I hope you don’t mind me screen-shotting your comment, I’m racing to my amazon account now… Thank you wonderful human! 🙏🥰
In order to get in and out the shower and do what I need I had to get a basket with all my stuff in it so I don’t forget anything😂🙄 I use 3 different soap’s (face wash, body wash, vagisil) and keep cup with toothbrush and paste, intuition razer( no shaving cream needed), & Nivea in shower rinse off moisturizer. It takes me forever to get lotion on after shower. If this is not together my shower will take 90 mins 🙄😩
I feel like they help me reset. I will put it off to get stuff done and then it turns around like if I shower then I can start over and then I will be productive. 😂
Absolutely, I dread it. I do it, but I really have to talk myself into it. I’ll have quick showers during the week and then a big, long, soaking bath on the weekend with epsom salts, champagne, and true crime shows on the ipad. THAT’S when I do my WHOLE self care routine of hair washing, shaving legs, body scrubs and face treatments etc. I’m in there for around 2 hours. 😂💞
Totally agree with this. Ashamed to say but I have the same feeling with brushing my teeth, ever since I was a child
Works great for me. I shower twice a day 😂 it’s like ugh I don’t want to to nice I feel refreshed.
Yes… but when I’m showering I can stay there forever! It’s the energy and effort and mental battle to get up to shower for me 🥲
I wound up grabbing me a shower chair .. helps me better when I realize I can relax as well as shower
I can shower without an issue sometimes and others it’s like a mental marathon. Having to wash my hair is the worst.
I realized that my shower being a dark hole in the wall. Got a light helps a lot but I still hate showering
I take a sauna and a cold shower of 5”‘afterwards,?without this in the morning, my day is waaaay less productive
I noticed when I'm depressed the first thing I neglect is self care. Now with ADHD it makes skipping it easier to do. I had to make all these items a habit to check off in an app to hold myself accountable. Sigh
Probably because ADHD shower thoughts are shower thoughts on steroids! Think about how much energy the requires your body. Your brain takes up 20% of your daily calorie intake. So it requires a lot of energy to function. And produce thoughts. So it makes sense why you feel drained after a shower.
Having eczema as well makes the shower feel even more daunting as I can’t just have a lazy shower where I get out and get dressed immediately. If I don’t moisturise properly after every shower I will end up suffering for it
It’s so much energy. Feels like it takes up half my day on hair wash days even tho it doesn’t. Just takes up half my energy for the day lol
Yep. I tend to stick it on the calendar to shower and then I forget. I get the kids showered and done b it forget me. I don’t like going to sleep with wet hair so I often put my hair up and jump in long enough to rinse the hot spots then once a week I try to get in and wash my hair. I don’t use hair products so no need to clean it all out. If I work out or do something outside that gets me sweaty that helps get me in to the shower.
Yes I love the water like swimming but taking showers also just seems so draining for everyday life.
Omg,yes! I procrastinate doing it for so long that it ends up being my bedtime, only then I go shower
I think that my mental exercises to throw out impulse control against procrastination has helped. I hear or remember something, I go do it. It backfires when I have other priorities though.
I also really don't like it, but I know I have to eventually. I tried to split it up; having an all out shower with all the fancy products and having quick showers where I only have to worry about body and hair and I can be out really quickly. This has helped me greatly, cause I just tended to postpone it, thinking I'd always have to go with the fancy shower (which eventually I had to, cause I kept postponing because of the idea. Beautiful loophole.)
Yes the same it’s like I intend to then forget to shower then put it off till later then the next day. Mad thing is I always feel better after one.
If it’s a hair wash day I listen to a 30 minute podcast. If it’s a quick rinse I play a 4 minute song. If it’s a shower before a date aka full shave lol, then I play 2 songs or listen to a news podcast for 12 min which helps me play a game to beat the clock. The 4 minute shower saves a ton of water. This really helps when I think of it in song or podcast length.
I'm so glad that there are others who struggle with this. I feel like I'm the only one, and I can't talk to anyone about it because it's embarrassing to admit. But there are some really good suggestions here that I will definitely be trying.
