Barely two weeks into lockdown, my focused and responsible self disappeared and was replaced by an impulsive, procrastinating substitute. 

With empty hours threatening my usually busy schedule, I began spending my time doing random things, the most drastic of which being cutting my own hair.

The first red flag in this story is that I don’t have controllable, straight, thin hair. In fact, it's the complete opposite. The mat of curly tangles on my head is not the kind that can be brushed, tied up or braided easily. It’s more like a rat’s nest . 

Thus, I decided that in order for cutting my hair to be possible, I would have to do it while my hair was wet. 

Here, I encountered the next red flag. Curly hair, after cut, dries to be about two inches shorter than it initially seems to be. On top of that, if one makes the mistake of cutting it too short, it curls upward, poofing up and resembling a shape not too far off from a mushroom. 

Despite being aware of this critical component, my irresponsible self decided it was worth it  — anything to keep me occupied.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I snipped off my luscious locks, watching my hair disappear until I was satisfied with my new shoulder length hair. It wasn’t bad; I was actually fairly content with it … until it dried. 

Naturally, my curly hair ended up two inches shorter than it was when it was wet. It definitely wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but it wasn’t a complete disaster, and that alone was better than what I had hoped for. 

As I write this, I can confidently say that I do not regret my decision, as the hours of entertainment I got from cutting my own hair outweighed the somewhat unsatisfactory result. And since no one’s going to see me for the foreseeable future while we’re in lockdown, there’s no harm done. 

So, yes, I would actually recommend trying cutting your own hair, especially if you’re not too self-critical. Quarantines are chances for personal growth.

Change up something in your life, even if it's as trivial as your hair length. Maybe do something even more crazy: Dye your hair, shave your eyebrows or maybe even pierce your ears (OK, don’t go overboard because hospitals are already strained, and you don’t want to add to the load). Do something out of the ordinary — even if you regret it, no one will know anyway.