Anyone else find the long hair growth journey kind of cathartic?

[OhSuzi]

So I watch long hair progress vids on you tube to get me through those mullety crap days. Megumi goose is one of My preferred vids as she gave monthly updates from pixie to nearly waist over 39 months.
in one of the last vids she said her long hair made her so happy, not just on the basic superficial level of it looks long n pretty, But it was a representation of 3 years of personal growth. When she started she was fed up and miserable with various things going on in her life. But she grew in confidence and positivity and over came stuff as her hair grew/ as time passed.

Its going to take about 3 years for me for me to reach a similar goal of waist, I'm now 6 months in.
As someone who is impatient and who usually goes with immediacy - buy that thing I can't afford now, change my hair up by chopping it now, eat all the chocolate cake today don't save for tomorrow, I'd like to learn karate but I wasn't a master in 1 lesson, I give up -
I feel like this is a lesson in patience and seeing progress when you commit to something. I feel like this is something I can achieve and not leave unfinished.
If I I thought it'd take me 3 years of diet and exercise to get slim I'd be like errch so much effort, so long, I give up.
Nuts really, 3 years passes before you know it and at my age I could have achieved something at least 5 times over in a 3 yr period.

Now that I have a hair goal in place I feel like, 3 years to my desired hair length, I think I could lose weight in that time easily, I could clear my debts in that time easily, I could save some money up in that time easily. I just have to do a bit at a time (and have started). I can already see progress in my hair and I feel like I'm moving towards a better me several aspects of my life, and my hair is a representation of that.

On a smaller scale I've stopped biting my nails -a habit I'd had all my life, about the same time I started to grow my hair i decided to try and stop chewing my nails. ( I just tried to completely forget about them, and when I did get the urge to poke them, I'd file them neatly instead and paint with clear nail polish, which I'd then pick off the next day, but it was better than picking my nails). They grew long n lovely, they still break or catch sometimes, or there will be a day when I chew em all back down to nothing. But I discovered it only takes about 3 weeks for nice nails and I've done it once, so I can do it again. Another important lesson I learned from this, you can mess up, but just don't dwell on it, try again. So now the majority of the time I have neat natural nails.

Obviously there are times I feel like this takes forever! I want everything now, why am putting up with mullets today for hair in 3 years time. But generally i just feel very positive about a journey to a more natural, healthier, less stressed, better me.

It all started with the decision to grow my hair.

what made you decide to have long hair, did it become about more than just hair?
Do you think your hair affects how you feel about yourself?

[MoonRabbit]

I can totally relate to this feeling. I started growing my hair for other reasons than just having long hair, though that is still an important factor. I've had anxiety my whole life and I was starting to feel like it was taking control of everything I did. Then one day I said, my anxiety can't control my decision to grow or cut my hair. It's be over a year since I started this journey and I honestly feel like I gained more self control and patience. I'm learning to accept what is today and have hope for what can come in the future. Most importantly I get to choose what happens. I started eating very healthy, exercising and meditating and listening to what my mind and body are telling me. This all started with one simple thought of having long and healthy hair. I must say it is a magical experience.

[lithostoic]

Absolutely. Hair, since my teen years, has been a form of emotional growth for me. First, my highlights. Then full-on color. Purple streaks! I started cutting my hair myself, I felt great about my appearance for the first time in my life.

As the years went on I felt I was becoming to vain and egocentric towards my hair. So I stopped brushing it. For two years! I had dreads, and I loved them. They taught me to not be so appearance driven, that it was okay to not style my hair. A couple months before I removed them I dyed my hair for the last time.

Of course after combing out dreads there was mechanical damage, plus the damage from the bleach and dye I'd been using. And in November (a few months later) I joined LHC. I decided I was ready to care for my hair again, in a healthier, non-OCD manner. So I chopped to CBL!

I decided I'd grow it long, natural, and beautiful, as part of a self-love campaign. It's been rough (still not sure if I'm satisfied with my natural color) but it's a process of growth, both for my hair and for myself!

[OhSuzi]

What positive posts already! Good luck with your hair growth journeys x

[turtlelover]

Yes, definitely, especially since I always hated my hair as a child! It has its challenges now, but overall I think my hair is a fun and relaxing hobby!

