The new Ukrainian realities associated with the taming of the COVID-19 virus have changed the lives of many people.
Children stopped going to schools and kindergartens, adults changed their armchair in the office for a sofa at home (and these are the lucky ones), and the usual entertainment – go shopping or sit in a coffee shop – remained out of focus for an indefinite time. Anna Karpyuk, owner of the Cute&Cava beauty salon, talks about how her life has changed due to the current situation and shares her productivity life hacks.
Many have already seen these two cherished words: “Quarantine is being weakened!”. The opening of the subway, legal walks in the park and the opening of coffee shops give me optimism. Of course, this is not a reason to forget about all the safety rules, but this somehow makes my soul feel better. But first things first.
I think that few people, having heard about the worsening of the epidemic situation in Ukraine, clapped their hands and shouted: “Hurrah, quarantine!”. It even took my daughter exactly a week for the euphoria to pass and she wanted to go back to school for classes. For me personally, the hardest part was in the beginning. This is not due to how the usual way of life has changed: a lack of understanding of the situation as a whole was embarrassing and uncomfortable. Most of all, I was worried about my work team and for an indefinite period of lull in activity.
How did I manage to close the salon?
The question of work was the most exciting: I am in the field of beauty, which has been shaken as much and unexpectedly as ever. At first I stopped and did nothing. I decided that since I cannot change the situation, she should not change me in a destructive direction.
One evening, pouring myself another glass of wine, I looked at the state of my hands and face, and realized that thousands of women are in a similar situation. If visitors cannot come to the salon, then the salon will come to them by itself! By mail.
In one night, our team came up with the concept of Cute Help home care sets, ordered the missing materials for packaging, and printed stickers on a home printer. And in the morning, in full gear, I arrived at work and disinfected, packed, filmed video reviews and step-by-step instructions. Each girl who received our set could contact the master at any time and get additional advice, attention and care. In fact, we have transferred the entire range of emotions that our guests receive in the salon online
My team of selfless professionals and fans of their craft has always been by my side, without whom it would hardly have been possible.
Tip: if you can’t change the situation, breathe out. Think about what you need right now and how you can get it. Of course, you can also cry, but it’s better to be surrounded by those who understand, support and help you move on.
What am I doing at home now?
To be honest, I don’t feel the lack of communication with other people: now zoom-colas, Skype communication have come into fashion, and, of course, instant messengers do not let you get bored. The daughter quickly joined the new reality of distance education, and the husband works in his office. Naturally, I paid for a bunch of online courses on self-development, business management, SMM, online sales, artistic selfies, Facebook building and even some more. I always dreamed of doing splits, so I bought all the necessary equipment for stretching and yoga. I thought that there would be more free time, but there was no such thing.
I have at my disposal an entire apartment, at the head of which is the kitchen and a huge amount of household chores. I love to cook for my family, but I couldn’t imagine that three people can eat so much and often: the most difficult thing was to get used to cooking breakfast not flowing into preparing lunch and dinner. For a while, I felt like I was in the movie Groundhog Day. In this rhythm, I lasted a month: I successfully forgot all the passwords from online courses.
Tip: Don’t run after popular trends. If everyone buys online courses, it is quite possible that you will never need them and will spend too much money. Focus on what will be not a burden, but a pleasure.
How do I deal with melancholy?
To get inspired, I looked into the surveillance cameras at the dacha and saw that hyacinths bloomed on the site, which I planted all last autumn. I realized that it would be a crime not to catch them blooming, so the next day the whole family went to admire. And that made it easier for everyone. Later, I added daily sports and outdoor walks, and my daughter became ruddy, happy and sound asleep. After I prioritized, there was enough time for absolutely everything. I am finally not in a hurry, I am not late and I enjoy time with my family.
Tip: When you’re feeling down, give yourself time to be sad. Then you need to understand the cause of a bad mood and try to eliminate it: even a short walk through beautiful places can give you a new breath. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy small pleasures.
Now the quarantine is being relaxed – and each of us is becoming a little freer. Even if the world will never be the same again, I am grateful for this time. Many people forget about the most important things for themselves during thei hectic everyday life, and I am no exception. I realized that next to my family I feel happy even during quarantine.