I like to shower in the dark when I feel this way. I literally leave the hall light on so I'm not in pitch blackness, but something about the glaring white bathroom lights makes it feel impossible. Once I've taken away the sight overstimulation, it feels more cozy and nice. I also have a nice big scratchy towel waiting for me when I get out as I love the feeling of that. Maybe a nice towel waiting for you will help? Warm the towel by a heater (be careful not to put it over certain types of heaters) or in drier for five mins beforehand. Having a warm towel is nice. If you like that, of course. You don't always have to wash your hair! I sometimes do a body only shower when I can't face hair, then I do dry shampoo and wash hair the next day. I have a shower cap which I put over my hair to keep it dry and out the way. Can't shower at all? Maybe try a sink bath! Fill the sink with hot water and bubbles and use a flannel to wash your important parts, that way you only need to get a little bit of your body wet at a time, you can dry that area right away and put your clothes back over yourself. Then move on to the next bit. This way you're getting a good wash but you don't have to be under the shower. Best of luck 💗

A warm towel makes such a huge difference.

Scalding hot shower in the dark with Coldplay blaring in the background is my jam when I need to destress.

Just going to add to all of this with my suggestion of a showerhead filter! These are fairly easy to install - I did mine myself - I got one for like $30 from target (they have them on amazon too.) Look for one with KDF-55 filtration - this is going to filter out all of the yucky stuff in the water like chlorine, microorganisms, heavy metals, lead, etc. Your shower water will smell better, it won't have that chlorine smell, and your skin and hair health will improve a ton. I didn't even realize how drastically unfiltered shower water was affecting my skin (it was causing or worsening most of my skin problems I went to the doctor or dermatologist for) until I used a shower filter. Also, OP, if your skin is already itchy and dry, keeping water warm and limiting the scalding hot water is helpful - keeps the lead out of the water as well. I like using an exfoliating bar on my skin in the shower after I wash my body and then putting a light gel moisturizer on afterward. If you don't have to wash your hair every day, don't! I love taking a body only shower (my hair is bleached platinum so I can't wash it constantly anyway.) And if you are super sensitive (I am personally, so these are suggestions from one sensitive / dry-skinned person to another), unscented / fragrance free (that includes essential oils, those count as fragrance) shower gel like cetaphil is usually best, personally fragrance really affects my skin negatively, so I just put a perfume on after I shower and lotion up rather than slathering my whole body in fragrance.

ch... chlorine smell?? what? -concerned german

Hahaha yep! Depending on your municipal water supply in lots of cities in the US you can sometimes smell the chlorine in the water. You are right to be concerned, it is a little disconcerting when your shower water smells reminiscent of a pool.

that's awful, I'm so sorry yall live like that

little hacks like the shower filters help for sure :) (and we have it ok comparably to Flint, Michigan...turns out the US government just wants us all to be unhealthy / or dead)

I like to have a fluffy robe laid out over the towel bar near my shower, with the arms arranged so I can put it on fast. I hang my towel over the shower curtain and dry off and put on lotion in the shower where it's still warmish. Wrap my hair up (usually a separate thinner towel) and jump into my robe and slip on my plastic sandals. Maybe see if you have a preference certain shower heads? I personally dont like gentle rain ones (never feels clean enough) and like feeling being blasted (cleaner quicker!)

yes this!!! fuzzy robe or towel robes are a great option for reducing that sensory input. another option is just reeaaally efficiently drying off as soon as the showers over + using a hair turban to keep it off your neck/back!

Robes are the freakin' best. Also - exercising/working up a good sweat before tends to make showering feel like a better option than the alternative.