I was just watching a video about this, and also about that ADHDers struggle with brushing our teeth, I love to be clean but it feels like too much 😣
Funny point...I feel like I dint have time. But the the things that I need to get done aren't getting done either.
That sounds like the “anxiety of time” issue I have as well. My recommendation, whenever you are confronted with a task (by others or by your remembering) and the anxiety toward time (and with all the tasks you got coming to mind all at once, which triggers the anxiety imo) The best next thing to do is pull out a clock or your phone and glance at the time, and then picture the amount of time that task will take, along with a couple others, and see if you meet your ‘deadline’ or not. 9 out of 10 times, I’d end up not only having enough time to do it, I’d end up having anywhere from half an hour to more than 2 hours to spare. But I never would’ve known that had I not re-anchored myself against the anxiety, and instead nothing would’ve been done.
By the time I’ve gotten the kids to a point where I have time to shower, I’m already exhausted. 😔 Always taking care of them, never taking care of myself- a work in progress.
I find ive been struggling with the hygiene and self care. Getting into the shower feels like climbing a mountain at times. But I do feel better afterwards
Yehh low key when ya hit with a side of OCD bit of depression I can relate! But all in all it made ya feel better in the end!
Sometimes.. I mean, I never regret grabbing the shower anyway but some days it's far more draining than others..
Man, I’m reading the comments and practically in tears knowing so many others are experiencing exactly what I am. It’s like some of you are saying the exact things I’m thinking. And some of the solutions shared are amazing, I’m already looking up some things mentioned!
There are always options. If showering is a sticking point, then here are some rinseless and waterless products you could try… Brands include Rinseless, Nurture, Drench, Medicosa, and CleanLife. It's apparently quite the industry! Holy crap. There's even a waterless, rinseless shower cap from Nuture (Amazon) that you put on before bed and it cleans your hair while you sleep!!! Medcosa No Water Body Wash: This is a rinse-free, waterless body wash that comes in a foam form. It is designed for adults and elderly care and can be wiped away with a towel CleanLife No-Rinse® products: These are waterless, rinse-free personal care products that are ideal for seniors, adults, and children. They are paraben and alcohol-free and come in a variety of formulas, including body wash, bathing wipes, and peri-wash No-Rinse Body Wash: This is a rinse-free body wash that comes in a liquid form. It is alcohol-free and leaves skin clean, moisturized, and odor-free Waterless and Rinse-Free Shampoo For People: This is a rinse-free, waterless shampoo that comes in a foam or liquid form. It is designed for adults, elderly care, and people with disabilities. It can be wiped away with a towel and leaves hair refreshed and clean and dissolves sweat, salt, and grime, all without rinsing. It is ideal for camping trips, hospital stays, and people with disabilities Has anyone tried these?
I also stumbled on two awesome hair products that you leave in your hair and let it dry naturally. I hate styling my hair and that was enough to stop me from wanting to wash it at all. Bumble and Bumble make a product called Un-blow dry or something like that and Hairstory makes a The Balm. Both of them are designed to be put in your hair when it’s wet and just left. I’ve struggled with having fine hair that frizzes and for whatever reason these two products save the day for me.
