where you are, let your gaze linger on the nearest sign of nature - a tree top, a singing bird.

This little moment gives you a transition. It adds in a margin, gives you a chance to ground yourself and breathe rather than just fall from one thing into the next. This provides a circuit breaker for stress hormones, giving you a chance to face the next demand or task with a bit more clarity.

Often, instead of heading straight back downstairs to tackle the washing pile, I’ll sit on my comfy bed after putting the kids to bed, and do a short ZIIP treatment, to provide that gorgeous transition. Four minutes every day does more than forty minutes once a fortnight! Our nervous system is supported by consistency and routine.

4. The swap

We only have to look at our screen time through our fingers, to realise that feeling good isn’t a ‘time’ problem as much as we tell ourselves it is. We struggle to choose ourselves.

We have time, moments, half an hour on the sofa. But we often spend it in ways that don’t nourish us. I once realised I was trying to ‘rest’ by turning my gaze to the busiest place in the world - my phone and social media. Now, where I can, instead of losing myself in the scroll, I choose to read, stretch, chat, or give myself a glow-inducing ZIIP treatment. The swap might feel small, but the difference in how you feel afterwards can be huge!

5.Repair with yourself

The repair you offer your kids after a hard moment is one of the most powerful things you can model. You lose your temper, you come back and you repair and reconnect with them. What you’re doing is showing them that love is stronger than our human, messy moments.

So, my fifth tip is to remember that you need to offer yourself the same!

Unprocessed guilt and shame do not make us better, they make shrink us. They make us less likely to reach for the things that nurture us, whether that is picking up the ZIIP and focussing on yourself, accepting help when it is offered, or moving your body in a way that actually honours your current capacity rather than punishes you. Unprocessed guilt is more likely to find you self-sabotaging, and feeling undeserving of the good stuff in your life.

Letting yourself off the hook isn’t lowering the bar, it’s giving yourself the grace to have messy moments, to take responsibility, and to move on! Freeing you up to make good, nurturing decisions.

Final thoughts…

You do not need a different life to feel good in your own skin. You need a handful of small things that work for you in the life you actually have. The jeans that fit, the 4 minute-bedtime facial, the pause before the door, and the permission you keep waiting for someone else to give you.

It was always yours to take.

ZIIP HALO 2.0 is available at ziipbeauty.com. Use code MATHUR for 10% off.

PS. One more pic before I go! I just took a side profile photograph to compare with one I took before I used the ZIIP and started my daily 3 minute ‘Jowls’ treatment. I couldn’t believe how clear it is that my jaw and chin has been defined and the lower part of my face lifted over the last few weeks!

I was delighted to partner with ZIIP for this article, however opinions, as ever, are my own.