Do You Stink? Teeth Green?
Personal Hygiene 101
The first thing people notice when they see you is your appearance. Your hair, skin, clothes, and even your countenance make up a personal impression. In our society, individuality is almost paramount. Although individuality is important so you can fulfill your God-given role in life, it is not to be elevated to such a level that you become offensive to most people.
A neat, together appearance will give people the impression that you are a together person. Let me give you a clue into something mysterious: nearly every person on this planet is insecure about how they look. There are a few rare individuals who believe they are perfect and do not wonder if they look okay, but the majority of humanity struggles with insecurity. Are we talking about illusion, then? Not at all. We are talking about presenting the person you want to be to those you come in contact with. This is very, very important and will aid you the rest of your life. Create the appearance that you want that will glorify the Lord, allow people to make favorable judgments (because everyone you come in contact with will be making judgments about you by how you appear whether you like it or not -- it is not deliberate, just human nature), allow people to embrace you as a responsible, caring young person, and work for you to get you a good job, educational benefits, and a positive response wherever you go.
What makes up your appearance?
-
Countenance - This will reflect your mood, health, and spiritual level.
-
Dress - Your clothing choices, laundering skills, and ironing abilities.
-
Hair - Is your hair combed, trimmed, clean, and under control or a social statement?
-
Skin - Wash face and hands, shave and moisturize.
- Teeth - Brush and floss at least once a day
- Nails - Trimmed and clean.
- Body Odor - No one should be able to smell you, good or bad.
You have probably heard of the term Personal Hygiene since kindergarten and reviewed it again in Health class. It consists of your personal body care habits mostly. I have added dress and countenance because this is something that ADHDers oftentimes forget. Let us go into detail regarding each of the appearance categories above.
Countenance
The word countenance is first seen in Genesis when Cain presents an offering to the Lord. "But for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." According to the American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster 1828, countenance means "Air; look; aspect; appearance of the face." I envision Cain losing his peace and looking pretty mean and sullen.
I am going to share some words of wisdom: People want to be around others who make them feel good, who are cheerful, pleasant, and don't drag them down. I understand how hormones torment young people with instantly changing moods, crazy thoughts, fears about the present and future, and sometimes even obsessions. With all of this going on at the same time, you want me to appear pleasant and at peace? Well, yes. Learning when to share your emotions and when not to is part of maturity. I am not suggesting that you be fake. But how you feel at any given moment is not necessarily who you are. Sometimes learning to be pleasant takes lots of practice. Eventually, you will be more pleasant without working at it. Being pleasant is something you do for others as well as yourself.
Your health can affect your countenance. If you feel run down all the time, you are probably not going to be very Pollyanna-like. Allergies, sleep-deprivation (sleep problems are common for ADHDers), depression, anxiety, and other health issues all affect how you appear to others. Learning to check your own health, tell your parent/guardian what is going on with you, asking for help, and following daily care directions for health issues empowers YOU to manage your own health and not let your health manage you. If you have allergies most of the time, take your medication, vitamins and supplements. If you don't have anything to take, ask for healthcare. Ask your parent/guardian to take you to the doctor or take a daily over-the-counter allergy medication. Ignoring health concerns will not help you in the long-run. Learn to deal with health issues as they come up in your life.
If you are dealing with depression, anxiety, or other issues in this category, you must manage them. Research your challenge (some call them disorders) and learn how to take care of yourself. If you have been prescribed meds, take them. Keep a daily journal of how you feel, what you ate, how well you slept, and when you took your meds so you can share this with your doctor. Again, manage your health. This is just a part of life. Everyone has something that they are dealing with. It won't go away if you ignore it, self-medicate using sugar, soda, alcohol or drugs, or pretend that nothing is wrong. Stay on top of it.
Finally, how is your spiritual health? Oh, this is the hard part, I admit. Most people are starving and malnourished spiritually. Whether or not you spend time with the Lord by reading God's Word and talking to Him about your life will greatly affect your countenance. Spending time in the presence of Father God will give you a strength and peace that cannot help but change your countenance for the better. Is there a formula that you have to follow to spend time with God? Nope. I do recommend that you do it in a quiet place, but if you can read your Bible in a room full of people with the TV or radio blaring, do it.
I will share a secret that I learned. Start with a worship CD. It can be any form of worship music that you like, but it should be worship, not just music about being a Christian. Worship is focused on the Lord and who He is. Sit or lay down on your bed or the floor. Close your eyes and sing these songs to the Lord. Print out the lyrics and use them if you are visual and need that to focus. Sing the songs to the Lord and begin to open your heart to Him. If you feel like crying, go ahead and cry. Letting our emotions come out in the Lord's presence is a great way to deal with them. He will comfort you and help you feel better.
After a few songs, open your Bible. Ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes so you can understand His Word to you today. If you have no idea where to start, read the book of John, then Acts and the rest of the letters to the different New Testament churches such as Galatians, Ephesians, etc. When you get to Hebrews go very slowly. This book of the Bible tells you a lot about who Jesus is for us, His role, and how much He understands our struggles. Again, go slowly. Use a dictionary to look up words that you don't completely understand. Write down what you learn from God's Word. These notes are incredible to read through years later. I would recommend spending at least 15 minutes reading God's Word.
