The fear of smelling bad to others

@ashOJ I think from now on the fear of itching is gonna be enough to convince me to shower (if that is what is causing it, could also be an allergic reaction to my new meds)

I get fancy shower stuff and make it a self-care event. Try to make it more of a pampering session and less of a chore however possible!

Yup and I don’t I just do it before every doctors appointment or when I have plans which is basically never I need help with that big time

Agreeing with the fancy shower stuff. Sometimes you gotta make yourself excited to shower with a soap you havent tried yet but looks and smells so nice or a cat shaped loofah or a pastel electric face brush

Also, the thought of everything ive picked up through the day thats just sitting on my skin. Dirt and pet waste from petting pets mostly. Makes me want to scrub myself down.

Yes. I mainly do it so I don’t look bad when I see other people since I’m very self conscious about how I look. I’m going to try to listen to a podcast or something relaxing and see if that helps.

I’ve associated hot water with calm and feeling safe. It’s how I decompress. I add drops of essential oil to the little shelves of my shower so even the steam smells nice. I also don’t like smelling bad when I’m just lounging or going to classes. I think if you can frame it as not a chore and as a time for you to relax and work out knots in your muscles it might help?

When I'm at my worst, I shower with a swimsuit on, or I wipe myself down with a wet cloth. Usually the wet cloth works, and if you can get some leave in conditioner and dry shampoo, it takes the weight off having to take a FULL shower and use all your spoons at once. Do however much you think you can do. Don't push yourself too much, because it can lead to feeling like it's a mountain of a task you'll never be able to complete.

Oh!!! About the previous comment, a lot of the time at my worst where i couldn’t bring myself to take a full shower, id keep my clothes on, wrap my towel around my neck and wash just my hair upside down in the shower without actually getting in. That plus washing my face if i still had the energy