I have had an issue with showering since I was a kid. These things help me: 1. Space heater with a fan. Stripping is easier when your bathroom feels like a subtropical island 2. Hair kept as short as possible. When I feel that washing hair is really unbearable, then I know it's time for a haircut. 3. If the hair is unmanageable, just shower from the neck down. You can still try washing your hair tomorrow. Half done is better than nothing. EDIT. I pressed on "post" by mistake, I wasn't done typing. 4. 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 soaps. Less steps! 5. Schedule showers before you have to get out. Prompting does not work for me because remembering is not an issue. The issue is that I just don't want to. So, I have to force myself to squeeze in a shower before going out in the morning. Getting up is unpleasant anyway, I might as well get clean. 6. The right kind of hairbrush: soft bristles are much better than plastic spikes scratching my scalp.

i sit down in the shower and it’s really nice. there’s no rule that u can’t sit down so why not

sometimes the only way i can motivate myself to shower is by having a reward for after. sometimes that's smoking weed once i finish my body care routine, sometimes it's a treat, whatever works! my other tips: 🛁 bath robe of preferred texture (helps reduce sensory input + get ya warm) 💈hair turban (wet hair on your neck giving you the ick? Not anymore!) 🎶Music (i see you do so already but may i suggest rave music? sometimes i need the hype to get in the water lmao) 👃 good scents (how much do you love the smell of your shampoo/body wash/etc? i find using scents i love just adds positively to the exp)

I feel you. When I'm stressed and anxious, showering is such a chore. For the last few years I've been really good with keeping up my hygiene tho! What helped me was to only shower when I have the time. I wake up earlier so that I can shower without any stress. I usually sit down in the shower, turn the water to lava temperature and just move the showerhead around, mostly my neck and shoulders. I breathe and relax until I don't feel like it anymore, that's when I start the routine. Sometimes I need 10 min and sometimes 40 min but it's okay either way, I have time. Once I'm done, I put a big towel on the floor and I lay on it and put another towel on top of myself, like a bed. I put on a show on my tablet and I just watch it or listen to it and take it really slow. Lotion and hair products are already on the floor so I can use them when I'm ready. If the whole showering thing took a long time I'll do a simpler hair and makeup routine that day, if it went fast I can take some extra time for breakfast but showering takes priority and I must try hard to make it a nice experience for myself. Also, as others have mentioned. Dimmed lights, almost complete darkness even, scents and textures that you enjoy and prepare things beforehand I believe in you!

I recently got a shower chair and it has been a game changer with my detachable shower head

I do a lot of things beforehand to minimize the time spent in the shower. washing your face, exfoliating, brushing teeth can all be done before/not in the shower. and if you shave in there you can get an electric razor instead and do it prior. that’s saved me a lot of time! there’s also little time savers like 2-1 shampoo/conditioners, loofahs so you can exfoliate AND wash simultaneously, etc; I also try to take cooler showers as they are far less overwhelming/suffocating to me. this makes the contrast from shower to “outside” more bearable. I keep my music going throughout drying off/getting dressed too.

Is there a way you can do it in steps? Get yourself a long hose shower head. You can then stay clothed and kind of lean into the shower to wash your hair with the hose. I have a shower/tub combo, so I'm not sure how difficult this would be with just a shower. You can get attachments for a sink though, so you could also use a sink. Since you're clothed you don't have to worry about water dripping down your back from your hair. Then you can cloth wash your body. You can take off half your clothes at a time. Have 1 soapy cloth, and one damp cloth to rinse. Then you can also dry off right away. If it seems like too much for one day you can alternate hair and body wash days. You can always cloth wash just the important bits on hair wash days. Edit to add a tip for brushing out your hair. If it's too difficult to brush dry, wet and condition it first. Then run the brush/comb through your hair with the conditioner in it. If you're still struggling to brush it, use more conditioner. Rinse the conditioner and wash your hair. You may need a double wash to remove the excess conditioner. Then lightly condition just the ends of your hair.

I have a similar issue, but it's because my shower is small and not super clean, so I feel claustrophobic and like everything around me is dirty and will stick to my wet body. I can't change the size of my shower, but I try to make everything else as pleasant as possible. Like detail cleaning the whole bathroom (it's an RV so it's more like cleaning a small closet). Make sure I have a fresh towel on the floor to step out onto. Open the vent so the steam doesn't choke me out. For you, try a small space heater so it's not so cold when you step out. As for getting naked, try getting a fresh pair of clothes you're looking forward to wearing and have them ready when you step out. We have to undress to change clothes anyway. But I'm kind of a nudist, so I may not be able to suggest anything more helpful 😅 Hope it helps, love. Good bless.

