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[INFP] INFPs: Not Taking Care of Yourself

Kastor

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Another thread inspired me to post this.

I've read many times that INFPs may neglect taking care of themselves, as in eating, physical appearance, hygiene, etc.

Why do you think this is? Can you relate?

Emberassingly enough, I can.
 

Scott N Denver

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It's not who we are, just how we look to others.

It's more "natural"

A kind of "screw you" to others and their expectations.

Those are my best guesses anyways
 

Kastor

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For me personally, I think it's a combination of putting things off, not being entirely in reality, and that 'fuck what you think' mentallity.
 

Stanton Moore

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I can relate. I can also relate to people (women) wanting to to take care of me, so it balances out.:yes:
 

compulsiverambler

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I look after myself very well. I feel very miserable and concerned if I've woken up feeling tired, because I'm worried about how health factors like sleep deprivation will affect my functioning (as I have big issues with my ability to function in life anyway). I do think my short-term memory capacity (central to my problems) and ability to cope are noticeably affected by things like that. I don't get excited about my appearance though, at all. I try to look decent enough to get by, beyond that I can't summon interest in it. Only rarely will a piece of clothing or style strongly appeal to me.
 

Chunes

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For me it's a natural tendency to ignore my physical self. Almost like it's irrelevant.

Very often other people will notice I'm thirsty before I do. They remind me to eat and rest. These things just don't occur to me as early as they should. *shrug*
 

Snuggletron

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I really wouldn't say I'm any different from any other type as far as hygiene and appearance goes, I keep up with those (except I do wait months in between haircuts, mainly since I always get bad haircuts). Eating, I'm just lazy with. I don't really cook besides the easy easy stuff. I'm more likely to grab snacks, although I'm conscious of what I am eating, I don't eat junk all day...usually.
 

Udog

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I've read many times that INFPs may neglect taking care of themselves, as in eating, physical appearance, hygiene, etc.

Why do you think this is? Can you relate?

To an extent. I'm capable of ignoring even messes that would shame a CAT 3 hurricane, but actual filth disgusts me.

As far as why, I think it's mainly that the real world concerns itself with alot of things that aren't important to us. It's easy for us to neglect those things we do not value. Even physical health, in some cases.
 

OrangeAppled

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To an extent. I'm capable of ignoring even messes that would shame a CAT 3 hurricane, but actual filth disgusts me.

:yes:

Public bathrooms gross me out, and I'm picky about the cleanliness in restaurants, so filth is not something I ignore either. My home/room is usually quite clean (vacuumed, dusted, wiped down, etc), just messy and cluttered.

I'm actually finicky about my appearance also. I attribute that to being a bit of a perfectionist and viewing clothing/my appearance as a form of self-expression. I don't go out in public without some effort put into my hair, clean and real clothing on (PJs in public horrify me), and usually some makeup. I keep my body and hair clean also.

I do forget to eat when I am concentrated on something, and then all of a sudden I feel weak and realize it's been 6 hours since I've eaten anything. I also forget to drink water, but I am better about that than eating. Sleeping may be put off if I am in the middle of something I do not want to stop doing. I ignore symptoms of illness and may go a long time without realizing something is wrong (ie. I have acid reflux and for years ignored burning in my throat until my esophagus got so raw I couldn't swallow).

I am bad about keeping a schedule. Having a 9-5 job benefits me in that it forces structure on me. When I was self-employed and lived alone, my sleep schedule was all over the place (3am to noon, 4pm to 8pm long naps, etc), I'd eat whenever I felt like it (2am runs to the store for bagels for breakfast), and clean whenever I had energy (vacuuming at midnight), and work when the creative mood stuck me. Basically, I am a night person and I was naturally falling into that while still realizing I had to be up in the day to communicate with people.

Part of me loved it and a part of me saw the chaos as not being something I could sustain longterm. I dropped weight and was a bit depressed. I formed a newfound appreciation for structure and routine. I'm still not exactly "scheduled", but I try and give myself valid reasons to go to sleep/wake up at similar times every day, and that sort of thing, so I have some kind of stability in my everyday life.
 

HollyGolightly

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My INFP sis often neglects her personal hygiene :S
She feels there are more important things she can be doing, like her writing and her art and her music.
She doesn't really care about her health/diet etc. Same reason as I stated earlier. She seems to be in a bit of a dream world most of the time so she doesn't have a strong hold on reality. She forgets simple things like washing her hair etc because she is so engrossed in her creative pursuits and/or thoughts.
She doesn't take much pride in her physical appearance either. But she is extremely beautiful so she can kinda get away with it ;P
At first it narked me as I am really particular about my appearance, maybe too much so, but she is the way she is :) And I love her regardless.
 

demimondaine

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somehow i developed dreadlocks on the back of my head last year.. can anyone shed some light on this? otherwise i eat healthily, but not regularly. like OrangeAppled said, i can be cluttered (even dusty) but no gooey mess/filth, please! also a night owl. occasionally will get so wrapped up in something or someone that eating and sleeping go to hell. i certainly don't want anyone else to try to take care of me, though.
 

