Anyone who knows me knows a big part of my self-care is my nails. Specifically, having them painted, shellac-ed, acrylic-ed, or SNS-ed at all times. Very few people have ever seen my “naked” nails, save my nail techs and the occasional anaesthetist who has made me take the coating off before surgery (which I, without fail, protest and secretly resent them for).

COVID Lockdown and My “Naked” Nails

So for me, COVID, lockdown, Stage 4 restrictions, and all of the hundreds of ways day-to-day life changed during that insane time, oddly, all came to be reflected and amplified by the fact that I was walking around in the 2020 uniform of trackpants, ugg boots, a nice top (that looks good on Zoom calls), and totally, buck-naked nails.

And it bugged me.

Why My Nails Matter

Look, I love the uggs (I was sad to say goodbye to them when we went back to the office, actually), but I just didn’t feel quite like myself without the pop of color on the end of my nails flashing up at me as I typed this.

I realize this was not earth-shattering stuff, I really do, but that was part of the problem. I had totally deprioritized this aspect of my life because there was just so much ELSE. The big things were all getting in the way because this was such a seemingly small thing.

My Nails Are My ONE Thing

BUT, here’s the thing. My nails are my ONE thing. That one thing that I don’t NEED to do. That I don’t HAVE to do. It’s the one thing I do that’s totally for me. Not for friends or family, not for clients, not for staff, not for my business, and certainly not for any sensible, practical reason—it’s just for me and just because I like it.

Reclaiming My Self-Care During Lockdown

So instead of beating myself up for feeling vain and selfish and shallow (which of course I spent some time doing), I decided to put my money where my self-care SPARKS-spouting mouth is and invest in a nail system that kept me in fuchsias, teals, and vermilions long after that bloody pandemic was over.

And you know what? It totally helped.

So simple, so seemingly silly really, but I didn’t care. It feels like I grabbed just a smidgen of normality back in my (slightly dodgily done) manicured hands.

What’s Your ONE Thing?

So, my question to you is, (now typed with my suitably titled “Fearless” nails): What’s your ONE thing? What’s the ONE thing that you commit to maintaining no matter what life throws your way?

Find that one thing and then make it happen!

It will totally be worth it!

Danielle Graber
Clinical Psychologist & Director | 12 Points Psychology