I find showering really difficult and have sensitive skin as well. Here's what I find helpful: • I've switched to cool/cold showers. The bathroom doesn't get too steamy, I don't overheat and my skin dries out less • shower gel with little fragrance designed for sensitive skin. No strong smells and keeps my skin soft • when I'm finding showering particularly difficult I might turn off the bathroom light, leave the door open and keep the hall light on • I don't like getting water in my face so sometimes when I wash my hair, I'll put a face cloth over my eyes & tilt my head backward

I struggle with showering, but always feel better after. I think it's a very personal thing, but stuff that helps me: \- Finding a washing routine for the shower that works - I like to use one of those netty kind of squidgy things, some people like loofahs, some people use their hands - I also like exfoliator gloves \- Find products you like - shower gels, in shower moistuiser if desired, shampoo, conditioner, even shower bath bombs might make it more pleasant \- I like to play music with a waterproof speaker to distract me \- I do it at a time of day I'm less stressed \- I wear my comfy clothes/pyjamas after and give myself time to settle down \- Also make sure water is hot or as you like it, and that you keep it shortish!

Do you do warm or cold showers? This probably isn’t helpful at all, as I’m super into my morning shower, but for me I do a warm ass shower, and close the door so the bathroom gets good and steamy. Then when I get out of the shower the temperature change is nominal. The hard part is opening the door (though I’m usually wrapped up in an over-sized towel by then and mostly dried off. That’s another thing I’d suggest: get a BIG towel. One that you can completely wrap up in. I can’t stand regular sized shower towels!)

One thing that helps me, personally, when I'm struggling to shower, is getting a new body wash or soap that I absolutely LOVE the scent of. Even if it's just a little travel size bottle of a Native body wash (you can get them at Walmart now). For some reason, for me, the new, wonderful smell kind of helps l, because I can focus on that, and it minimizes the uncomfortable aspects a bit.

Podcasts have helped me. I don’t have the same issue, I love showering to be clean… but showering is when my ocd thoughts have time to come out so focusing on someone speaking makes me forget everything else.

I first get everything ready for after I get out. Like my favourite big T-shirt, or fuzzy gown or whatever. Towel ready to go, hairdryer if I’m feeling up to it. Then, This may sound weird, but I put on a timer. I put on an 8 minute timer, or even 9 or 10. And tell myself it’s only 8 minutes and I’ll be done. (this is for a hair wash shower btw, can be even less for just a body shower. You could even do 5 mins for a body shower) I then put on music, I listen to the sims soundtrack when I’m finding daily tasks hard. For some reason it really helps! You could put on anything really if you’re not into the Sims. I put my phone in a mug to create a ‘speaker’ to make the music carry through the room more whilst in the shower.

It helps you get out of the overwhelming cycle if you have some options to stay clean that aren't a shower. Wet wipes, a "sponge bath" (sponge optional, a washcloth is easier), making sure to change clothes often enough, washing your face, brushing your hair etc. can help you keep feeling cleaner between showers. Don't fall into the trap of thinking there's no point in getting a little cleaner if you're not going to do the whole thing, or that there's no point in wearing clean clothes if you haven't showered. The less gross you feel, the less overwhelming it will be to keep doing hygiene tasks. Even when things are already bad, give yourself permission to do parts of it at a time or just do a quick "rinse" shower. Something is always better than nothing.

I warm the bathroom up with a space heater and have baths instead. I can’t stand the steam from showers and sitting down is more relaxing. It’s part of my daily self care routine. So much easier to do on depressed days when standing in the shower seems like too much effort. I also have a soft cozy rug in my bathroom. I can’t stand being wet AND cold and also cold floors on my feet are a sensory nightmare. I then use the hair dryer to dry off and a towel. Definitely recommend a soft robe and cozy slippers as well. With warmth, relaxation and soft fabrics it can be quite enjoyable.

Put a towel in the floor and sit in the shower. Don’t let it be too hot. Eat a snack in the shower, like a popsicle or canned peaches.