Okay, let's talk about prayer. Prayer is just talking to Father God about what is on your heart. Jesus gave a model in what we call the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 that is helpful for understanding what prayer is about and what it covers. It begins with worship, you telling God that He is holy and that He is God in heaven above all -- this establishes God as God in your life (Our Father, who is in heaven, Holy is Your Name). Asking God to have His way in our lives and the lives of those around us is next (Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). Asking for what you need (Give us this day our daily bread), asking forgiveness for the wrong things you have done (forgive us our debts), forgiving others for things they do to us (as we also have forgiven our debtors), and finally protecting us from temptations and evil (And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.). You can use this as a simple format every day and do just fine. Pray specifically about temptations, your needs, who has hurt you, your sins (confess them one by one each day -- the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin and God remembers it no more), and speak aloud who God is. Prayer is not complicated. It is just you talking to God. Jesus made the way for you to talk to Father God just the two of you. Do it every day and in the name of Jesus.
Spending time with the Lord, growing, learning, and sharing what is on your heart will give you a most pleasant countenance. Maybe this is what is meant by "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Romans 14:13
Dress - Making a Statement or Understated
I am going to ask some tough questions and confront some tough attitudes now. When you walk in a room, do people shake their heads? Do you enjoy being a little odd in your appearance. Nothing wrong with having your own style as long as it does not attract attention. What? Yep, you don't need to walk in a room and turn heads. You should walk into a room and bring the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ with you. When people look at you they should see Jesus, not some social statement. Does this mean that you cannot wear camo or black? Does this mean that you have to wear khaki pants, a button-up shirt and a tie? Good grief, no! Your clothes should be modest and pleasant, not detracting from your glowing countenance and sparkling personality.
Neatness counts - Neat is defined as "Very clean; free from foul or extraneous matter; free from tawdry appendages and well adjusted. Neatly is defined as "With good taste; without tawdry ornaments; nicely; handsomely." Well, neat means a little more than "not wrinkled" from these definitions. What are "tawdry ornaments"? Tawdry means "very fine and showy in colors without taste or elegance; having an excess of showy ornaments without grace." My interpretation of tawdry is too much of anything whether it be color or jewelry.
Your clothes should be clean: Your clothing should be clean, well-laundered, ironed if necessary and kept in order in your bedroom. Who is responsible for taking care of your clothes? You! Whether your parent/guardian still washes your clothes for you or you do it yourself, you are responsible for ensuring that they are clean, free from tears, holes, and stains, hung up as soon as they come from the dryer or ironed. You don't want to look as though you slept in your clothes, even if you did. Your clothes should not smell, either. Throw away anything that has a tear or stain; be sure to clear this with your parent/guardian beforehand in case they can repair or stain treat it.
Change your clothes every day: You can wear pants, especially jeans more than one day before they need washing, but change your shirt, underwear and socks every day. If you need new underwear, tell your parent/guardian. Don't have clean clothes? Well, wash them. Do your own laundry once a week on the same day each week.
Make sure your clothes match: My children love Jimmy Neutron, and I love the part where the kid is doing a little dance while chanting, "My clothes don't match! My Clothes don't match!" Remember the idea of a first impression. Clothes that don't match indicate a personality that is in disorder. Is that the impression you want to give people? Coordinate your clothes by style and color. Ask the opinion of others if you are not sure what goes together. Yes, you can even ask your parent/guardian.
Set out your clothes at night: Choose your clothes for the next day before bed each night. Lay them out or hang them from the closet door so you don't have to make clothing choices while groggy. This will also alert you if you need to wash a sport uniform or are out of clean clothes before you wake up the next day.
When you get dressed each morning, run through this short checklist:
-
Clean underwear and socks
-
Fresh shirt
-
Not wrinkled
-
Neat - not tawdry; no stains, tears or excessive wear
-
Coordinated by color and style
Hair
When God gave people hair, He did so with the idea that it compliment their looks and cover their heads. I love the variety of colors, textures and types of hair. Your hair should compliment your face and your overall appearance. It should look nice. For girls, this can be easier as they can wear their hair long or short. For guys, there are fewer choices.
Guys: Have your hair cut regularly, usually every 4 weeks if you have a medium-length cut. If you keep your hair cut very short you might need it done more often to keep your neck hair short. You can ask your parent/guardian to trim your neck hair for you if you have a pair of clippers. Inform your parent/guardian that you need a hair cut at least a week before. Do not inform your parent/guardian that you need a haircut the day before an important event.
Girls: Keep your hair trimmed or grow it long. Long hair can be easier to take care of, and can be worn back in a ponytail most of the time. If long hair is too much work and it looks messy most of the time, wear it medium length. Brush it back and put it in a ponytail. Choose a hair style that is easy to care for.
