Having trouble getting and/or staying motivated in your makeup classes? QC Makeup Academy graduate and Student Ambassador, Luzaan de Bruyn, is here to help! Luzaan is the proud founder of Beauty by Luzaan and specializes in traditional, SFX, and airbrush makeup.
Let’s face it: things have felt way more challenging than normal ever since the pandemic began.
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how we interact with others and go about our lives. For many of us, our jobs and education are just some of the aspects of our lives that have had to undergo major change. For these reasons, the topic of mental health has been more important than ever over the past year.
After all, combining such high levels of stress with so much uncertainty is guaranteed to have a significant and wide-reaching impact on one’s mental wellbeing.
Perhaps you’ve found yourself struggling with your mental health since the pandemic began. Maybe you’ve always battled mental health issues. Either way, I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with you. Human beings aren’t programmed to feel ‘happy’ or ‘normal’ all of the time. It’s okay to not be okay sometimes.
Life can be a struggle on the best of days. Throw in a worldwide pandemic, and it’s completely understandable that you might feel sad, distressed, worried, confused, anxious, and demotivated right now.
My point is, everyone reacts differently to difficult situations – and that is COMPLETELY normal!
Why You Might Be Struggling to Stay Motivated in Your Makeup Classes
If you’re currently enrolled in professional makeup classes, you might have noticed over the last year that it’s getting harder for you to feel motivated. It might feel even harder for you to stay motivated.
The good news is, this isn’t a reflection of you. It’s not that you’re doing something wrong. The vast majority of people – from all walks of life, in all types of professions – have been feeling the same way lately.
Here are just a few reasons why we’ve all been struggling with motivation over the last year:
- Your life was drastically turned upside-down without any warning.
- Social distancing and extreme isolation, while necessary, are things that none of us were ever prepared for or used to.
- A pandemic as large as the COVID-19 crisis has caused a sense of fear – not just for ourselves, but for our family and friends, too.
Losing My Own Motivation
I’ll get real with you… I have a heap of mental health illnesses and I’ve struggled more with them since this pandemic started. The pandemic forced me to lose control over my ability to see family and friends. Furthermore, it hindered my ability to book clients for my makeup business.
As a result, all of this has taken a toll on my mental health. My anxiety and depression have been particularly affected. I’ve had assignments to do in my makeup classes, with no one to do them on. Not to mention, my children were suddenly home all of the time, which meant more of my attention was needed on them.
All in all, I got terribly demotivated. I felt emotionally drained and incredibly stressed out. I was constantly worrying about everyone’s health. Very quickly, I found myself sitting on the couch and binging movies all the time. I wasn’t even looking at my makeup classes at that point.
3 Tips for Staying Motivated in Your Makeup Classes
While I still have days where I struggle to find motivation, I have discovered a few key tips that have helped me over the last year. Hopefully these tips will help you get back into the groove, too!
1 – Remind yourself why you care!
The same drive and purpose you’ve always had are still inside you, even if your makeup classes don’t feel as important to you right now.
First, think about your ‘why’. Why are you taking makeup classes? Why do you want to be a professional makeup artist? And why do you care about getting this certification?
Think about your dream career and how the makeup classes you’re taking NOW will help you progress towards this goal. Now imagine yourself two months from now…
Scenario #1
In the first scenario, two months has passed and you haven’t once logged into any of your makeup classes. You haven’t read one text booklet or watched one instructional video. Needless to say, you certainly haven’t completed any assignments.
- Does this course of action line up with your ‘why’?
- How do you imagine you would feel about yourself in this scenario?
- Would you be satisfied with your progress?
- How would it feel to not have progressed at all in your makeup classes?
Scenario #2
In the second scenario, you have been actively making time for your makeup classes. You’ve been forcing yourself to keep up with your practicing and your assignments. Even when it feels difficult, you have a set schedule that you always try your best to follow. You work on your makeup classes and assignments – maybe not every single day, but as much as your mental health will allow.
- Does this course of action line up with your ‘why’?
- How do you feel about yourself in this scenario?
- Would you be satisfied with your progress?
- How would it feel to know that you’re that much closer to getting your professional certification?
Spend time reflecting on how you feel in the second scenario. Do you feel proud? In control? Relieved? If you find yourself demotivated, come back to this tip and think about this again.
