Snarkattack

So, did any of this actually work to help my initial ailment? My mother noticed that I seemed more peaceful, and less anxious. Friends goggled their eyes at my new-found obsession with bath products and at my cheerier disposition. Lovers enjoyed the smoothness of my skin (permit me that one sentence of too much information).

Without a doubt, my weekly bath helped me in several ways. As well as appearing happier and more positive, I also noticed that I engaged in a lot less self-destructive behaviour and thought. I grew more comfortable with my body, and that was no mean feat (if one considers that it physically sickened me to accidentally glimpse my naked reflection in the past, moving towards being comfortable with my body is a massive step forward).

It really was like those bloody Joycean epiphanies in Dubliners; what had taken me so long to realise that it’s fine to sometimes take a break, or spoil oneself? It’s incredibly sad to think that there are so many people, denying themselves this very pleasure! I suspect it has something to do with productivity, in both personal and professional aspects of a person’s life: if you’re not shown to be constantly working your arse off, then you’re lazy, or simply not trying hard enough.

So let me finish by reiterating: stop making excuses to treat yourself on occasion. There is nothing wrong with pampering or spoiling yourself. In fact, you’re not just doing yourself a favour, but one to those who have to spend a lot of time around you. So do try having a good soak. Who cares about the ugly ring around the tub afterwards? It’ll come off! If you don’t have a tub, ask a relative or close friend if it’s okay to use theirs from time to time. Take it from me: pushing yourself for long periods will just cause you to crash and burn. I’ve had enough breakdowns to tell you confidently that that story is old, and inconvenient, and skanky as hell if self-neglect persists for long enough. They’re so twentieth-century, ugh.

Don’t fancy soaking in a tub of clear water? Oh, don’t worry, I plan to help out in regards to that. After all, I’ve had a good 3-4 years of testing out glorious bath products, and you can bet I’ve plenty to say about them.

This article first appeared on Blogcritics at http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/21/020624.php viewable here.