[Deilla]

I'm having a lot of problems with depression and the last thing I want to do most days is shower. I've tried things to help motivate me like scented body wash, music and going to Wiki How. It's really hard and I wish it wasn't.

I really want to improve in this area. I have to make baby steps and be patient with myself.

One trick that helped me last time was to envisioning my perfect walk-in shower and to imagine the shower heads of my dreams spraying me with water. I thought I could keep on with this imagination stuff and pretend I have a hot date and I want to get dressed for it. Or I'm going out with my girlfriends for a night out on the town.

Reality is I have no life, but I'll just make believe.

[Skeezyks]

[Deilla]

Thanks! It's been really hard this week. And this time I have a reason to shower. I need a hair cut. But I keep putting off the hair cut. Today's excuse is that I need all my energy to deal with tax forms. I just want to get that out of the way so I don't have to worry about it anymore. It's too stressful. Stress makes me depressed.

But I'm discovering that I have to want to shower and then I need mental tricks to carry through.

[Deilla]

I've been doing the bare minimum each day to get by. I've had little motivation. But yesterday I decided to take a shower. I just did it. Plain and simple. It felt like a goal I had to accomplish. And it went fairly well. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be.

Yay for me!!

[All Is Revealed]

Originally Posted by Deilla

I've been doing the bare minimum each day to get by. I've had little motivation. But yesterday I decided to take a shower. I just did it. Plain and simple. It felt like a goal I had to accomplish. And it went fairly well. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be.

Yay for me!!

Awesome! I knew you could do it. I believe in you.

[Deilla]

Thanks! I really want to get back to the pre-depression me. The one who cared about her appearance. I'm tired of being locked up in this house all the time. My next step is to go to that hair stylist appointment. Make it a special beauty day.

[whoamihere]

I can relate to this so much. When I'm depressed I just have no motivation, and it is sooooooo hard to psych myself up for showering and getting ready for the day. I am employed so on work days I have a rule that after my second cup of coffee I get in the shower. Once I'm dressed I let myself sit on the couch and stare at my phone for 20 minutes before I do my hair. I follow this routine even when I'm not depressed so it's become kind of ingrained.

I hope you make that hair appointment; you deserve a special beauty day!

[Deilla]

Thank you! Sounds like you have a good routine. I would like some kind of routine too. I like the coffee cup idea. And then taking a break for a bit.

[Deilla]

I got another shower in. This time before the week was up. So I'm happy about that! I still don't feel like getting a hair cut. Too much went on this week and next week is busy. I'll take my wins where/when I can get them.

[Deilla]

If other people would like to hop on the thread for motivation, I would be happy for some company. Like I would be interested in knowing why it's so hard. And what things have helped you. And what do you think will make it better.

Like for me, I know part of it is depression. And some of it is physical. I have mobility issues and it's hard to take a shower. I really have to work at it. I would like to do it every 2 to 3 days. But I do it once a week.

Things that have helped in the past have been setting goals and being held accountable. Wanting to feel fresh before a doctor's appointment. Listening to music. Using nice smelling bath products. Having my clothes ready for me. And reaching that 1 week mark.

Something that I think will help me is a shower cady. I have it in a box unopened. I just need to take it out and see if I can hang it. My shower head and shower aren't flat. So I don't know. But I think I should at least try.

[Marla500]

I have this too and I don't really know why except for lack of energy/depression. I always feel better when I'm done though so knowing that does help sometimes. And sometimes I just think if I do it today I won't have to worry about it tomorrow.

[Little Moons]

It's hard for me cuz it feels draining. Like you, I use nicely scented items to help motivate myself. Another thing that helps me is looking at showering through the lens of self compassion: I deserve to be clean.

[Deilla]

Originally Posted by Marla500

I have this too and I don't really know why except for lack of energy/depression. I always feel better when I'm done though so knowing that does help sometimes. And sometimes I just think if I do it today I won't have to worry about it tomorrow.

Yes, lack of energy I would say was my biggest thing. And it does feel better after a shower. I try to tell myself I'll feel better about myself and my day if I just do it. I like your thinking about getting it over with today so I don't have to worry about it the next day. I may try that. Thanks!

[Deilla]

Originally Posted by Little Moons

It's hard for me cuz it feels draining. Like you, I use nicely scented items to help motivate myself. Another thing that helps me is looking at showering through the lens of self compassion: I deserve to be clean.

Yes, we deserve good self-care. I like thinking of it that way. I wish I thought of it more that way. I tend to think of it as a hassle instead. It's really something good for us. Thanks!

[Princesa7]

Originally Posted by Deilla

I'm having a lot of problems with depression and the last thing I want to do most days is shower. I've tried things to help motivate me like scented body wash, music and going to Wiki How. It's really hard and I wish it wasn't.

I really want to improve in this area. I have to make baby steps and be patient with myself.

One trick that helped me last time was to envisioning my perfect walk-in shower and to imagine the shower heads of my dreams spraying me with water. I thought I could keep on with this imagination stuff and pretend I have a hot date and I want to get dressed for it. Or I'm going out with my girlfriends for a night out on the town.

Reality is I have no life, but I'll just make believe.

Do you have a bath as well as a shower? I ask because I've adopted what my French partner does: shower first then run a bath and use good old fashioned Epsom Salts. These salts are cheap and available everywhere. They are highly beneficial used for muscle rexation making one feel good, and I sleep well after taking a bath with a scoop of these salts.

If there isn't a bath in your place, you can still use Epsom Salts in gel form suitable for showering and is not expensive, about a tenner or less for two bottles of 500 ml. There are quite a few of these gels with a high percentage of these salts inside. It really is great stuff.

[Deilla]

Yesterday I took my shower. It had been more than a week. Mainly I took it because I wasn't feeling well emotionally and I knew I would start to feel better if I felt clean. So I just shut all excuses out of my mind and just did it. I'm really getting tired of this being a struggle. I may try some affirmations and see if that helps me.

[thinkandoer]

I feel your pain.
I also have problems to make myself take shower.
But I found for myself some solutions:
1) I bought better shower head,
2) I put nice music near the door to the bathroom (on the other side of the door in order not to destroy loudspeakers with humidity). I am listening to Donavon Frankenreiter (sweet lyrics and relaxing sound)
3) I create dimmer light atmosphere (somehow that way shower become more enjoyable to me). I only turn on the mirror light
4) I put towel close to the shower curtains, so that when I finished showering I do not step out of the showering cabin into the colder air but dry myself inside the cabin where the air is still warm.

Hope of these tricks will help someone else

cheers!!!