Video by drwendyaesthetics

Does my mood affect how I view facial proportions? This is true and actually has some signs behind it. Neuroscience shows that what you see isn't a fixed reality, it's constructive. There are two ways that your brain changes what you see. The first is that emotion changes your perception. Research shows that your emotional state can directly alter how you perceive the

world. In one study, people in a sad mood perceived heels as steeper than they actually are, even though nothing has physically changed. Your brain uses emotion as information about effort, risk, and energy and it reshapes what you're seeing. The second is that your mood changes what your brain focuses on. Studies have shown that when you're in a more neutral or positive state,

your brain processes your facial structure more globally. You see overall balance, proportion and harmony. But when you're stressed or tired or in a negative state, your brain shifts toward detail. You become more sensitive to small features, asymmetries and imperfections. So when you look at yourself, nothing structurally has changed, but your brain has changed what it's prioritizing.

From a medical perspective, this matters because not every concern you see is structural. Sometimes it's perceptual. So before you seek out ways to fix something, it's a good idea to check your mood.