“Ladies tell ‘em ‘I woke up like this’ we flawless.” -Beyoncé

If only this were true every day.

When I woke up this morning, I was anything but flawless. A disheveled mess, I slept through my alarm three times, only rolling out of bed with mere minutes to spare before my 8 a.m. math class. While I had been planning on attempting a unique hairstyle this morning to compliment my new fashion and make-up choices, the lack of time dictated that dressing up was out of the question. On went the yoga pants, dirty sneakers, and mundane t-shirt. Forget the cute hairstyle; I donned quite possibly the messiest ponytail in existence. But as the saying goes, when one door closes another door opens, and I was not going to lose this opportunity to gain some new insight for my blog.

As I trudged to all my classes that day, my outward appearance mirrored my internal feelings of sheer and utter exhaustion. I typically try to maintain a collected façade, but today I simply could not do it. As my composure continued to deteriorate throughout the day, my groggy mind began to develop some questions. I am only a freshman in college, with a workload much less significant than that of a woman in the workforce. If I can barely keep it together after a few nights of minimal sleep, how can a female professional be expected to look like poised perfection on a daily basis?

According to Radhika Snaghani’s article “It’s sexist to tell a woman she looks ‘tired at work-and here’s why,” “Chances are if a woman has a totally bare face, she’ll be told by both her male and female colleagues that she looks exhausted, hungover, or ill…People are so used to seeing made-up women at work that an au natural face seems anything but natural.”

Snaghani continued, writing that women feel “there’s an unspoken pressure to ‘look good’ – something they think men don’t experience. While the most that can be expected of a man is to be clean-shaven and wearing a tie, women often feel they have to pluck their brows, wear high heels, and perfect the ‘natural’ make-up look.”

Why is looking tired a crime? And how can women be expected to live up to these standards on a daily basis? I could barely hold myself together while I was in my classes for 4 hours… I cannot even image how fatigued women can be expected to stay serene and confident during an eight-hour work day.

This experience today changed my perspective. Just as I was becoming more comfortable in my coordinated, pristine outfits and made-up complexion, this day reminded me that every once and while we all need a break. A woman is expected to be composed at all times, and if her physical appearance is lacking in any area it is assumed she is unprepared or unprofessional. But why can’t we all just listen to Beyoncé? She reminds us that we all wake up flawless, and I am starting to think she is on to something.