Showering can be so hard for people experiencing depression. It’s really a complex task that requires a lot of thought, prep and both physical and mental energy!
My Tips
– Set a goal of how many times to shower a week. I had a three day rule or if I can’t answer my husbands question of when my last one was …it was time… 😪
– Brush your teeth in the shower it’s one less thing to think about doing. Which I will forgot about later. I have a spare tooth brush in the shower so I don’t need to remember to get it when I shower
– Have different shaped/ coloured shampoo bottles to your conditioner. I don’t know how many times I’ve washed my hair with shampoo over and over without conditioner. This is so frustrating.
– Shower with a buddy. 🤭 My buddy is lily my dog. Showering with her is more about looking after her rather than myself. It has made this dreaded activity fun. #smalldogoptimal
– Have music playing. Something to stop you from dissociating in the shower. Again Lily’s my distraction.
– Sit to shower. I don’t have the energy to stand to shower. So I sit. Not everyone is able to do that so maybe think about a safe shower chair/stool you could use. – Let you hair air dry if it’s not too cold. Lifting the hair dryer is exhausting and extremely noisy for me. So perhaps towel dry half and do the rest with the hair dryer.
– if you don’t want to wash your hair use dry shampoo or place some talcum powder on the roots of your hair. This will prevent your hair from having that greasy look.
– keep a routine of what time you normally shower to keep consistent with your hygiene.
– After showering get into something comfortable that is the best sensation. If you have any further tips post below!!
Until then… Have a day,
Love Laura
OT for BPD 