Personal hygiene

[Ohmywhat]

I'm so embarrassed, I can only really discuss this anonymously so please be gentle.

A friend who I've known for many many years has very sympathetically told me that I've let my personal hygiene slip. She's not wrong, my weight has steadily increased especially over the past two years and I'm really struggling. I don't know where to start.

We are supposed to be going away in a big group next weekend and now I feel I can't go. How can I knowing she thinks this?

Any advice? (apart from have a wash!) I know it seems so easy but I feel stuck and a bit panicky and overwhelmed.

@Twiglets1 you must be new to mn....

Haha I am quite new to mn. Am going to check with my friends now if any of them Hoover the bed but I can’t imagine it’s a thing many people do 😂
I consider it a good day if I’ve straightened the duvet so it isn’t all crumpled so I may be at the other end of the spectrum

Thank you for all the tips, lots I would never have thought of. I don't feel able to do it all right ow but I will get there.

I am washed and dressed, teeth and hair brushed, clean clothes, Deodorant on, I even shaved my pits.

I have found some pyjamas, not matching which is annoying but can't have everything! I found some face cream to use and my mum is about to arrive sonic going to shove the hoover around quickly.

Hoover your mattress, you'll be horrified at what comes up!!

It does make a difference as well as turning it every 3 months

@Ohmywhat brilliant :) don't worry about feeling overwhelmed, just keep it to small manageable steps first and then once that's habit you can build up from there

Tumble, flip, turn 😉

Today is Sunday so I am doing the following, does seem like quite a lot just to stay clean!:

I once heard someone say they wish they could put their house and themselves in the dishwasher!

HOUSE
opening windows, empty bins
washing bedding (1-2 weekly)
laundry/ironing

ME
Showering (I achieve this every day 80% of the time)
basic mani-pedi (getting rid of dead skin, cutting nails, pushing back cuticles, urea moisturiser)

CAT:
Brush
Wash bowls (daily)
empty littertray (daily)

I vacuumed my car yesterday. Nothing to do with hygiene per se but it's all the same mindset I guess.

BTW my mattress is a non-flip one (it's memory foam) but I do agree with vacuuming it, esp if you have pets!

Sounds like you are doing loads, OP!

I get that sometimes, under my boobs too. I use Sudocrem to clear it. Takes a day or 2. That can smell too.

My house is always clean but you'd faint if you saw my car, it has sand from last holiday in there still !

I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t, but you certainly don’t have to. I’d like my bed to last a while, and if you did it you’d see how much dirt there actually is.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor ooh, I recommend the car vacuum machines at Tesco. £1 coin for 3 mins, that will be so satisfying getting all that sand up! Made me feel like I'm winning at life!

That would cost me £20 at least, honestly it's a tip🙄😂 When I can be bothered I use our hoover, I just forget mist of the time. Even a friend laughed and said how can I have such a tidy house and such a pig sty of a car ?!

I have tummy overhang, I make sure it's cleaned with soap, dried thoroughly then I put a little ASDA nappy cream in the deep crease.

I'd recommend a daily strip wash instead of bath OP, and get a shower attachment for bath taps to wash hair. Or as PP has suggested, get a bath stool from Amazon, put in bath and sit on it to shower using same tap attachment.

If you go for the strip wash put a towel on floor in front of sink, put foot on side of bath to flannel wash. That's how I cut my toenails too.

How are you getting on, OP?
My failure point is getting up too late to shower before starting to WFH and then maybe not bothering to shower until lunchtime (if at all).

But you could be in and out of a shower in 2 minutes and be cleaner and feel better for it, it doesn't take long?

This thread has really inspired me to make changes. It's not just OP who is being helped!

I think that poster was saying they’d prefer to shower but wake up too late to do so. And realistically you can’t actually shower in two minutes. As in undress, fully shower and wash yourself, dry and be dressed for work, all in 120 seconds. It doesn’t take long but it doesn’t take two minutes, and when you’re depressed/struggling it can be a mountain to climb.

@Garman

But you could be in and out of a shower in 2 minutes and be cleaner and feel better for it, it doesn't take long?

This isn't very understanding. Yes, a shower can be very quick. So can brushing your teeth, or making a hot drink etc but when you're depressed or incredibly anxious, logic goes out of the window and you feel frozen and unable to do things that are usually easy.

Yeah, I roll out of bed at about 1 minute to 9 to make sure I'm logged on in time.
Then I often go for a shower about 10-11 when others would be having a teabreak. Agree, there's more to it than you think, even if not washing hair.

If I'm busy though, I don't get to it until lunchtime and then I fall into the trap of saying "let's not bother today".

ATM for me it's mostly laziness/bad sleep habits (staying up too late watching youtube vids means I struggle to get up) rather than depression. But in the winter, as a pp said, it can feel like climbing a mountain. I have TWO sad lamps and still can't manage!

Monday morning was off to a good start, washed and dressed before work. Took ages though ans this is where I feel fatigue at the thought already of doing it all over again. But I will. Its been really hot today so feeling like I will need it.

My hot water is restored so will have a proper bath tomrrow and can also wash my hair.

Asked about the shower but apparently they don't do that, you have to write in for permission to make a change and then do it yourself. No idea how to go about that so not sure how far I'll get.

My Boots order also due to.rrow so looking forward to using so new products.

Well done, if you do it every day it won't seem such a chore I promise.

@Ohmywhat did you find it exhausting due to poor fitness or mentally?

I struggle with my mh and some days I don't have the energy to get washed and dressed until the evening (in which case its usually into fresh pjs). Some days I only manage 1 min of teeth brushing and a quick wash...My point is you don't always have to go town every single day and if you don't have to go anywhere you can take your time doing it (as long as you do, do it).

If physical exhaustion - or a combination of both - would suggest a blood test to check things like thyroid, vit d, b12, iron etc. Amazing how much a deficiency can impact energy to fo basic things.

And if its is only mh related, then then again I urge you to speak to the gp for support.

It will get easier (and remember- it doesn't matter if you fall off wagon, just as long as you get back on it).

Hmm I'm not sure actually. I just know I felt like I needed a sit down afterwards! I used that time to have a cup of tea and watch the news but I really wanted to make my bed and do a bit of tidying up before work. I have done that this evening though.

I think I could add a multivitamin to my morning routine, I know I sometimes get anaemic so maybe an extra iron supplement too.

What is this magic???? On the recommendation of PP on here I bought some Pears soap, haven’t used soap for years, and the difference in cleanliness between soap and shower gel is UNREAL. I’ve used various kinds, sometimes have to use unscented and sensitive like a sanex but have also used Mint Source, own brand, Sanctuary etc- I only mention that to show I’ve tried many so the issue isn’t with the brand. I also used a flannel which I normally do but my skin felt so much better and cleaner. Usually I can already smell myself getting whiffy even 30 mins after a shower but despite doing heavy housework yesterday by bedtime I still smelled fresh. I wonder if shower gel is hard go grt off your skin so it kind of builds up? I’m going to have to make sure I really moisturise due to a skin condition but otherwise I won’t use shower gel again.

just thought I’d post in case anyone else had read the PP’s but hadn’t tried it yet.