In the interest of honesty I’m going to admit something to you. It has taken me a good many years to become someone who enjoys showers. Really, my conversion only occurred in the last year or so…
Is that gross? TMI?
Well, perhaps I’m not alone. This little ditty, The 5 Reasons Girls Hate Showering, sums things up nicely. It’s not that, until recently, I enjoyed a dirty, smelly, sweaty existence. More like the time investment of washing my long locks, coupled with freezing my buns off once it was all said in done, seemed an annoyance rather than a necessity or even *gasp* an enjoyable experience.
Here’s how I managed to flip the script…
1. I shower at night.
I fought this switch for YEARS and hated every second of it. Chet will tell you that I love a good faff in the morning. Meaning, I’d rather wake up early to dink around on the internet and eat breakfast in bed than to wash and blow-dry my hair. I need time to wake up. Showering does the complete opposite for me. It makes me want to get back in bed. Which is exactly what I used to do when forcing myself into morning showers. I would towel-turban my hair, climb back in the covers, and fall back asleep. Whoops! The switch to the PM means I can cozy up in pj’s and quilts to my heart’s content and make a natural transition to slumber, rather than one that sets my day back a few steps.
2. I wash my hair less.
The more you wash your hair the more you need to wash your hair, ya know? Like the article linked above alludes to, hair washing tags on a ton more time to the shower process. You gotta wash and condition and rinse, sure. But then you gotta tug through all the tangles and maybe even blow-dry and straighten or curl, too. Exhausting. But the opposite is also true! The less you wash your hair the less you need to wash it. Now I happily get by on two times a week. And because I shower at night, I just let it air dry.
3. I bought a white shower curtain.
Another thing that bummed me out about showers? They could get a little dreary. Now, a lot of that can be chalked up to poor lighting and tiny bathroom lay-outs in all the crappy rentals I’ve had over the last decade. But, I found that an easy and affordable way to brighten things up a pinch is with a white shower curtain. My current curtain is from Ikea and it was only $12.99. Kicking myself for all those years I suffered with drab showers due to dark colors and an opaque curtain liner. Lord.
4. I know when to commit and when to switch it up.
I love impulse purchasing products as much as the next gal. But, I’ve learned to commit to the type of shampoo/conditioner that works for my hair. It may be a bit more expensive than I sometimes enjoy, which is why I would try out random one-offs that didn’t get the job done, but in the end going for the gold is worth it. Plus, I wash my hair less so it lasts an amazingly long time. As for other bath products, I like to switch it up! Artisinal goat’s milk soap from a craft fair? Sure, I’ll buy a bar. Anything lavender scented? Yes, please!
5. I keep it clean.
While I like to try different soaps and smell-good fun, that doesn’t mean I keep all the products lining the shower. I’m not down for a bunch of clutter. I keep products to a minimum (ie. just the ones I want to use that day) at any given time. Sorta random, and not for everyone, but that works for me. Oh and, the Kaboom Foaming Bathroom Cleaner is a lifesaver if you’re super lazy like me but still want those tiles blinging.
And there you have it!
*High fives self for turning a chore into something awesome.*
Finding delight. 