Dear LPG,

I know that some readers might think that I am preoccupied with masking up and that sort of protection because it is all I seem to send you messages about, but while I continued to research the best way to keep your face mask clean, I stumbled upon something else that has been mentioned a lot by those telling us how best to protect ourselves during this pandemic.

When mentioning the significance of masks and keeping them clean the other day, I noted that the official advice given over the past year has often included the importance of washing our hands before and after applying face coverings and not touching our faces; although that second bit seems to have passed us by.

I was reading the other day and I caught myself stroking my forehead repeatedly while taking in the words, and I suppose it was like a wake-up moment for me.  The lack of other things to do these days got me conducting a bit of a self-survey.  I found myself focussing in on just how many times a day I find my hands and fingers in contact with some part of my head or face. When watching something shocking on television my hands are in front of my mouth before I can stop myself, I had no idea just how often I put them under my chin when I am reading something on my laptop, and I have always been taught that it is rude to yawn or cough without at least putting a hand in front of your mouth.  For some reason I think we itch more above the neck than below and scratch without thinking and beards and lipstick always seems to need adjustment too, even if they are imaginary.  It bothers me to have to admit that I am a lady who sometimes finds myself stroking my chin as if there were a beard down there.  I hasten to add that there definitely is not!

I thought it was only me, but I have been watching the television lately and, when you are really looking, at the actors they do the same thing.  Sadness means crying and that classic wiping away a tear action, while a thinking actor will often scratch their forehead. Even the classic position for praying involves clasped hands all too near the face.  Sadly, I find myself doing that as well. 

Now that I am aware of my actions, I catch myself at it a lot more often but it is still really hard to realise what I am about to do and stop before the act has been committed.

I looked on the internet for some information and advice about how to stop this potentially dangerous habit of human nature, and found a lot more than I thought I would.  Did you know that research tells that the average person touches their face at least 23 times per hour?  I thought I was the only person who just couldn’t help it but I am not unique if the research is accurate. 

I sincerely hope that LPG will share what I have learned with my fellow readers in the hope that it will make a few more of us a bit more aware of when we are doing it, but it is comforting to know that if we are doing everything else right, at least we are doing it with cleaner hands…

DR, Downham.

DR offers some information for those who prefer to read…

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… and a few video ideas if you prefer to be talked to…

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