Seymour

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:yes:
Public bathrooms gross me out, and I'm picky about the cleanliness in restaurants, so filth is not something I ignore either. My home/room is usually quite clean (vacuumed, dusted, wiped down, etc), just messy and cluttered.

I'm actually finicky about my appearance also. I attribute that to being a bit of a perfectionist and viewing clothing/my appearance as a form of self-expression. I don't go out in public without some effort put into my hair, clean and real clothing on (PJs in public horrify me), and usually some makeup. I keep my body and hair clean also.

I do forget to eat when I am concentrated on something, and then all of a sudden I feel weak and realize it's been 6 hours since I've eaten anything. I also forget to drink water, but I am better about that than eating. Sleeping may be put off if I am in the middle of something I do not want to stop doing. I ignore symptoms of illness and may go a long time without realizing something is wrong (ie. I have acid reflux and for years ignored burning in my throat until my esophagus got so raw I couldn't swallow).

I am bad about keeping a schedule. Having a 9-5 job benefits me in that it forces structure on me. When I was self-employed and lived alone, my sleep schedule was all over the place (3am to noon, 4pm to 8pm long naps, etc), I'd eat whenever I felt like it (2am runs to the store for bagels for breakfast), and clean whenever I had energy (vacuuming at midnight), and work when the creative mood stuck me. Basically, I am a night person and I was naturally falling into that while still realizing I had to be up in the day to communicate with people.

Part of me loved it and a part of me saw the chaos as not being something I could sustain longterm. I dropped weight and was a bit depressed. I formed a newfound appreciation for structure and routine. I'm still not exactly "scheduled", but I try and give myself valid reasons to go to sleep/wake up at similar times every day, and that sort of thing, so I have some kind of stability in my everyday life.

I agree with most of what OrangeAppled said. I, too, tend toward the cluttered, but actual dirt and filth get to me. I also don't like to step outside without having showered. Being incredibly self-conscious imposes some discipline onto my personal appearance.

I tend towards being a night owl, but some external structure I have found beneficial. While my work schedule is flexible, I find staying on a routine helps keeps me from depression. Also, going to the gym regularly has done wonders for my tendency toward withdrawal and depression (which is ironic, since when one is depressed exercise is hardly tempting).

Regular maintenance isn't a natural INFP strength, but it is important. Hate to admit it, though.
 

Lacey

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Sleep is hands down the worst, for me. I either sleep waaay too much, or not at all. It's usually 3-4 hours, or 10+. I have pulled more all-nighters than I care to admit. Some because I had something to work on, but most because I just couldn't sleep, period.

My space is usually clean. Maybe a little messy. It never gets too bad though, because I don't tend to have a lot of stuff. I'm the type who tends to get rid of things instead of keep them.

I am pretty anal about showering/keeping clean. I don't like to be seen unless I'm clean.

I'm usually pretty good about eating and drinking, but I can definitely go through periods where I forget, or eat too much because I'm bored or something.

I'm not very stylish. It's just...top, jeans, sneakers/flats. But never pajamas or sweatpants (unless I'm going to/from dance). I want to make more of an effort in this area, but it's kind of hard when you don't have a ton of extra money... My hair is usually alright (although I have to do a ponytail when it's being impossible or I run out of time), and as far as makeup goes, I at least put on mascara/eyeliner (and concealer for those massive under-eye circles I get from lack of sleep... ;)).
 

Lauren

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:yes:



I am bad about keeping a schedule. Having a 9-5 job benefits me in that it forces structure on me.
I formed a newfound appreciation for structure and routine. I'm still not exactly "scheduled", but I try and give myself valid reasons to go to sleep/wake up at similar times every day, and that sort of thing, so I have some kind of stability in my everyday life.

This is my biggest challenge as well. I am not good at keeping a schedule unless I'm forced to do so. I need to get better at this, though, but every trick I've thought of telling myself hasn't worked so far. I appreciate that structure at work as well. I feel like I'm taking care of myself when I'm more structured. I get more of what I want to get done (creatively enjoy), done.
 

Patriot

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I look after myself very well. I feel very miserable and concerned if I've woken up feeling tired, because I'm worried about how health factors like sleep deprivation will affect my functioning (as I have big issues with my ability to function in life anyway).
Same here. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, so I tend to worry about getting sick if I've had a lot of late nights. Generally speaking I get to bed at a decent hour and try to make up for lack of sleep if I've had a lot of late nights. I also eat very healthy, but I do occasionally forget to eat if I'm busy with something (or stuff myself if I'm incredibly bored/sad). Actually what often happens is that I just don't have time to eat: like when I get so engrossed in what I'm doing that I forget about eating before work, and suddenly it's time to leave. Then in the car I'll finally remember that I didn't have anything for lunch. I try to keep a snack in my bag at all times for this very reason. :alttongue:

OrangeAppled said:
I'm actually finicky about my appearance also. I attribute that to being a bit of a perfectionist and viewing clothing/my appearance as a form of self-expression. I don't go out in public without some effort put into my hair, clean and real clothing on (PJs in public horrify me), and usually some makeup. I keep my body and hair clean also.
:yes:

I'm very conscious of my appearance and make an effort to look well-kempt. I don't go anywhere unless I'm clean and dressed decently - usually wearing a bit of makeup, too.

