Thanks to the so-called ‘quarantine 15’ and many of the other stressful aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown, a new survey says two in five Americans didn’t recognize themselves in the mirror at least once during the pandemic.
In fact, the non-scientific poll of 2,000 Americans revealed that 51% say the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how they feel about their bodies. Nearly that same number, 49%, admitted they don’t have the same level of confidence they once did, and 42% confessed they don’t feel “at home” in their bodies anymore.
The survey, sponsored by Massage Envy, also revealed our problems are more than just emotional: 47% said their body has been aching in “brand new and different ways” since last March, when the madness began, and 58% said their daily routine during the “new normal” has inflicted “major wear and tear” on their bodies.
Fifty percent said they feel drained by all the stress they’ve been under, while one in four says they now experience “chronic pain” from the stress.
There was a silver lining for some, however. The poll showed getting a return to normal would go a long way to getting them to feel better: 33% said getting a haircut would help restore their confidence, and 37% say a night out would do the trick, the same percentage who said a massage could make things right.
But it may take more than that. Forty percent say they think they’re going to need professional help getting their bods psychically back to their pre-pandemic self, and 33% said they’d seek mental help to restore their pre-COVID-19 mental state.