[hayheadsbird]

Great idea for a post!
For me just now, I'm enjoying growing and that urge to Chang things up and chop it off as normally happens about this length is no where to be seen. I've started taking far more conscious care of my hair, and as an extension my skin. Originally I found LHC looking for henna information as I decided to henna again to cover the gray starting to come through. I'm not quite ready to embrace them yet, but I am learning more patience as it grows!

[Ophidian]

Absolutely. For me, growing out my hair has a grounding effect. I have been through periods of cutting/dyeing and while I really love that kind of diy/alt style, I always found myself having these spur of the moment hair parties in the middle of the night during periods when I felt really bad about myself and just wanted to be someone else. And it would certainly be a change, but not always a good one and then I'd shave it and basically want to hide until I had at least an inch of hair again. So growing out it very tied to self care for me, and feeling more comfortable in my own skin.

[Andthetalltrees]

Definitely! The first time I purposely tried to grow my hair out long a few years ago I got SUPPERR obsessed with everything regarding it, I checked every few days if it was long enough yet and when it wasn't I got angry, I trimmed it every few months, I wore it up everyday even if I didn't like it, I stretched my washes out long enough to irritate my scalp.

Now I just let it do it's thing, I don't worry about it, Wash it when it needs it not in amount of days, I only put it up only when I feel like it. It's been a great experience in realizing I can't control everything and I should do what works for me, Even if it doesn't for someone else added with a healthy dose of patience.

It's incredibly calming just to only notice my hair maybe once a month and realize "Hey it is longer, Cool" and go back to my normal routine.

[spidermom]

I've often advised people to stick to the hair length goal before giving in to temptation to cut hair. It really is good practice for keeping focus. However, although I did manage to grow my hair out to classic length over about 5 years, I didn't lose weight or significantly clear my debts. I did, however, go back to school to become certified in a new career.

[NimbleNut]

I can relate to this a bit. While I don't think my decision to grow out my hair lead to any of my other decisions I do feel like a lot of things in my life are finally coming together and moving in the right direction. I'm excited to see what the year holds and how much my hair has grown at the end of it. I agree that it will be good for teaching patience as I'm also an instant gratification kind of girl!

[pili]

I do find it so cathartic! It makes me appreciate MY hair. I am learning to finally stop comparing it to everyone else's because it will never be like anyone else's. I was made fun of as a child because of my appearance, my hair being one of the main targets (glasses, braces, skinny, you get it). Now I am learning that my hair just wants to be itself. It's made me realize that me being my true self is a wonderful thing. My hair does not want to be smothered and beaten into a preconceived ideal. It wants to be wild and curly and a little witchy. The longer my hair grows, the more I see that I too am unconventional. Being conventional and toeing the line all my life has not brought me the happiness I wanted. Being me, a little quirky, a little crunchy, a little witchy, makes me much happier. Fighting the urge to cut makes me look at the underlying reason behind why I am having that urge and making me address the cause, instead of taking it out on my hair.

[dvep]

I also find it cathartic. I once had long hair, TBL, and I'm trying to get back to that. The journey makes me reflect on those times in my life...what I miss, what I cherish, what I'm glad has changed. It's easy for others to think hair is just a vain thing but it really isn't.

[Mrstran]

Oh I'm right there with ya!

I never finish anything because I get extremely impatient. Now since starting my hair journey, I now have a set deadline to a goal that will come. No matter what I do, hair does grow, so I know this is one goal I will actually reach. ( for once!)
This gives me confidence to take it a step further, to sort of "revise" myself. (Not sure if that is the exact word I was looking for) ;)

My first goal as far as hair goes is hip length. By then my other self improvment goal should be met, it is to also be fluent in Chinese.

I'm also learning other new things as well, and even started playing Piano again!
For years I have started tasks and stopped. There are so many things I've wanted to do. So now I'm on my way to accomplish everything I once started and more.

It all started because of my decision to grow out my hair
Watching it grow month to month isn't so much about length anymore.

I don't just see my hair slowly growing, I see myself slowly growing.

[hanne jensen]

Growing my hair has taught me patience. I also want instant gratification. I have done many things while waiting for my hair to grow. I've gotten my economy squared away. I've relandscaped my garden.

Throughout my years of growing I've had bad times and good times. During the bad times I've consoled myself with the thought that at least I've got my hair.

[Nique1202]

I'd say the growing process is a catharsis for me in several ways.

