We've all heard the quote "honesty is the best policy," and I think everyone inherently knows deep down that we should be honest (even though people are often dishonest but that's not what this article is about). However, not only is honesty good karma, but it's actually really good for your mental health because it takes away a lot of stress. Don't believe me? Well, let me prove it.
If you've seen Pitch Perfect, you know who "Fat Amy" is:
Well, one of her iconic lines perfectly aligns with what I'm talking about. The more you can be open with things that make you insecure or anxious, the less insecure or anxious you will feel about them. This example seems pretty extreme, but I think the tactic is brilliant and it's something I've come to use in many aspects of my life.
To give a few more examples (if you don't feel like giving yourself a nickname), I have a good friend who is a Theater major who doesn't like performing (she's a designer), but she has to perform anyway because of class requirements. Whenever she gets up to perform, she worries if people can tell if she is nervous and secretly hopes they can't, but that leads to overthinking and makes her even more nervous. After a conversation with her professor, the professor gave her the age-old (and, in my opinion; useless) advice to "use the nervousness." She took that very literally, and rather than worrying if her classmates could tell she was nervous, she announces before every performance that she is nervous so she no longer worries if her classmates can tell because she's already blatantly told them. Now she can focus on her performance and let her nerves do what they will. This tactic of announcing and owning your nervousness is beneficial in any situation, especially high-stress events like dates or performances of any kind.
Along with reducing anxiety, honesty can also reduce insecurities. For example, if I ever have a stain on my shirt, a hole in my pants, or something else that could feel embarrassing, I announce it to everyone I'm with. This way I'm not insecure about the minor imperfection because I'm not worried that people will notice and judge me because I know they've noticed. I've told them and that's all I can do. If they decide to judge me, that is their prerogative, but I will own that coffee stain on my shirt and go about my day.
Honesty makes life easier and is good for your mental health. If you take away the worry that people will see through your facade, your life is easier because you don't have to try to hide anything. Own your insecurities and be open about your anxieties because they're very real and hiding them is nearly impossible.
