hate taking showers? - adhd personal hygiene hacks
i have adhd and I don’t like to get wet!
today we’re talking about my experience with water-based personal hygiene as an adult adhd human. and some hacks i use to help make things easier for me 💦
in this video, i go over:
water struggles
chadd article “why is this so hard”
handwashing hacks
shower hacks
i don’t like washing my hands, my hair, or taking showers.
the process of getting wet takes a lot of energy from me. i don’t like the feeling of being wet. i have temperature sensitivity with the water temp and then my skin temp once there’s water on it. i hate feeling cold. i also hate feeling too hot. and i find it a nuisance to have to dry off. on top of all of that, my skin is very dry, so i have to immediately moisturize, or else I’m extra uncomfortable.
i used to think there was something wrong with me, that i was just lazy or extremely flawed. i was always wondering why nobody else seemed to have any issue with these personal hygiene tasks. i also felt ashamed cuz i didn’t wanna be dirty and gross.
but lately i’ve been considering that it’s not that case at all that i’m lazy or there’s anything wrong or flawed about me. i’ve been noticing how many sensitivities i have, particularly to temperature and texture. and the more i learn about how ADHD symptoms and traits can show up in people, the more sense it’s making when i look back and notice these patterns over the course of my life with things i’ve struggled with, like bathing.
why is personal hygiene hard for adhd?
here’s a great lil tidbit about this from an article on CHADD.org (children & adults with adhd), titled “If This Is Supposed to Be Easy, Why Is It So Hard?”,
“Typically, for someone with ADHD, when a task or activity is of high interest to them, they feel energized, motivated, and able to easily engage and perform at a very high level. But, when the task or activity is of low interest—even if it is important, simple, or short—they find it viscerally painful and almost impossible to engage with.
Why? The human brain needs dopamine, a neurotransmitter that facilitates communication between neurons, to be fully activated or “switched on” so that it can do its job; that is, pay attention, focus, and self-regulate. Dopamine levels in the brain are positively correlated with our level of interest in a task.”
i was like ok, duh! i was having a hard time getting myself in the shower because it was boring, there was nothing i liked about it (aside from feeling clean when the whole process was over), and i actively feel uncomfortable when my skin is wet. so no wonder it felt impossible and near painful to try to get myself to do it. there was no dopamine involved. it was prob doing whatever the opposite of dopamine is 😅
but here’s the thing, i wanna wash my body, i wanna feel clean.
it’s been difficult for me to get through my daily life knowing that i needed to do those things. it used to feel like a really painful process to get myself to take a shower or wash my hands… until i started putting these practices into play. and now i have more ease with these personal hygiene tasks.
i have to actively create dopamine in these situations where there is none.
to tap into this, i think about what might bring me joy or help the process be enjoyable in any little way, or anything that might bring ease.
dopamine increasing hacks
here are some hacks that i use to make handwashing and showering self care easier and more enjoyable for myself!
none of these products are sponsored or affiliate - i just love them and wanna share :)
handwashing
Beautiful foaming hand soap dispenser with soap I like
Rail 19 makes recycled glass bottles that you can purchase replacement pumps for instead of having to replace the entire bottle
pretty to look at
i like the texture of the foam soap a lot more than liquid soap
i use fragrance free soap because i’m sensitive to smells - it’s a more enjoyable experience for me if it doesn’t smell like anything
since i have dry skin, i make sure to keep body butter nearby to put on directly after I dry my hands
i make the body butter myself which is a special experience and allows me to control the ingredients
i keep it in easy to use spots so it’s accessible immediately after i wash my hands: upstairs in the bathroom cabinet and downstairs in my purse
showering
Sustainably harvested & biodegradable sea sponge that feels nice on my body. I try to purchase locally whenever possible.
fragrance free natural soap - try to get it locally with no packaging if possible, this one i ordered online from ethique
i listen to a shower playlist - lush lofi on spotify. i play it on my speaker and vibe out
I shower with my partner and on a schedule so I never have to guess or question when it’s happening, I just do it when it’s time. And I have a buddy to hang out with. we sing silly songs about our cats and have a grand old time!
adhd self care notion dashboard
this is a digital resource i use to help keep me on top of my self care.
it’s a digital portal into self care and empowerment for folx with adhd
it includes:
💭 intention setting space: for helping you stay focused on the vibes you wanna embody in your life
reminders that help you celebrate & feel proud of yourself
motivational inspiration: for shots of dopamine every time you visit the page!
daily medication checkboxes: who doesn’t love checking a box when they’ve completed something?!
🧰 self care ideas toolkit: to help you regulate your nervous system
progress & medication tracker: so you don’t have to try to remember all your health details off the top of your head anymore & you have an easy reference log to look back on!
this isn’t just a dashboard. it’s a portal into living a life of ease where you feel proud of your unique & beautiful brain and all the magical ways you show up in the world.
grab the template at the button below!
those are a few of the dopamine increasing hacks i use to make cleaning my body a lil easier and more fun. i would love to hear what hacks you use in the comments on the video.
if you’re looking for a digital space to help keep you on top of your self care - check out the adhd self care notion dashboard!
thanks so much for being here and subscribing to my channel. i’ll see you in the next one!
More where that came from
If you’d like to see more posts about adhd & self care, check out the others by clicking on an image below:
