Jamaican by birth, American by citizenship.

Barely Brainiacs is a lifestyle blog for people who know that they don’t know it all.


Authors

Akayla Reynolds

Reniece Baker

Why Did I Cut Off My Hair?

What’s up baddies! 

It is I - your relatively relatable 20 something with rampant mental illness. Lol well, let me slow down because my therapist would not want me to say that. I am actively managing my mental illness and for the most part, I am doing a good job of taking care of myself. 

But I am still kinda miserable. I wish I could say that I don’t know why and feign ignorance but I know exactly what’s happening. 

For some context, objectively, my life isn’t that bad or bad at all. There are things I wanna change and people I wish I could send directly to hell but all in all I am thankful to be where I am and not where I used to be. 

I have a job I really like. I’m managing my mental illnesses really well (now). I am eating relatively healthy and I am managing my money MUCH better. I am exploring my relationship with God and carving out my path to connect with Him/Them better. 

Usually I see an issue in my life and I aggressively attack it because I cannot deal with “unsolved problems”. But my reaction to “unsolved problems” is a big problem. A big sexy catch 22!

I cannot stand being uncomfortable and I have no patience

So those two lovely qualities bring me to my newest conundrum. Recently, I continuously find myself being challenged on an aspect of my life that I have already written about on the blog and continue to return back to. 

My perspective on my physical looks or lack thereof. At an early age, I received the message that I was not one of the beautiful people and instead of really worrying about it, I accepted the message and poured my attention into increasing my intelligence and cultivating my warm personality. 

I want to be clear that this is NOT a colorism or fatphobia issue. I can step outside of my own self and realize that my skin color or body type ain’t stopping me from achieving nothing in my world. 

I do not consider myself beautiful or gorgeous and this is not one of those things where I want people to tell me I’m pretty. I do not actively believe anyone when they positively comment on my looks. In that regard, I think everyone has ulterior motives. Either to try to make me feel better or because they truly love me as a person and my existence as a whole causes me to be beautiful to them. 

LOL. I realized in writing this that I do not believe anyone when they positively comment on my looks but negative comments still kinda hurt me. So if I don't believe the positive then why do I believe the negative.?

Ooh chile. 

You can see my problem? 

I have no solution to this problem and I am uncomfortable. I have attempted to force my own hand at addressing this issue by cutting off my hair. Kinda forcing myself to look at my face more. I am sure that this will work in the long term but I am impatient.

That beautiful catch 22 coming back up :-) internal screaming

Next year is my 25th birthday and if God allows me to see that birthday, then my 25th year will be my year of authenticity. 

So here I am bearing myself to the internet because what’s more appropriate than that? 

It’s more of an invitation. Check in with me as I become a more honest person. 

Hope you can find some grace in your heart for me. 

(and if not then lmao that's fair.)





In life, we die many deaths.

“You just aren’t worth it to me.”: Diary of A Celibate (Not So Teenage) Drama Queen