2016 Oct 2
by Azraa Killru
Hitting the snooze button on your alarm, waking up panicked because you’re running late for work, a quick brush and shutting off the faucet because you know a bath is only going to delay you even more. You hastily get dressed, skip breakfast and flee from home, groaning, as you hit the early morning traffic. Sounds somewhat like the morning routine you are used to? Many are guilty of this too.
Being busy is the norm; so busy chasing money, socializing, working out and entertaining ourselves, that basic hygiene has slipped from the minds of many.
What is happening?
- Brushing
Trained from early childhood, how to brush and floss all those teeth meticulously to maintain it pearly white, and to scrub your tongue even if you have a gag reflex because you were told how important it was to prevent mouth odour. In haste, people try to compress the time taken for this two minute task, avoiding a proper brush, floss and tongue scrub!
Bacteria growing out of control in your mouth as a cause of poor oral hygiene welcomes gum disease and tooth decay. Without proper brushing and flossing, it’s not possible to keep those bacteria out of your way (or mouth).
- Bathing
It’s a fact that many opt for extra minutes in bed over an early morning bath. Just wash your face and get dressed, discarding the necessity of a bathing ritual to feel rejuvenated and fresh as you begin your day. Not only are you giving up on your chance to naturally smell fresh and look good, but you’re also losing out on all other health benefits. Yes, bathing gives you plenty of advantages including:
- Perspiration odor will be reduced, removing toxins as well as bacteria and viruses.
- Reduces stress and tension on overstretched muscles
- Improves lung function due to an automatic reflex action setting in causing you to breathe deeply, increasing oxygen intake
- Clean hair is necessary to avoid dandruff, headlice, oily or dried hair, and because it sets the tone for your overall appearance.
- Clothing
Some pieces of clothing too clean for the laundry and too dirty for the wardrobe find refuge in a corner of your room. Sometimes the designated furniture is notoriously called “The Chair” or your typical clothes rack. Whatever it is, many have the habit of pulling something off it to get dressed in. Some items of clothing can be worn a couple of times without being washed in between, but most are not. Even if you don’t smell putting it on, the clothe definitely will. Perfume is not a quick fix.
- Unwanted hair and pits
Let’s be honest. It’s an ordeal to get yourself through but you have to do it somehow, unless you want to smell like a rotten fish and make everyone around you throw up, especially if you are sweating in torrents and have been jammed in an enclosed place like a crowded bus or lift. Anti-perspirant deodorant is a must to keep those awful bacteria away because they are the culprits that lead to foul odour. It’s a social crime when you mingle among other people without getting the necessary shaving, waxing or cleansing done adequately.
- Home hygiene
Besides personal hygiene, people overloaded with work and other commitments are also guilty of not attending to the necessary chores at home. There is a clear and vast difference between an untidy home and an unclean one. A messy place is way better than unhygienic ones as it is a real threat to health. Areas such as the kitchen, bathrooms, gardens and backyards require frequent cleaning and putting these off is not the best idea. Food containers, cupboards and especially the refrigerator should be cleaned often and expired food should be immediately thrown away lest it infect the other edibles.
- Meals
Okay, so we know the trend to eating healthy and organic food is on a rise. Diets, detox and exercise are common topics you Google about often, but how many of us actually consume meals prepared in unhygienic ways without even sparing a minute to think about it? For example, grabbing some breakfast from a tuck shop near your workplace or as you pass by on a street corner because you didn’t have enough time to prepare breakfast or have it at home; a quick take out for dinner because you are extremely caught up chomping on some files in your laptop, not thinking of the cooking standards at restaurants; pans and utensils used without washing and unclean cooking spaces. That’s just to name a few.
If you find none of the above has been on your priority list, then it is time for a reshuffle. Being too busy to deal with necessary business is foolishness taken to a whole new level. It brings us to contemplate on why exactly people are so busy and neglect basic hygiene. Discovering the “time is money” concept has been drilled into people’s brains, and it is not so shocking to learn why one would prefer to substitute leisure hours for more work. When they are paid better, rationally it makes more sense to work longer and earn more. Any hours spent off work infuses one with anxiety and to feel like you are wasting time not being productive. It completely obscures the purpose of leisure time.
In a way, being hurried and harried, with tons of work to get done, is synonymous with success, prosperity and growth in today’s world – both personal and career. So many tasks to squeeze into 24 hours, no wonder people have begun to drop off important things off their plate – such as hygiene. What a total disillusionment!
