Anyone else find self care totally tedious?

[binnibonnieboo]

So much stuff needs doing just to keep ourselves going. Shower, wash hair, brush teeth, dry self, put on clean clothes. Every single day except maybe for hair washing. What a pain. I don't even wear make up or bother moisturising, but still find it so tedious. That's before we even do the feeding our bodies bit!

I hear you, OP. I’m bad at it, to the point I think I’m ever so slightly self neglectful. I’m on various medications and I’m not brilliant at taking them consistently. I even find brushing my teeth very day hard.

So does mine, but only at 3am and very loudly

This sounds silly. I don't mind showering, but I find drying myself really tiring. I only shower once every two days because of this. My toenails look like a witches dream and I rarely shave because it's all too tiresome.

I set aside 15 mins each day to rotate through my tasks of self care. I wfh mostly but always style my hair, make up, look smart as I can. This includes tidying dressing table, washing brushes, cleaning hairbrush over the course of a month, sorting clothes, cleaning shoes, whatever takes a very short time.

I think it's just how you make it a habit. With the dc I encouraged it daily from small, starting with clean trimmed nails, clean tidy hair, and more as they got older. To be presentable at least! I didn't grow up with a daily routine and didn't bother with hair, make up, outside all the time. So it's been a slog to make it a habit.
It's nice though, to know I can be ready for any occasion, just hair brush, change clothes, lip gloss and go:)

I get it. I don't have time to moisturise, my hygienist says I don't floss properly, I know I don't do my kegels enough and I am way behind with my waxing but as fast as I do it the bloody hair grows back. It's just all so relentless!

Loathe it always have, can't wait to be a disembodied spirit.

I’m with you, OP. I also hate feeling grubby. You can’t win.

I can't be bothered with anything cosmetic. I struggle with the routine hygiene tasks and always have, was diagnosed with depression in my teens and have never really managed to get a routine. But some things - a quick shower, a soak in the bath - do feel good so easier to make a regular habit. Other than that, it's social pressure to be presentable that is the motivator. It's a necessary chore.

It’s all self indulgent bollocks! I shower and wash my hair every day and that’s it.

Im about as low maintenance as it gets!

Actually now that I think of it, teeth are the worst. I brush and use interdental brushes but can't fliss, it makes me gag

Congratulations.

Some of us struggle.

I think to term the very basics of personal hygiene as "self care" is to be embracing the language of Instagram rather too much.
You'll be gifting your child a birthday card next.

Yes, I admit not a great term, I couldn't think what to call it. The pp who called it general maintenance had a better term for it.

There's people that don't hate these tasks? Honestly I just assumed they're a necessary evil and everyone hated them. Not necessarily every task all the time (I know that some enjoy say a nice bath) but the fact they need doing so often and reliably no matter what else is going on.

I agree with others,this sounds like depression.

I can promise you it isn't. I am a very happy, energetic, person with a very full life. I just find these tasks repetitive and boring.

I know, but people keep saying I must be depressed! I'm not remotely depressed.

I love it, personally. Doesn’t feel at all like a chore. I really enjoy cleansing my face, putting on skincare, putting makeup on etc. Also love washing my hair.

I say it all the time I absolutely hate having to wash and dry my hair with a vengeance 😩 I wash it twice a week but I bloody dread it and the shaving legs , de fuzzing underarms, plucking eyebrows..yes op I find it really tedious even having to shower irritates me sometimes..glad I’m not the only one 😩🤣

I agree with you about the repetitive mundanity of it all, but I absolutely love cleaning my teeth. I don't bother with flossing or interdental yokes but I find brushing my teeth properly meditative.

I do have off days when I think "oh no, not this AGAIN" - shower, dry, moisturise, apply sun screen, etc, etc. It does feel tedious (it is) And sometimes a day will slip by when I have just done teeth and otherwise been skanking...BUT, if on those days I relent and have a ten min squirt under the shower before bed, slap on as much hydration as I can - I feel absolutely freshly baked. And always enjoy the feeling waking up knowing I'm not wearing yesterday in my pores.
It is social discipline, hopefully we all learn along the way that it's not nice to be 'pigsty' (TM Peanuts) in the corner; it also (for me) creates a sense of calm and a little uptick in what could have been a dreadful day, and I have averted the worst ! It's the little things.......

I hate washing my hair. I have to psych myself up for it. I’ve no idea why as I had a pixie cut a few months ago and it’s been a revelation as it’s so quick and easy to wash and dry. Bizarre isn’t it? 🤷‍♀️. Mind you, one of the benefits of being post-menopausal is that I very rarely have to shave anywhere! 🎉

Absolutely- My hair really needed washing on Sunday but I have the week off and put it in a bun instead. I do wash the fringe everyday in the shower.

I’m also finding the lost hour really difficult and pottering around far too long in my dressing gown before getting dressed. Was out gardening in it today!

Not all hair needs daily washing and of course it is ok to not shower every day. I get that we used to have baths once a week etc, and probably myself push it to every other day. But to see teeth cleaning as a chore is something I don't recognise from about 70 years or so? I suspect this is why people are wondering about depression? You are clearly saying you are not depressed and that is fine but my 80 year old parents at least drummed into me the need to brush twice a day. Flossing and water floss tools came along a lot later.

I find it tedious too OP. Blitz through the basics and never bother with moisturiser or any extras if I can help it. I actually dread hairdressers or nail appointments and just see it as a total drain and would rather be doing something else.

I have friends however that absolutely pour over themselves and spend hours preening on a regular basis.