- As some have mentioned, the growing process was a great way to learn patience after half a lifetime of impulsive hair choices. It's taught me to sit down and think about what I really want, in the short and the long term, and how I really feel about something, and I've been able to apply that to other parts of my life for sure.

- It took me about 4 years of growing, but once my hair hit a certain length I started to feel more like myself in a way I'd never experienced. If I hadn't had the patience, I would never have found this feeling of fundamental rightness. Which seems silly, because it's just hair after all, but sometimes you just don't know what's right for you until you try it. Every new little milestone feels almost oddly familiar, like I should've been feeling it my whole life but was missing out.

- My hair is an outlet for my anxiety. When I'm feeling worked up, I can detangle or work some oil or serum into it or put it up in a different style from what it was in, and it helps me to calm down a bit. It's stuff that needs to be done anyway most of the time, but it's like a little ritual. I can visualize every tangle or every dry spot as something that's bothering me and working it out is getting rid of the problem, or I can pretend that my previous style was holding all my frustrations and that taking it down is setting them free so the new style is fresh and empty of worry.

[MsPharaohMoan]

Love this thread! In terms of growing, it's nice to always have something to come back to, regardless of where my life is going. And it's nice to be able to toss it up and forget about it and head out into the world to CONQUER. It sounds like others in this thread understand that :) I also like suddenly realizing my hair grew a bunch while I wasn't watching xD

Hair styling and treatments and detangling and all that good stuff is also an outlet for me. I call it self care cause I feel so much better afterwards, and it gives me something to focus on instead of focusing on anxious thoughts. It makes it easier to remember to be gentle.

[lapushka]

It went past me a couple of times, as I experimented heavily with henna, color, and bleach even (to get it all back out). I was just very critical of my own hair color, that took me back to chin *twice*, and after a chemical cut & burn I said, now, this is it. And then I grew it out. There was an episode of perming *twice* in there too, which had me back from hip to BSL in the end. Yeah, I came a long way. I can't say it was a journey I was particularly conscious of. Time passed and it grew. It grew to classic. I maintained that for a year, then cut back to hip. Now I'm on the no trimming 2017 thread and I am growing it back out. Hair changes, lengths change. I don't think it's necessarily an end-journey. I think more of it as being constantly evolving, depending on how you feel.

[lapis_lazuli]

Absolutely. I love what you said about hair length representing personal growth. The longer mine has become, the more I've matured and learned about life. I've definitely grown as a person since I started my hair journey, and I plan to continue on this path of self discovery.

[OhSuzi]

So I'm biased because I'm the op but I'm really enjoying this thread! It's really inspiring reading your posts, about all the great things you guys are getting out of growing and looking after your hair. Who'd have thought such a simple naturel thing could lead to so much more!

[hamilton]

This has been my first time growing it long and I definitely have. One, it has been fun to slowly see progress and experience a bunch of new things that I didn't appreciate. Two, it's been good for my patience, particularly the awkward stage. Three, I have learned to deal with criticism and not worry about what others think when it comes to something that really doesn't affect them. It a fun way to track time too since I can associate certain memories with how long my hair was, and looking at pictures form the last 2-3 years has been fun too.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I don't know, but the process is certainly testing me lol

[Cannelle]

I'd say the growing process is a catharsis for me in several ways.

- As some have mentioned, the growing process was a great way to learn patience after half a lifetime of impulsive hair choices. It's taught me to sit down and think about what I really want, in the short and the long term, and how I really feel about something, and I've been able to apply that to other parts of my life for sure.

- It took me about 4 years of growing, but once my hair hit a certain length I started to feel more like myself in a way I'd never experienced. If I hadn't had the patience, I would never have found this feeling of fundamental rightness. Which seems silly, because it's just hair after all, but sometimes you just don't know what's right for you until you try it. Every new little milestone feels almost oddly familiar, like I should've been feeling it my whole life but was missing out.

- My hair is an outlet for my anxiety. When I'm feeling worked up, I can detangle or work some oil or serum into it or put it up in a different style from what it was in, and it helps me to calm down a bit. It's stuff that needs to be done anyway most of the time, but it's like a little ritual. I can visualize every tangle or every dry spot as something that's bothering me and working it out is getting rid of the problem, or I can pretend that my previous style was holding all my frustrations and that taking it down is setting them free so the new style is fresh and empty of worry.

I can relate to this so much, especially to the second and third thought. I don't even have anything to add, everything has been said.