It was announced this week that face coverings will be mandatory statewide in Washington. There are exceptions for children under two years of age and those with a medical condition making it difficult to wear a mask, but for the rest of us, they’re expected. Masks must be worn indoors, in public settings, and outdoors if you are going to be more than 6 feet away from others. Just as we are seeing in other states like Arizona, Texas and Florida, once Washington started opening back up a bit our cases of COVID-19 began to creep up again. This mask law (yes I saw law since failure to comply is a misdemeanor) is one measure being taken to get those numbers to stop growing.
I have been commuting to my office since the end of April. This means I have over two months as an experienced mask-wearer. The company I work for takes safety very seriously. There is zero tolerance for us not abiding by the rules such as wearing a mask. I won’t lie, it’s not the greatest. It’s hot and stuffy and just weird in general. But the reality is it’s our new norm for the time being.
Here are some tips of how to make mask wearing a bit more bearable:
Take breaks- Huge shout out to those who have to wear a mask for their entire work shift. Often this means you are also wearing other gear like safety glasses, or a uniform that gets hot. I have only worn mine for about 3 hours straight without a break and it was honestly pretty miserable. Be sure to take a few minutes whenever possible to safely remove that mask and give your face a break.
Stay hydrated/don’t forget to eat- My first week on site having to wear a mask, I basically just didn’t eat while at work. I felt too nervous removing the mask to eat or drink because the new norm was just unsettling. This is a bad idea. Don’t be afraid to remove your mask to be taking sips of water throughout the day! Ensure you are taking breaks to wash your hands and eat as well. The mask along with not drinking/eating is a guaranteed way to feel sick in no time.
Practice makes perfect– Ok not really because it still won’t be easy to wear the mask for long periods of time. But I highly recommend practicing in order to build up your mask stamina. This is particularly important for children. Give them time at home to get used to not only breathing with it on but also how to move around without touching the mask every 3 seconds.
Get smart on storing your mask– Be cautious where you set your mask during breaks and where you store it. Having paper towels ready to set your mask on and a paper bag to store it in (because plastic and other like materials are not recommended). This will ensure your break from the mask doesn’t cause additional anxiety over additional germs getting on it.
Have a variety– I wear a mask every single day. I try to do laundry every day as well but I know that is not always a reality so I have back up masks just in case. Check out the CDC guidance on how to wash your mask. Here is an awesome mask round up with styles you might actually enjoy wearing!
Think of all the benefits- Beyond the possible health benefits, you don’t have to worry about things like covering blemishes occurring on most areas of your face. It also means no need for lip stick and maybe no face make-up either! Throw on some mascara and you are good to go!
Have mints on hand- Nobody else will know if you had onion on your salad but you might be able to with your breath circulating around the mask. I highly recommend Listerine dissolving strips or mints to help aid in this.
Do you have any helpful mask tips? We’d love to hear!
Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
