First off I have to thank a friend at work for the idea for this blog. We always share our tales of fitness and healthy eating and other things we’ve been up to. Today we were talking and started discussing women and our appearance – how constantly worried we are about how we look – in all sorts of situations!
I guess this kind of links into my hang ups and worries of trying out new exercises classes/hobbies too – I don’t want to look stupid. And I will never forget when me and my boyfriend first started dating and he worked in the gym – I refused to be in there when he was, he just could NOT see me sweaty! Eventually there were times I had to be in there the same time as I was working, but I used to hide in a little side room to avoid him seeing me out of breath and sweating.
Similarly whenever I liked a boy when young I could not eat in front of them, my second date with my boyfriend I picked at the food like a sparrow (very unlike me if you know me!) I was just so worried I might look stupid when eating, get some food down me or stuck in my teeth for example.
And once us ladies discover makeup, that’s it, the thought of leaving the house without makeup on makes us recoil in horror. Granted, as I’ve got older I’ve got a bit more sensible about this and do venture out sans makeup for certain things (normally going to the gym where it will sweat off anyway, or if we are driving round to my parents and I won’t see anyone else!)
It all stems from the matching underwear situation – just in case you have an accident, you get knocked down by a car, perhaps you should ensure you always leave the house in matching underwear. Because what if they need to take your clothes off? Never mind the fact you could be critically injured and really ill, oh no the issue here is that your underwear is decent!
Or what about your legs? Are they freshly shaved or waxed, or instead are you resembling a baboon, your legs home to a small forest-ful of hair? Imagine having to be taken into hospital like that??
It’s funny we’re all very strict with ourselves when it comes to our beauty regime – hair cut or colour is due, we need new clothes, our nails need doing, we need a bikini wax and so on. Yet when it comes to other more important things like our health, it seems to come second place. Think about it, how good are you at ensuring you book your smear test once you get that reminder? Or the dentist? How many reminders does it take for you to pick up the phone and get that check-up booked in?
You go to the gym, are you more concerned with your technique and getting moves right, working to your full potential, or instead self-conscious that you’re dripping with sweat or have face resembling a beetroot?
We all follow these diet plans to try and make sure we lose weight and get trim, we push and push ourselves to stick religiously to what we are and aren’t allowed. Do you ensure you get your ‘five a day’ like this? Would you religiously take vitamins to make sure you’re getting the right nutrition? No I thought not.
So why are we so hard on ourselves? What does it matter if we go out with no makeup on, or dare to wear our ‘clothes for indoors’ in the outside world? What is the worse that could happen if we were ill and had to be taken into hospital – would the doctors refuse to deal with us because our toenails weren’t painted and our armpits needed a shave?
Although I’m sure we all realise how silly this situation is that we put ourselves in every day, we all still do it.
I can be going to see my niece and nephew and I’ll still do things like make sure my nails are painted or I change my outfit and check I look okay. They are three and seven, as if they will notice my beauty regime…
Why are we so worried what other people think?
I have one of my oldest and bestest friends staying over tomorrow night, she regularly stays over when we go for nights out together and it’s great – we can have a good gossip before we go out and then a great giggle the morning after at our silly behaviour.
Yet whenever she is coming to stay I worry about the mess my flat is in and how I really must clean. She’s even said herself she doesn’t care and I should know her well enough to know that, but still I think about getting my flat spick and span.
I’ve had people from within my block of flats knock at my door unannounced before and – ashamedly – I’ve ignored the door. No, not because I don’t like them (although that recent note may change that with some), but because I’m ashamed of the state my flat is in. Or worse still I’m in my PJs without any makeup on! Nobody is seeing me like that!
Thinking back to my childhood I can even remember having blazing arguments with Mum as a teenager and her telling me to be quiet as the windows were open and the neighbours might hear!
I would say perhaps this weekend I might try and fight back against this behaviour, maybe go out for the girl’s night with no makeup…yeah right who am I kidding?!
Look, I’ll go spinning tomorrow without any makeup on, it’s a start…
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