Getting Into The Shower?

[imagic89]

I have such a hard time geting my butt into the shower. And once I get in there the time blindness takes over and I stand there til the water runs cold - which is actually part of my hesitation getting in, Im scared of losing time.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but on the off chance I'm not I found my perfect solution that might help yall out too. A Shower speaker! I got one that has a clock and connects to my phone. I play music or podcasts, and since it has a clock I'm not blind to the time anymore. It makes taking a shower so much more managable and enjoyable. I know atleast for me there's other stuff that makes me not want to start (like wet hair dripping down my dry clothes 🤮) but this was a game changer in motivation and eliminated some of the time anxiety ♡

[STEM_Dad]

I'll have to do that.

I got a big LED clock for my bathroom counter that I can see without my glasses on (I'm very nearsighted), but I can't see it with the shower curtain closed, so of course I get surprised by the time when I'm getting out of the shower.

{For me, the big issue is getting out of bed on time. It has been more of a struggle for the last year or so than it has ever been in my life. - Once I get into the shower, my morning routine finally gets under way. But, even though my meds have helped my sense of time, showering seems to make time stand still.}

[imagic89 in reply to STEM_Dad]

It absolutely does. Oh, for getting out of bed I have an alarm app called Android Sleep. There's a setting in it which makes it so that I have to get out of bed and scan a barcode in my bathroom in order for it to shut up - which forces me to stand up and turn on lights in order to scan 😆. I also set it to not sleep itself for an hour. So continuous noise for an hour or until I scan the code. It isn't fool-proof, but it works better than a normal alarm for getting me up.

[STEM_Dad]

How big is the clock on your shower speaker? The ones I can find on Amazon look like the clock numbers are only 1/2-inch high.

I'm very nearsighted, so I am trying to find one with a bigger display.

(I might have to settle for just a shower clock and separate shower speaker.)

[imagic89 in reply to STEM_Dad]

Oh yeah, the numbers are fairly small on mine 🤔 Is it possible to put the LED clock on the wall near the ceiling so you can see it over the curtain?

[STEM_Dad in reply to imagic89]

Probably not very easily, but I realized that it probably wouldn't be too small of numbers after all. Then again, I don't need a speaker in the shower as much as I need a clock.

[Rustreloaded]

Same here, really embarrassed by it but it can take me days and days to make myself get into the shower, usually what does it for me is that I have to be amongst other people on a particular day (another thing I hate and avoid if at all possible) and I know being unshowered amongst other people will be desperately embarrassing. However on those days that I can avoid showering no longer I am helped by using a shower speaker and tempting myself into the shower by playing a new episode of a favourite podcast. Once I'm in the shower I'm fine, I really enjoy it so I can't understand why I find it so difficult to start the process. I usually just check how long the podcast runs and that helps me to know I've been in there long enough rather than having a speaker which incorporates a clock display.

[imagic89 in reply to Rustreloaded]

I did that with my phone before I got a speaker lol. Set my phone on the shower ledge and using Spotify, Amazon music, or youtube to play something and note the run-time lol.

I'm also fine once I get in, I love being in the hot water. I think for me its most just the anxiety of losing time. Not just time blindness while in the shower, but the time it takes to physically do it is time taken away from what I actually feel like doing in the moment - compounded by knowing I'll likely get lost in the bathroom. I can stand and stare at a wall for a half hour lost in my own thoughts like it's nothing at all while avoiding getting dressed because putting dry clothes on damp skin is .... yeah, no lol.

[Phianoposis33]

I thought my 23yr old only did this. It could be days before he takes a shower and then when he does, it's 2 hours long. Thanks for the tip even though he takes his phone in with him to listen to music. Never thought of a clock.!

[imagic89 in reply to Phianoposis33]

Oh no and I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one here either. Problem is that I enjoy the water once I'm in; it's soothing and it's a good place to let thoughts run rampant, and cut off from seeing anything else via shower curtain - no distractions. Perfect enviornment to get lost in! 😆

[Notebook24]

Hi imagic89,

I dont have the shower issue however, I have many other issues with time blindness . I liked that you have set up some clock /reminder so you get out of the shower. May be you can wear a bathrobe after the shower for awhile till the dripping stops..if you dont like to dry your hair with air drier...I dont like the wet hair dripping on my clothes too but I use the bathrobe for an extended time and put on cotton hair cap (personally it makes me feel cozy and comfortable). I think we have to be creative to overcome what makes us avoiding healthy habits and reduce the effect of the time blindness.

[Mimmy12]

I have a shower radio with a timer so I can remind myself how long I've been in the shower. Also, I find dealing with my wet hair keeps me from showering so I sometimes pull my hair back and not washing my hair every time I shower.

[Lilybel]

I have a 30 yr old daughter who will only shower once a month or longer! She used to shower more often and spend an hour in there but now just doesn't want to shower

I think a time mgmt issue but her face is broken out she uses body spray and dry shampoo to not look dirty! She has ADHD and lives at home temporarily now!

How can I help her ???

[Makemegood]

I have the same issue with the shower!

For me, it feels like a result of a combination of ADHD and depression. I avoid the shower due to depression/energy level- it feels like a lot of work to get undressed/dressed, make decisions about what to wear, etc., it's draining. Once I've gotten myself in the shower, ADHD is my struggle- I go time blind.

These things help me a bit:

making a list and including "take a shower" as an item- the dopamine boost from checking it off motivates me

having an "after shower uniform"- clothes that I put on after I get dried off, not necessarily what I'm going to wear for the day (eliminates panic of making a decision)

setting a timer for the time I can take a shower