2 – Set small daily goals!
Goals give us direction. The best goals are concrete and achievable. Aim for 5 daily To-Dos.
Start writing a list of things you want to accomplish. Here are some questions to keep in mind:
- What tasks are essential for your makeup classes?
- Which tasks can you break down into smaller, more easily-manageable tasks?
- Which aspects of your makeup classes make you feel good?
- Can you find a way to make the most of these particular aspects each day?
- How will you unplug and relax?
Once you’ve finished writing out your list, perhaps you’ll find that it’s still a bit too big. That’s okay, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed. Instead, just break down this list and make it even smaller!
- Pick no more than 5 things you want to focus on each day.
- Make sure that at least one of these goals is personal and not for your makeup classes.
- If any tasks are too big and can’t be done within a couple of hours, break them down into one or two steps and only focus on those specific steps.
- If you only get 4 out of 5 goals accomplished, celebrate anyway! You will feel more productive and motivated than you did last week.
- Each night before bed, adjust your list for the next day. This way, you’ll wake up with a game plan!
3 – Pair the work you do in your makeup classes with something fun and interesting!
Sometimes, the thing you HAVE to do just don’t feel like much fun… but there might be ways for you to make them slightly more interesting!
- Set a scene for your makeup classes and your assignments! Pick a comfy spot, light some candles, grab a glass of wine (or whatever your drink of choice is), and create a playlist of favorite songs. This way, work won’t feel like work!
- Prepare a special treat that you’ll only get to have while working on your makeup classes! This will create a positive correlation between your training and indulging on this delicious treat. Soon, you’ll find yourself eager and excited for study time.
- Have a virtual call with a friend or fellow student while practicing your assignments! Sometimes, the best way to get motivated is to have someone else cheering you on.
These 3 tips are ones that I’ve tried and tested. They’ve helped fuel me immensely! I’ve always been known to get demotivated quickly, even before COVID-19. These are my go-to ways to get myself back into my makeup classes quickly and efficiently.
Perks of QC’s Online Makeup Classes
When it comes to reputable makeup classes, QC Makeup Academy’s online school is the best of the best. Based on my experience as both a student and a graduate, here are my Top 2 reasons why you should pursue your professional makeup training with QC!
Pro #1: Convenience and Comfortability
A major benefit of online makeup classes is the convenience of it all. As a student of QC Makeup Academy, you can log into your courses and work on them whenever YOU see fit. Since there’s no physical classroom you need to attend, all you need is a good Wi-Fi connection and you’re good to go!
You can do your course from quite literally anywhere in the world. During the pandemic, having the option to get professionally trained right in the comfort of your own home is a pretty rare luxury. It’s definitely a perk you wouldn’t be able to find in any brick-and-mortar school!
Pro #2: Availability and Affordability
With online makeup classes, the opportunities available to students are limitless! Since you can attend QC Makeup Academy right from your living room, you can save on commuting and student housing costs. An added bonus about virtual learning is the flexibility of studying remotely. You might not realize it, but by completing all of your makeup training via an online school, you’re gaining valuable skills that’ll serve you well in the real-world.
Unlike with brick-and-mortar learning, online schooling uniquely prepares you for a professional marketplace where remote options are commonplace. As the COVID-19 pandemic pushes students to alternative education routes, online makeup classes ease the financial burden of traditional college – while still giving you the same high-quality education!
Having our lives turned upside-down in such a short time does NOT mean that we have to give up on our dreams of becoming professional makeup artists! QC Makeup Academy makes makeup classes possible, even when stuck in isolation and socially distancing.
Now I’d like to know: how has COVID-19 affected your learning experience and career dreams? Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
Comment below, as we would love to hear them! And don’t forget to join QC Makeup Academy’s Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Once in there, come find me and say hi! I love connecting and will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you for reading. Lots of love to you all! 🙂
Wonderful tips to help us stay motivated! I have dealt with anxiety and depression for 11 years. The pandemic only made it worse. Watching the webinars and coming us with a theme to your look is a super fun way to get motivation going.
Now that’s motivating! Fantastic article!
Right??? Luzaan’s motivation game is seriously on point! We appreciate you taking the time to read this article and we’re glad you found it so helpful. 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team