EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: What Am I REALLY Like?? Answering YOUR Assumptions About ME!
ALSO: Feeling Pretty Is ACTUALLY Important. Here's Why.
EXCLUSIVE Video Of The Week: What Am I REALLY Like?? Answering YOUR Assumptions About ME! || Kids, High School, Judging People...
Feeling Pretty Is ACTUALLY Important. Here’s Why.
I woke up yesterday in a bad mood. It happens to all of us - there’s a reason that waking up on the wrong side of the bed is a phrase we’ve all heard. For some reason, I decided NOT to go to the gym first thing, as I usually do. Instead, I sat down at my computer to get a few things done. Before I knew it, 8:30 AM turned into 11:00 AM and 11:00 AM turned into 2:00 PM.
When I stood up from the computer to get some water, I passed a mirror in the hallway and paused.
I had stayed in my pajamas all day. I hadn’t brushed my hair out, nor had I put on any makeup. My low mood was all of a sudden reflected back to me in a mirror.
People don’t like that I sometimes equate mental health with the way we present ourselves. They don’t like that I say if you aren’t feeling your best, it’s easy not to take care of your appearance. Alternatively, they don’t like that I say if you don’t take care of your appearance, you may give off the impression that you aren’t feeling your best. They don’t like that I insist it’s important to put in the effort to do your hair and makeup, to get dressed in something pretty, and to put your best foot forward.
But when I looked in the mirror yesterday and saw myself, it became very clear why.
Feeling pretty, liking what you see when you pass a mirror - that can actively help lift you out of a bad mood. When the way I feel is reflected in the way I look, it’s difficult to shake off my emotions. It seems like destiny, in a way. I feel sad, I look sad - I must really be sad. It’s like when you are feeling down and look out the window to see a cloudy, rainy sky. That reflection can convince you to stay in your mood.
But when you’re down and look outside and see a sunny day, you can see that your mood isn’t reflective of anything in particular. You have the power to change it with a little kindness, self-reflection, and grace to your heart.
The same is true for your appearance.
When you take the time to make yourself feel beautiful, when you pass yourself in the mirror, you won’t think, “I look down, so perhaps I am down.” Instead, you’ll think, “I look and feel my best - perhaps this is a passing mood. Or perhaps I can think through what caused me to feel this way and be content again.”
Feeling pretty reminds you that your thoughts are just that - your thoughts. They aren’t inevitable and they won’t last forever. They are fleeting. Looking in the mirror and seeing the best version of you can remind you - this is me in the real world. I am not trapped in my mind - the way I feel is not reflected in the way I look. When you don’t take care of your appearance, though, it’s much easier to believe that your sad thoughts have permeated the real world. A 2012 study showed that clothing can have a distinct affect on people’s psychological processes, something called enclothed cognition. What I’m describing, then, is just a natural extension of this theory.
I encourage women to look and feel their best for many reasons, but this is as good a reason as any. The number of times I have been able to shake off a bad mood simply by applying some makeup is hard for me to count. And if the solution were always as easy as putting on a nice dress and some lipstick, how lovely would that be?
Quote of the Week:
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” - Albert Einstein
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Welcome to Classically Abby!
I'm your resident #ConservativeInfluencer, cultural commentator, opera singer, fashionista, makeup artist, and wife with a classic take on the modern world. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
Hi Abby! I would like to ask you about 50/50 relationships. Do you agree? Do you think it’s a good option? Is your relationship 50/50? Thank you! 🤍