When my mood is poor, personal hygiene is the last thing on my mind. I could go without a shower for days or weeks and not even notice until someone points out the stench. I could brush my teeth even less and wash my hair far less. But that’s the challenge.
And no, I don’t mean how long can I go without washing up.
The challenge is to suck it up and wash up, even when I don’t feel like it.
Here’s a few ideas on how to get started:
- Make it a ritual.
- Set up a date.
- Get fancy with scents.
Make it a ritual.
If it ain’t part of my routine, it ain’t getting done.
Sometimes that means I need to put it on a list, set an alarm, or otherwise infuse washing into my regular routine. For some people, that comes naturally, but not for me. I have to go the extra mile by creating a task for me to check off later. That could be through an app or good old fashioned pen and paper. However it gets done, it needs to be provocative enough that I actually follow through.
Set up a date.
Laugh all you want, but sometimes I will go so far as to plan a date with myself for a future date so that I feel obligated to clean up a little.
I choose a favorite destination like a restaurant or local festival, I pick a future date that’s not crazy far away, and I work my way up to it. Maybe the first night I don’t follow through because I’m still nose deep in sadness, but by the day of the date, I am fit, fresh, and squeaky clean to embark on a good time. Try it. You might be surprised how much easier it is to wash up.
Get fancy with scents.
Now this might take some creativity, but imagine someone walking by and stopping you because they have to know what you are wearing, only for you to turn around and say “Nothing special. I made that.”
Compliments are like diamonds, classic and always appealing. Imagine collecting them all because you turned your hygiene routine into a mission: find and create the most wonderful mix of scents on your own body. Call me cray cray, but that sounds like a good time to me. All that’s missing is a little bit of mad scientist music while I mix up my next washing up concoction.
Whatever you do, make sure you wash up often.
It shouldn’t take another human being to notice for you to be encouraged to wash up. Again, preaching to the choir here. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to avoid the shower like it could give me the actual plague.
But there’s hope.
Knowing you are not alone is always a good step, but taking action based on that knowledge is even better.
You can turn your washing up time into a ritual, a date, a challenge, whatever it takes to get you into that water more often.
Hey baby steps, I didn’t say you rush to wash up every single day, did I? Start slow. When you can becomes every other day becomes every single day.
You can do it, friend. I know you can.
Let’s start washing up more.
Arishama