Clean Hair: Wash your hair every day or every other day unless you have really dry skin, in which case you can get away with washing it every three days. Many ADHDers have scalp issues. Dry, flaky scalps are common. Washing your hair every day helps keep this under control. Ask your parent/guardian to buy you a dandruff shampoo or one with tea tree oil. Follow the directions on the bottle. Most require that you lather and let the shampoo stay on the scalp for a few minutes before rinsing. Taking Essential Fatty Acids can often help with scalp problems. Avoiding sugar might help a lot, too, if you have problems with candida yeast overgrowth.
Brush/Comb Your Hair: Brush/Comb your hair often. Make it a habit to check your hair every time you use the restroom. Guys, keep a comb in your back pocket.
Skin
Wash your face: Skin care can be simple whether you have dry, medium or oily skin and even acne. Washing your face with a warm washcloth in the morning and at bedtime is usually all you need to do. If you have really oily skin, blot oil from your face using tissue or toilet paper when you use the restroom during the day should help control it. Do not rub skin with acne more than you need to. Using warm water and a soft washcloth is better than using special soaps, scrubbers, or drying, harsh facial cleansers. Try it for a week and see if it makes a difference. An alternative can be wiping face gently with a baby wipe in the morning and before bedtime. Change your pillowcase every few days, too.
Shaving: If you have begun shaving, do it regularly. Although a stubbly face seems cool in TV and movies, it is not in real life. It looks sloppy in real life.
Wash your hands: Washing your hands not only keeps them clean but prevents you from getting sick. Wash your hands every time you use the restroom, before handling food, and eating. If you work on cars or greasy projects, get some GoJo or similar hand cleaner and take the time to clean your hands well.
Moisturize: Use lotion on dry skin, especially in cold weather. Be sure to get plenty of lotion around your nails to keep your cuticles from splitting and looking bad. Use a lip moisturizer. Dry, cracked lips are no fun and look terrible.
Teeth
Taking good care of your teeth and gums not only affects your appearance but will determine whether you have healthy or unhealthy teeth and gums now and in the future. Do you want to have your own teeth when you are older? Take care of them now. Teeth yellow? Brush them twice a day.
Brush 2 Times a Day: Brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time. Brush your teeth and gums. Do a good job. The only person you are cheating if you skimp on brushing is you. You will pay with pain and suffering and your parents or you will pay with dollars years later if you don't take the time to brush properly. Get a new toothbrush regularly.
Floss every night: Floss your teeth before bed each night. In our house, we all floss while watching TV at night. Throw away that used floss, please. Brush your teeth after you floss.
Brush your tongue: If you have a coated tongue, brush it when you brush your teeth. They make tongue scrapers you can buy as well. Bad breath can be caused by that coated tongue, so keep it clean.
Nails
Keep them short: Trim your fingernails and toenails once a week. Sunday morning before church might be a good time to schedule in this task. After your shower, clip your nails right in the bathroom. Please throw the clippings in the trash. Keep a pair of clippers in the bathroom so you have them anytime you need them.
Keep them clean: If you keep your nails short, they should stay cleaner. If you work on cars, do gardening or have animals, you will need to scrub your nails when you wash them. Keep a nail scrubber near the sink where you wash your hands. Get in the habit of checking your nails before you go out, before school, before church or even shopping.
Moisturize: Use lotion on your nails rubbing it in every day.
Girls: If you use nail polish, remove the nail polish as soon as it begins to chip. If you cannot keep up with your nails, just keep them plain or use clear nail polish. Chipped, half painted fingernails look really sloppy.
Do You Stink?
Shower Every Day: It will be necessary to take a daily shower. No way around this, guys. You can try to get away with showering every other day, but you will feel grungy near the end of the second day and not smell clean. Decide when you will take your daily shower. Morning is a good choice if you are really groggy in the mornings. It will help wake you up. Evening might be best for you if you are involved in sports. It is up to you. Just do it every day.
Use soap: Seems obvious, I know, but I just want to make sure you wash every inch of your body with soap when you shower. Use the mildest soap you can get away with. Using a washcloth helps slough off dead skin cells and gives you a nice fresh glow. Be gentle, though, especially if you have acne. Don't scrub unless you are covered in dirt.
Use deodorant: You must use deodorant every day. Put it on right after you put your shirt on or, if you tend to forget, as soon as you get out of the shower. If you showered the night before, put deodorant on again in the morning as you dress. Put the deodorant out with your clothes the night before. Do you tend to forget to put on deodorant. Keep deodorant in the car or your backpack so you can apply it on the go should you forget at home.
Avoid Perfumes or Colognes: Too many people are allergic or sensitive to fragrances. Just don't use them unless you use a very light application. No one should smell your perfume or cologne when you walk in a room.
Well, that's Personal Hygiene 101. You will need to create a daily routine if you are planning to succeed in presenting a together look. You will need to learn new habits which take from 6 to 8 weeks. Be patient. Your hard work will pay off as eventually all of this becomes habit and little effort at all each day. If you have trouble retaining routines, keep a Personal Hygiene Checklist taped to the back of your bathroom door or inside the medicine cabinet. Refer to it often.
Personal Hygiene Checklist
©Copyright 2006 by ADHD of the
Christian Kind.
| 
