Maintaining good personal hygiene is essential to having good health and protecting our overall well-being. Personal hygiene habits such as washing or bathing, brushing and flossing of teeth, and washing of hands after using the toilet are beneficial to the overall body system as it helps prevent undue spread of diseases, illness and infections. Meanwhile, there is no gainsaying that the human body such as the skin and other vital areas of the human body like the teeth and some openings around the body, if not well taken care of, can become a hiding place for germs and parasites and can be detrimental to human health.
Having good personal hygiene through proper maintenance of the body is also very important in promoting our mental health. For instance, unlike someone battling with body odour, when you practice good body hygiene, it makes one feel good about oneself thereby giving the necessary confidence to go about normal daily activities. Self-care activities such as bathing, dressing and using the toilet are considered activities of daily living (ADLs), while laundry is considered an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL). Maintaining a good personal or body hygiene can include the following: Bathing regularly by washing the body with clean water and soap, and also shampooing the hair often or at regular intervals. When one washes or bathes regularly, it keeps the body free of diseases and germs.
Wear hygienic clothes: to maintain good personal hygiene, it is important to keep clothes clean at all times while bearing in mind that dirt and bacteria can build up on clothes if they are not well taken care of. Endeavour to wash and change clothes regularly and make it a part of personal hygiene routine. Brush and floss: Try as much as possible to brush the teeth at least twice a day and floss daily. While brushing daily, it helps to reduce the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth that are likely to cause tooth decay and gum disease, as brushing daily would keep the gum and teeth healthy. Also, visiting the dentist at least every six months for checkups and cleanings would help to maintain good health and ward off germs and infections. Always remember to store the brush in a clean and dry place as well as change brush at least every three months.
Trim your nails: Keeping the fingers and toenails trimmed and in good shape would prevent problems such as hang nails and infected nail beds. Washing of hands is very essential because as we go about our daily activities, we tend to touch a lot of surfaces or things knowingly or unknowingly hence, the need to always wash our hands at any given opportunity before cooking or eating, after sneezing or coughing, and after using the toilet. If there is no hand washing facilities, we can try to always keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. However, having a sanitizer should not be limited to a particular season but we can make it a part of our daily hygiene needs.
Sleep tight: This is also essential for our body system. It is recommended that we have at least eight to 10 hours of sleep every night so that we can feel refreshed and be ready to carry out our daily activities. It is important to know that poor personal hygiene habits can attract some side effects like body odour and greasy skin, which could either be minor or pose great threat to the body system and to people around you. For instance, Healthline.com states that if you do not wash your hands frequently, you can easily transfer germs and bacteria to the mouth or eyes, which can lead to any number of issues, from stomach viruses to pink eyes. Also, failure to brush your teeth regularly can lead to teeth issues and plaque buildup while poor dental care is also a risk factor for several serious health issues, including heart disease.
When we do not practice good personal hygiene, those around us would also be at risk of getting infected with the germs or disease that one may have been exposed to. Also, poor personal hygiene can affect appearance and make one feel inferior. Meanwhile, Healthline.com suggests the following steps or strategies that might be helpful in creating a personal hygiene routine: Set reminders: If one cannot remember to do things like shower, washing hair, clipping nails, or brushing teeth, it is appropriate to set a reminder on the phone. The cue would push one to the activity and over time. Practice makes perfect for it takes time to learn a new habit. Starting with a new habit at the beginning of the week and make it a priority. Finally, always remember that personal hygiene does not have to be difficult because having a good personal hygiene routine in place quickly becomes a habit.