I've actually been called "stylish" several times, but in a quirky, artsy kind of way. The highest compliment anyone could pay me with regards to my appearance is that I look "artsy". haha :D Dressing and looking nicely doesn't come naturally for me, but I make an effort because I tend to view my wardrobe as being a form of expression: art, even. Yeah, how cliché. I know. :cheese:

I don't think I would make such an effort to keep up my appearance if I wasn't raised in a family where being clean, smelling clean, and looking great (at least when you go out) were emphasized. So I attribute much of it to my strong European background. :blush:
 

sweavo

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I take a small amount of perverse pride in not wearing adornments like a watch, jewelry, etc. don't know if that's an INFP thing.

cleanliness is important to me, although it took till my early twenties to realise that I ought to be cleaner.

I love good food but it takes more organising than I'm naturally disposed to do. I've just had a bunch of time off work and have been cooking from fresh ingredients which has been wonderful but when I'm also attending the day job, on top of my dozens of creative projects and commitments to others, I do tend to neglect my diet. I get quite low if my life is constrained to a routine, so I can't sustain a good grocery drill for long.
 

OrangeAppled

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Also, going to the gym regularly has done wonders for my tendency toward withdrawal and depression (which is ironic, since when one is depressed exercise is hardly tempting).

Regular maintenance isn't a natural INFP strength, but it is important. Hate to admit it, though.

Yeah, exercise makes a big difference for me. It's not a natural inclination of mine to be athletic at all, but it's such an anxiety reducer and so energizing, which I really need.

I also hate to admit the benefits of a schedule (and still like to keep things "relaxed"), but it's just a practical necessity.

I'm very conscious of my appearance and make an effort to look well-kempt. I don't go anywhere unless I'm clean and dressed decently - usually wearing a bit of makeup, too.

I've actually been called "stylish" several times, but in a quirky, artsy kind of way. The highest compliment anyone could pay me with regards to my appearance is that I look "artsy". haha :D Dressing and looking nicely doesn't come naturally for me, but I make an effort because I tend to view my wardrobe as being a form of expression: art, even. Yeah, how cliché. I know. :cheese:

I don't think I would make such an effort to keep up my appearance if I wasn't raised in a family where being clean, smelling clean, and looking great (at least when you go out) were emphasized. So I attribute much of it to my strong European background. :blush:


Yeah, I tend to prefer quirky/artsy styles also. I'm not sure if it comes naturally....I do have a pretty good sense of color, shape and proportion and natural artistic ability. However, I was also raised in a clean, well-decorated home with an ISFJ mom who never leaves the house without makeup and heels on (the woman rarely wears flat shoes). I'm sure that influenced my attitude towards grooming, although I still lean to the offbeat. I tend to be more ornate and colorful than simple and classic, but I do simple when I'm lazy :cheese:.
 

NinjaSwan

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I'm pretty good at being/staying clean for the most part. I don't like to see anyone unless I've showered, brushed my teeth etc.

Sleep tho, I've always had trouble with. My sleep schedule is always very irregular and varies from day to day.

I also have trouble when it comes to working out and stuff. Like keeping myself to a schedule and working out every day feels damn near impossible to me.
 

Parrish

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:yes: I agree with most of what Orangeappled already wrote. My room is mostly tidy, cuz clutter tends to annoy me (it draws my attention away from the books when I study so I mostly stop half-way trough, tidy up, then my study urge dissappears and I go do sth else:doh:). My desk sustains most of the chaos, but I can always find stuff, when I organize it I forget where I put something so it usually doesn`t work for long. My "creative corner" is messy, can`t be helped.
We have 4 cats so regular cleaning and tidying is a must. I could use more regular work-outs though. I eat what I like which happens to be healthy enough (I could go easier on the pasta but whatever), chocolate is a must (mmm the 70% dark one:wubbie:), also no meat.

Yeah, my "personal style" is supposed to express who I am. I think I know what looks good and what goes together and what not, but I don`t follow popular trends though. Here comes the Who cares-attitude:cheese:

I like messy hair. Not like greasy-unwashed but like my shorter pixie hair-cut looks like when I wake up in the morning. I love how it looks all wild like I went trough who knows what kind of adventure at night.:D And yes, I`m a night owl, deffinitely not a morning person. Please don`t be all hyped up in the morning and try to do some casual small talk. I`ll call you at 2am and we`ll see how you`ll feel, ha! One time I actually went to bed at 7.30 am, cuz I just didn`t feel like going to bed and instead spent the night reading manga and watching movies. That was a great night.
 
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