beauty makes us happy

story by | susan mathison, md

Beauty is really important to me. That’s the truth. I love art, design, gardens, purses and make-up [even though it melts away during my busy day and I have no time for a touch up]. And of course, I love beautiful faces. I see them every day, from smooth, sweet-smelling babies, to tired [but happy] moms, to softly wrinkled grannies. Each face has a story. Each face exhibits unique outer features, but radiates with the special glow that can only come from inner beauty.

It is so easy to witness this beauty in others, but why is it so hard to see it in ourselves? And thus, we all have a few props to help get past our self-critical mirrors. Each woman makes choices…a nice pair of earrings, a great cut and color, favorite jeans that make your butt look cute, the perfect lipstick, an organic moisturizer. Why is it that we feel guilty about wanting to feel beautiful? Is it frivolous, vain, shallow and selfish to feel good about ourselves? Is it worth it to put time and energy into beauty? Are we selling out unless we go gray and age naturally?

Gotta Have It

I would argue that beauty is necessary, and that it is yours to define. We seek to feel beautiful and comfortable in our own skin. Yet we apologize for the happiness we get from simple pleasures, sheepishly admitting to a pedicure when it’s not sandal weather. But here’s the thing, our beauty rituals are actually a valuable form of self-care, defined by Michelle Segar, PhD, as “any activity that nurtures and restores.” She goes on to say, “Taking time for self-care—whether that means booking a massage or taking a walk—is critical to our well being, yet women don’t do it nearly enough. Mostly because we’re so busy taking care of everyone else.” She is quick to point out, “Your beauty routine won’t work as true self-care if you’re following it only as a result of societal pressures about how you should look.”

Beauty is important in our environment as well. We know the power of architecture to transform cities, of gardens to feed spirits as well as bellies, of art to inspire us, and of a clean closet to give us clarity and peace. We may roll our eyes at Martha Stewart’s perfect home, but secretly we wish our holiday table looked like hers. We are grateful for a simple bouquet of flowers to brighten the mood. Somehow creating beauty in our environment and appreciating its’ presence in everyday life, makes us feel more beautiful. And for some reason, we aren’t judgmental in a negative way towards the woman who has the house that she has transformed into a showcase [unless it’s Martha!] though