I have sweat excessively since I was in middle school. Working out, running, sitting and not moving…. I sweat worse under the armpits and sometimes the groin. Here is what I have come to find out.
Two Hypothetical situations (I’m in college, so I will use a college scenario):
1.)Hot day, walking to my class in a lecture hall, arrive sweaty and hot and sit down. People around me notice my sweat stains. Couple people whisper to their friends and look at me, couple people next to me look at the sweat stains and look away. I get embarrassed, obviously. I try to hide my stains by putting my arms down tight. The stress from thinking about it and the heat from my arms down just makes me sweat more. I get more nervous, start sweating from my face as well, people can now obviously tell that I’m embarrassed, pity me, feel bad for me. I miss all the info from the lecture and sit miserable and embarrassed for more than an hour in a lecture with 200 watchful, judgmental peers….Life sucks. Scenario
2.) Hot day, walking to my class in a lecture hall, arrive sweaty and hot and sit down. People around me notice my sweat stains. Couple people whisper to their friends and look at me, couple people next to me look at the sweat stains and look away. I take deep breathes, smile to myself about how trivial my sweat stains are compared to my grades in college, how people who are actually genuine and who I would care to hang out with wouldn’t care or make fun of my sweating, and that my complete non-chalant attitude towards my sweating (obviously noticeable) is ultimately witnessed as CONFIDENCE to those who notice my obvious stains and my not-caring attitude. I have realized that my self-consciousness about my sweating comes from the “anticipation” of being made fun of or being made embarrassed by someone (more often of the opposite sex).
I have realized that if someone actually made fun of it to my face or to a friend, they would obviously not be a person who I would naturally want to associate with or be friends with. I have been through quite horrible and embarrassing situations involving sweating over my youth, but what I have come to realize, is that if I act normally and confidently with a sweat sodden shirt and pants, and try and interact with people and be friendly, it is going to send a much different message about my person to someone than if they see me embarrassed, looking at and trying to hide my sweat stains.
The final answer to your sweating: See it for what it is, reason out the worst that could happen with your sweating (you become embarrassed, why? Because you let yourself become embarrassed!) I know, I know, it is so much easier said than done, but I guarantee you, if you can practice being mindful and not caring about your sweating, even interacting with people with a smile when it is so obvious!, you will learn to not care about your sweating, and be so much more happy and confident in more than one aspect of your life. After all, how many people can say that they feel 100% confident sweating their ass of in a lecture hall filled with 200 college students, with lots of people watching you. I can, and it only took me 8 years of experiencing and figuring out what I just told you in 20 minutes… And the process of reaching this point is one of the hardest things I have ever done.
If you have trouble keeping on track, it might be beneficial to see a psychologist instead of return trips to a dermatologist, just to help you talk things out and keep your mindfulness on track. (I personally never did lol, but I know it wouldn’t have taken me 8 years if I used a psychologist as a ‘secret confident and supporter.’ Best of luck to everyone, hope you all can come to appreciate it for what it is, your body just chilling =D
