Eczema update
My eczema and overall skin condition has not been great recently. Luckily I had no weeping or infections but had very dry and minor flaking. Winter has not helped the situation; as usual, the cold dry weather and central heating have contributed to dry skin. As much as I had a good Christmas, sweets, treats and alcohol have also made things worse. Personal stresses and anxieties about many factors also have a part to play. I still do feel low and frustrated at times, especially when I look at my legs.
On a positive note, I’ve not needed to contact a GP or skin specialist for a very long time. It’s almost been a year since my last major skin flare-up happened when I had covid 19. That was the last time I had to seek medical help. I’m blessed and grateful that I’ve didn’t need to seek medical help about the flare-up.
As well as having eczema I’m also struggling with hair growth. I had to cut my hair in May 2021 and it has not grown as much as I would have liked. A few weeks ago I bought a hair, skin and nail supplement from Holland and Barrett. I thought that after taking them for some time that this would potentially help both situations. However 4 days after taking that particular brand I noticed that my face becoming blotchy and had rashes in unusual places. It turns out that I had a reaction to that particular supplement. Sadly, I didn’t read the label properly to see that it contains soya. I learnt following a past health item from Holland and Barrett that I react to soya. So after noticing this I have gone back and purchased another brand of hair, skin and nail supplement.
Anxieties and low mood in December 2021
Last month I was close to depression as I was in June 2021. Anxieties regarding the new Omicron variant was on my mind. I felt lonely and fed up following the cancelled Christmas parties and events I was meant to attend. Also, I was worried about another potential lockdown similar to December 2020, catching omicron and having to isolate. I think my anxieties and negative thinking may have contributed to eczema becoming worse as at times I felt sad and on edge. Having an eczema flare-up made me realise the impact of negative thinking.
Update following my moving forward blog posts
Following the action points I talked about in both posts (Moving forward and Moving forward update)most of these are still a working progress. I think the one which I’ve not been on top of is organising and planning in my spare time. My Christmas gift to myself was a mind and money planner. I’m using this to help me set goals, keep track of them as well as planning my time. I have already started writing and using it and have found it very useful so far. I was on annual leave over Christmas and New Year so I spent a lot of time working on my goals and what I want to achieve. This has helped me plan and think forward. I am also learning very slowly about what self-love activities I can do to help myself.
Conclusion
I am optimistic and looking forward to what is to come in 2022. Also, my future vision for Deeper Than Eczema. Earlier this week I posted a picture of me introducing myself. I am looking forward to posting more reels and working on new ideas to satisfy my audience.
Stay blessed x
Trudie