Social Question

JLeslie's avatar

Do you ever splash water on your face to calm down or compose yourself?

Asked by JLeslie (65790points) December 1st, 2012

I see it on TV shows and in movies. Something distressing happens and the person excuses themseves to the bathroom and splashes water on their face to help compose themselves.

I can’t imagine women do this? Most of us have some sort of make-up on. I wonder if anyone really does it?

So, I am curious what gender you are and whether you do it, and if you do do it, what do you get out of it? Were you taught it by a parent? Saw it on TV? Read it in a book? Or, just felt compelled to do it.

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12 Answers

Bellatrix's avatar

No. I have never done this. I do carry an atomiser to spritz my face with on hot days but no, I would not splash water on my face to calm down. I might dab my face with some cold water if I have been crying (doesn’t happen often) to try to repair any damage and sooth any red eye issues.

augustlan's avatar

I might dab, but never splash. Getting a little cold water on your face can help break an unhealthy emotional cycle, like when you’re anxious/verging on a panic attack.

fremen_warrior's avatar

Man here. When you’ve had a particularly “long” day (as in tiresome mentally, not necessarily long in duration) a few handfuls of cool water on your face can feel very refreshing, calming even. I never do this when other people are around since, after watching far too many movies I suppose, people expect you to only do this when something utterly tragic happens, or think you’re being dramatic for no reason xD I hate tv because of what it does to people’s perceptions of reality…

bookish1's avatar

I had no idea why people do this, and I grew up in the tropics.
Water only goes on my face if I’m washing it!

Cupcake's avatar

I’ve done it. I don’t usually wear makeup.

Berserker's avatar

I see that in movies all the time too, usually followed by a long look at oneself in the mirror. I’ve never washed my face then looked at myself in order to relax or calm down though, although I understand that, in movies, it’s an action done by characters to symbolize just that. But I do wonder where they figured this if nobody ever actually does it lol.

DeNoir's avatar

No, never really done this. Like others have said, water goes on the face if I’m washing it. If I’m trying to compose myself, I usually try to take a couple of deep breaths and remove myself from the situation.

gondwanalon's avatar

Each and every morning I go to the bathroom sink and splash copious amounts of cold water in my eyes and face to help to wake me up. But I have never done that to calm me down.

Unbroken's avatar

I do it on really hot days or mid exercise.
But if I am public I wet a washcloth or a towel. I love it for eye fatigue , tiredness and headaches… I have never done this as emotional thing though.

JLeslie's avatar

I don’t even like to do it to wash my face. I wash my face in the shower the majority of the time. At night I remove my makeup with one of those makeup wipe thingies, then rinse the same wipe and use it once more to go over my face. Unless I happen to be taking an evening shower, but usually I shower in the morning.

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