What are you really doing at home when no one is seeing? -

Вопрос: Как построить экологичное будущее [часть 2]

“What if someone sees me now?” – I often ask myself this question, being alone and walking around the apartment in shabby sweatpants in the hope that I will not have to open the door to the courier. We prefer not to talk too much about our secret little secrets, thinking that we are the only ones who alone can eat a whole pack of chips. And who does strange things while no one is watching (everyone else, of course, is learning Chinese and meditating): “I’m the only one who has such strange habits, right?”

No, actually. If we could look into the homes of our users around the world, we would see amazing things. Fortunately, a lot of users talked about their habits themselves, so now I don’t seem so strange to myself. I think you, too, will stop thinking that way.

Karen bofinger

We asked users from seven countries – UK, USA, Australia, Russia, Italy, Japan and Germany – to share what they do when they are alone. It turned out that habits are the same all over the world, and they can be divided into five main categories. Which one do you fall under?

1. Talking to animals and flowers
Many users admitted that alone they begin to talk with pets. “I chat with my dogs all day when I’m alone. They don’t answer, but they are great at listening, ”says our US user jwbarone. And this is not the only person who is looking for communication with unusual interlocutors. Many users, such as, for example, Laura Baupert from Australia, admit to talking to themselves, and some even ask their houseplants for advice. (By the way, often cacti, like dogs and cats, have their own names).

Why do we talk to animals, although we know that they cannot answer us? “Many animals are social creatures, just like humans,” explains Sandra Schmitt, a psychologist based in Berlin. “When we tell four-legged friends about our problems, they show affection, and we feel understood.”

But there is another reason – such conversations cheer up. Schmidt believes that it helps us think out loud. “This makes it easier for us to organize our thoughts,” she says. This means that talking with yourself, with animals and plants is not only harmful, but also useful! So keep talking with your fish!

Karen bofinger

2. Forgetting good manners
“I drink milk from a bag and bite off the cheese from a large piece, not cut it into slices,” admits Arkady Yaparov. Our users from all over the world assure that Arkady is not the only one who does this. Lucie42 from France eats Nutella from a can, and ice cream straight from the bucket, staying in his pajamas all weekend.

Our American user, Cocoanlace, has a very unusual outfit and the same amazing gastronomic addiction: “I usually go naked and eat chips with salsa for dinner.”

Finally, we must pay tribute to Barbara from Australia, who decided to do everything that was forbidden to her as a child. “I don’t have to wait for my husband to turn away to lick the plate, because we both do that! I believe that not licking the plate is to offend the cook. At least this is the argument I make to justify myself. “

Karen bofinger

An interesting question is why our world is built on decency, which we observe, being in sight, and which we give up when left alone? “It’s only natural that we want to walk in comfortable clothes after a hard day, and eat as and what we want,” says Schmidt. “We need moments when we can be ourselves, especially if during the day we behaved as expected of us.”

She adds that often we put pressure on ourselves, succumbing to the demands that we think others are showing to us. When we manage to evade such demands, we feel better.

It is important to understand that even the most collected among us have our own secret habits: “I almost never relax. Left at home alone, I devote my time to study, reading, research, – writes Erica Banasco from Italy. “But naturally, I do all this in my pajamas!”

Karen bofinger

3. Exhibiting strange eating behavior
Eating a whole bucket of ice cream, destroying a packet of chips, or licking a plate amusingly many of our secret food habits. However, we are not talking about luxurious five-course dinners, but on the contrary, about simple and spontaneous desires. “I bake cake cakes,” writes nikavt. – No filling, just cakes. Some I keep simple, others I sprinkle with cheese, and others I spread with raspberry jam. “

We all want something tasty, no matter how we eat in everyday life. Nutrition is very closely related to well-being. Our childhood memories can be associated with food. She can bring joy. And sometimes we eat something alone out of respect for others. Junko Kawakami from Japan secretly eats a Japanese delicacy that doesn’t look the most delicious: “I love natto (fermented soybeans), but my husband hates them, so I do it while no one is home.”

Karen bofinger

4. Sing, dance, play an imaginary guitar
“When I want to relax after a hard day, I listen to Vivaldi in the kitchen and imagine that I am the first violin,” writes Penelope Schles from Germany. And she seems to be doing everything right. Studies have been conducted around the world that show that music, health and wellness are linked. Music reduces stress (according to research by Professor Trappé of the Ruhr University, Bach does it better than ABBA). Other researchers say singing can improve your immune system.

We understand this effect on a subconscious level and therefore give ourselves the will to sing while no one is at home. “I feel sorry for my neighbors, because when I’m alone at home, I imagine that I’m Beyoncé,” says Natalya Shashkova.

Singing, dancing and music are expressions of love for life. Without music, humanity would be very sad. Yet many of us choose to sing and dance in secret. First of all, most believe that they simply cannot sing or that they should not do it in public. But we like it when someone sings to themselves without even realizing it! Here again: we impose demands on ourselves.

Karen bofinger

5. Sort things
While many of us find it difficult to keep our home tidy and not pile up junk, others often spend all their free time doing this. Many users find pleasure in sorting socks or putting kitchen appliances in the correct order. Not everyone does it secretly, but some are shy. It is strange that this useful habit seems shameful to us.

Sorting things out is a calming and enjoyable process, reminiscent of meditation. Our Australian user janetneve3009 is happy to be able to put everything in its place, even if it means that you have to dump everything in one heap first: “When I have a free Saturday morning every once in a while, I love to dump the contents of the boxes on the table and then put everything back neatly. … Very “uncool”, but I really love this process. ” Amelia Summers from Germany admits that she has reached a new level of cleaning: “When I hang clothes and for one thing two clothespins are needed, they must be the same color.”

This is what Sandra Schmidt says about our love of tidying up: “Given the amount of stress and chaos that surrounds us every day, we like to do something and cross it off the list. This gives us the feeling that at least in some area we have managed to bring complete order. “

Karen bofinger

Find pleasure in the unusual
Finally, here are some very unusual habits of our users to end the article. Where they came from and what they mean is an unsolved mystery. Vasily Meleshko cleans his ears with a sock every morning before putting on the latter. Some people like to dive and tumble on the bed on the way to the balcony. Others find it necessary to close all doors in the house or occasionally sleep in the closet, because they love the smell of it since childhood.

The question of why we do this does not really matter if these habits do not interfere with our daily life. At home, we can be ourselves – that’s all that matters.

TELL US…
Do you have secret habits of doing things alone? Let us know in the comments below!