Also try to imagine and FEEL how good you feel in that moment when you’re all done and clean and relaxed 😌🥰😌😌
Often. Especially likely if you ( like myself) also have fibromyalgia. Have you tried breaking the whole task right down? - I’ve just joined this app today but see that it can help you to do this automatically with many tasks! - it’s called ‘splitting’. Love this feature! So for example , you can try just walking to the shower, or just switching it on and watching the water trickle for a minute. - Tell yourself you don’t have to take the shower - you’re just gonna get your towel ready. No pressure. Just your towel. Then, if you feel like it, get your products or pyjamas ready (or whatever would normally be the next smallest step you would take) If it takes you 3 days to actually do the steps, it doesn’t matter. It’s better than not showering for 10 because you couldn’t make a single, first step towards it. ❤️
I find the jet can be too hard on my skin ( I have fibromyalgia too), so a gentle trickle of water out the shower is enough for me which doesn't tired me out x
Yeah, having a showerhead you can adjust is really nice for that too.. I don't know about everyone else but I have sensory issues, and some days I like the stronger jet, and some days I set it to setting that almost ends up feeling like a blanket, with water just running over my skin.. and that's actually really nice, and enough to coax me into the shower on bad days too lol
I don't remember where I heard it exactly but it was said "If u do one thing when ur anything but happy make having a shower that one thing u do"
you know, sometimes a shower really concentrates me after a walk with the dog, and after it a cup of coffee - it really works, but if it is an EVENING shower (with all the procedures 😁) then the desire to delay this process is critical
Overcome to shower = the worst Showering = the best Leaving the shower = the worst Evey time 😅
Oh gosh yes - and I feel quite out of it still. My hair takes ages to dry as well so I have to take that into consideration, and it’s a hard task all round for me
I find it washes off a lot of my stress during the day, it’s cleansing to go home and wash the emotions of the day off, thinking of it as that might help you enjoy them more? 😊🫶🏼 I saw someone else recommend putting plants in the shower I love doing that too!
How can you change your shower so that it's as awesome as possible? I hated showering until I started adding things like: - a shower speaker - 3 suction cup holders for good-looking faux succulents - a cheap but sassy Amazon dupe for those hotel or spa showers where the body wash/shampoo/conditioner is in a groovy divided container that is stuck to the shower wall - and a scalp massage from Hairstory because my brain gets freaking tired Start small, but make it an awesome space for YOU. Then get some towels that feel good so you can dry off happily. There are soft ones at every price point. You're f@cking worth it! And that's why I don't mind taking showers.
this is so hard for me. i always have to gather so much energy to shower, and sometimes i procrastinate it a lot. this makes me feel really guilty. i really need to find a way to make this easier D:
Oooh i thought i’m the only one! I’m tired of entering the shower. After i showered, i feel awesome, haha.
Yes! it’s feel’s agonizing. But i feel sooo amazing once I do it. I’ll literally go days without showering because it feels so hard to just do it.
Showers are an inbetweener because times I’ll wake up and be up and about and other times it makes me tired asf
I switched to baths, honestly game changer for me. No more constant overhead reaching rinsing and detangling. No more freaking out picking stray hairs off my back, no more having parts of my body cold and others hot. Also I can make it warmer and start it as a nice soak for my sore body. I wear my hair up for body only days. I love it. I used to hattttttteeeeeeeee hygiene days. Now i dont
💯 I like to shower with the light off because it saves me from being too overstimulated as well
I never even thought that this could be related to my adhd... I hate to admit it, but I had to do the cute shower bench trick, like a previous poster said, for those days when I just can't switch gears...
Absolutely. With a boiler, it’s difficult to get washed my head properly while having a proper shower. I always have troubles with this and spend a lot of time procrastinating instead of getting my ass up and having that shower…
I struggle too. My daughter even more so. The sensory input is off the chart for one thing. Then if you have any chronic illness, the physicality can be daunting or even impossible. Having a shower chair and a hand held shower head does help somewhat. I also tend to not shower and wash my hair at the same time. Even if you find you need to do both every day, maybe try doing one in the morning and the other I’m the evening?
i feel like it takes me so much time to actually get in the shower. i love feeling clean and i enjoy showering once i’m in there but willing myself to go for a shower is difficult
A bath just seems so much easier to me. I run the bath and distract myself with something else. Can't relax in a bath tho I'm only in long enough to wash. Feels like I'm wasting time lying in dirty water 🤣
I bought a shower speaker and I play my favorite playlist and sing badly but loud and with happiness. I also order my fav coconut body wash and a six pack of diff color loofa things on subscription from Amazon. It helps a lot!
This all makes sense since apparently movements between states I.e. transitions is something many people with add / adhd find challenging ! 😮💨
agreed! for me it stems from having exzema and showers being fairly painful in my experience so it takes like ALL of my energy to shower
I feel the same way. It feels like 12 different tasks rather than just one main task and feels exhausting for me when most people find it relaxing.