Personal Hygiene and its Purpose

Man is concerned with his personal hygiene for so many reasons.  These are for physical reasons, psychological, social or emotional, and health reasons. Whatever man’s reason for being conscious with his or her body, practicing good personal hygiene is essentially good for the benefit of everyone and the environment.

The physical aspect of personal hygiene is the basic concern of man. A person does not want to appear untidy and smell bad. He always wants to look pleasing to the people around him.  A person who does not have an attractive face will look pleasant to others if he is neat and clean. A woman, most especially, is very much conscious with her hygiene needs and practices because it is her way of making herself more attractive to the opposite sex. The physical aspect primarily starts at a younger age.  A child can be trained how to practice good grooming by teaching him how to comb his or her hair, brush teeth every after meal and wear clean clothes all the time. Until such time that the child will turn into an adult and the habit of practicing good hygiene will always remain in him.

The psychological aspect is what a person thinks and the mental effect of having proper hygiene.  A person who has a good hygiene seems to be very much productive.  He can think very well because nothing bothers in his mind.  Things do run smoothly for him.  Unlike a person who does not practice proper hygiene, a lot of things may bother him.  There is this thinking that his officemates and other persons surrounding him will backbite him because he smells bad and looks very untidy.   Therefore, he cannot concentrate on his job properly, thus, becoming unproductive.  As they say, first impressions last – through good hygiene, a person can always be well presented and gives good feedback to everyone.

The social aspect is the effect towards other persons.  A person who is neat and tidy will gain so much praises from others.  The people are not hesitant to go near him. They will respect him and will not say negative words against his physical appearance.  It is therefore, very necessary for parents to teach their children good grooming and proper hygiene at an early age.  An advantage of this is, they could keep away their children from being bullied by their classmates in school. And when the kids grow up, they will not have a hard time practicing good hygiene because it will already come naturally for them.  A person always wants to project a good body image because it also reflects his personality.  And he does not want to create a negative image on himself towards others.  

The emotional aspect of proper hygiene greatly affects a person’s feelings.  If he is physically clean and secure, a person will gain self-confidence and self-esteem.  He will be proud of himself and will not be ashamed to approach or go near other people.  He will live a happy life and free from insecurities towards other people around him.

Lastly, is for health reasons. A person takes good care of his body in order to be free from sickness or illnesses. He does not want himself to be easily contaminated with diseases.  Hospital fees nowadays can really loosen our pockets. That is why being conscious with one’s health is always a necessity.  When you are exposed to strangers, it is advisable to be strict with your personal hygiene because you are not certain if those strangers are healthy or not and your health might be at risk.  Always remember to wash your hands before eating and even after touching any object that is exposed to dirt or after doing a hand shake. In this way, you can prevent yourself from spreading germs all over your body and avoid getting sick.

A person who practices proper hygiene will live a happy and contented life.  He could make his life worth living and full of enjoyment.  He can set as a good example on how to make the world a better place to live for everyone.  He just had to influence others, and he can start it with his family, friends and relatives.