For me showering means standing in a windowless room staring at a blank wall for 20 minutes (I get lost in my thoughts). Also there are several steps and I have to think about each of them.
This means that I only end up showering when my fear of coming across as dirty becomes bigger than the dread of being bored.
What do you do?
Waterproof Bluetooth speaker.
I second this. I have one that hangs on one of the shower curtain hooks, and I even got a little suction cup basket to set my phone in, in case I need to change songs or something. Works like a charm.
You can reduce the time there by making the water colder. You can also approach the experience as a sequence of steps and work out how you can wash every single part of your body in the least amount of steps.
For example, is it quicker to get all wet, turn off the shower, lather up your body, then rinse it all off in one go, or is it more efficient to do it from top to bottom, one body part at a time?
What’s the fastest you’ve been able to go from sleeping to walking out the door having had a full shower?
Finally, you should probably have a shower once a day if you’re around other people or if you get visitors. You might not smell anything, but they definitely will.
Finally, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with zoning out in the shower. Some days you luxuriate in the experience, some days you don’t.
Good luck!
This for me. I have the moves choreographed and timed, and every shower is a step by step play of the sequence. I just repeat the ritual. I’m not the quickest (it takes about 8 minutes from entering to exiting the bathroom) because I’m paranoid about not cleaning thoroughly.
20 minutes??!!! Wtf are you doing? How much is your heating bill!!! I have a family of 5 and it costs over 4 euros a day to provide hot water for us all (200litre tank) of we all took 20 minutes, I would go full on dad rage.
What is your hot water source?
Electric immersion heater, running on off peak electricity
I wonder how much you could save with a heat pump water heater
The ROI is long term, and not sure if it would actually happen, considering potential mechanical failure. My best plan for a high ROI is to put a hydraulic solar panel on the roof. Just need to get round to it, so many other jobs taking priority at the moment.
Eh I just hired someone to do mine. Got me off oil. The rebates offered helped
I have no idea how to go faster than 20 minutes. Between washing my face, body, shaving my under arms and legs, washing my long hair… that’s just how long it takes. I do not spend any time zoning out or enjoying the shower, it’s strictly chores.
My shower time varies. If I’m not too dirty, just a quick wash on all the areas that get the dirtiest/smelliest will take 5 mins. If I feel I haven’t properly washed in some time, scrubbing down every inch of my skin with soap would take about 15-20 min’s.
Shower beer
I listen to podcasts on a waterproof Bluetooth speaker. I wish I could speed my showers up though. IDK, I just always feel the need to rinse off my hands between every step, and it takes so long. Example steps: Put shampoo in hands, put hands into hair and uh agitate. Hands now covered in shampoo lather and shampoo lather running down my forehead to my eyes. To stop that, I need to rinse my hands. Awkwardly wave my hands in the thin water jets until clean. With clean hands, move the descending lather back into my hair, then step under the water to rinse my hair. Hair’s rinsed but hands not fully. Hand rinsing dance again. Next step, face wash, and on and on and on. God I wish I could speed it up.
I too use a bluetooth speaker in the shower; usually on NPR news. the short nature of their coverage usually helps me focused so I don’t zone out.
RE: Rinsing - tbh, there’s nothing wrong with this unless you’re extremely water / hot water / time crunched - rinsing between each steps helps prevent cross contaminating your body with stuff you’re scrubbing off of other bits.
Thanks for the feedback, appreciated. I just wish the process was faster, somehow, for time and water/energy savings. Maybe I need a different shower head.
I let the intrusive thoughts win and hung my ceiling nightlight thing from the inside shower curtain and shower with the lights off. I find it more calming–not that I found found showers not relaxing before but feels like I’m shutting out the outside world more and that I find more relaxing.
I also have some of those bone conducting headphones that are waterproof so I listen to podcasts while I shower as well.
Invite the neighbors.
I just enjoy the quiet mmoment in the shower. I noticed that i take on alot of stimulation lately even when really, I dont need it. Its become a habit I have to unlearn. It start with the shower.
Set a stop watch and speedrun it
Ooh, good idea!
I find gamifying a good way to keep my focus. Speedrunning in particular
this could be a double edged sword - do not go for shampoo skip the timesave is not worth
Speedrun
People have said this, but a playlist. I put on music I’m familiar with that is upbeat. I figure each song is around 3 minutes, so when the song changes I’m like oh yeah, get to business, that’s three more minutes that have gone by! Bonus if you play the same playlist so you know “usually I’m rinsing my hair out by this song! I’ve got to hurry up!”
I guess you could stick a checklist to the wall to keep yourself on track
Think up an entire story from start to finish. Before you know it you’re done.
listen to music if you lower you inner voice. but i love the thoughts i have in showering. it’s the only safe place that i can listen to myself and think about things in general
Podcasts! They’re not all boring