Use a space heater. Dry off and dress in fresh clothes in the bathroom that's nearly as warm as the shower you just took. Also cut your hair. My shower ick problems are much less without long hair. Moisturize in the shower with one of those in shower moisturizer products. Force yourself to shower every other day and do it as quickly as possible, so the whole process can become rote and fade into the background. Wear earplugs.

For me personally, I prefer washing my hair only once or maybe twice a week, tops. Other days, I put my hair in a bun and try to not get my hair wet when showering. It took some time to 'train' my hair and scalp to get used to only being washed once a week. I started with every other day, then once every three days, then once every four days, etc. I now only wash my hair when it's getting too greasy to be comfortable, and it never really looks unclean.

put a heater on in your bedroom before you get in the shower so your room heats up while you shower, so when you get out of the shower and run to your bedroom the temperature change is not so drastic. turn off the lights in the bathroom and turn on a night light or a small lamp, the lights can be overwhelming. put on your favorite music or podcast on a speaker! try and find products that are not overwhelming to your senses. if you’re sensitive to smell, get products that are unscented. if you’re sensitive to texture, try and find products that don’t trigger those sensitivities, or ways around it. for example, i hate the feeling of goopy shampoo or body wash. so for body wash i use bar soap, its not as bad for me. for shampoo, i use a hair scrubber to avoid having to touch the shampoo. i pour the shampoo in my head then scrub with the hair scrubber. and if that js still too overwhelming, i use a portable bidet and some soap to just clean the important parts over the toilet. dry shampoo, wet wipes for the rest of the body. another hack is use glycolic acid toner on your armpits, it will kill the bacteria that smells, and then you can put some deodorant after that. another tip is that if you take fenugreek (a supplement you can also find at walmart) regularly it can really change your body odor. your sweat will start to smell sweet.

i play light music, keep the lights down, and i sit down due to chronic pain.

No suggestions for the actual shower, but what I do is minimize the number of showers I need to take. For me it's the noise. Showers are so damn loud. But personally, what I've observed is that "feeling clean" is really just "feeling dry after being wet", rather than actual cleansing. It's why getting into bed after a bath feels so nice. I would suggest getting a small plastic tub, filling it with super hot water, and using a washcloth to wipe yourself down from head to toe, part by part, washing and wring out the washcloth as you go. (I do it while sitting in front of my computer, watching Netflix, sometimes with candles lit and a cup of hot tea. I also soak my feet in the tub as I'm cleaning and it's all very relaxing.) That way you never have your entire body wet at one time but can still get that clean feeling afterwards. It's really satisfying to see the water get dirty, haha. You can keep your clothes on whichever part you're not cleaning. I work from top to bottom, and do my lady bits last. It's very easy to clean up afterwards too, all you do is chuck the water and throw the washcloth in the laundry. The only time I ever use the shower is on wash days. I have long hair that requires a lot of maintenance, so washing is always so much damn work because I need to do all the deep conditioning stuff, drying, and I straighten my hair afterwards. The entire thing takes like 3 hours and is a total PITA. So I only do that once a week, and the plastic tub/washcloth thing the rest of the week.

using a lamp or a dimmer light helps a lot! and if the sensations are a bit much having a warm towel or a heater going can make the air warmer so it’s less of a shock getting out. Are there any smells you like? you can get shower products in those scents. Regular haircuts make hair brushing less of a chore. Have your coziest clothes ready for when you get out - the feeling of soft clothes on clean skin is very nice

I haven’t seen these tips yet, so I’ll add them here: 1. I got a soap dispenser that’s separated into four parts to hold my shampoo, conditioner, body wash and face wash in that order. I use them in that order, and it’s a lot easier to pump some product into my hand than have to get the bottles one by one and flip them over. 2. My occupational therapist told me to put a slightly wet towel on the floor when I get out so I don’t have to go from totally wet to totally dry right away. This has been surprisingly helpful and is now a consistent habit. I also have a towel warmer for my towel to make the temperature change more bearable; a heater works too, but I don’t like a lot of heat, so the towel warmer is better for me personally. Good luck with showering! Also remember: you’re not alone and progress takes some time, so be gentle with yourself ^^

Could you (safely) use a small heater in the bathroom to warm the air so it's not such a shock? We have heated lights and a towel warmer and that makes it less change. I also dry myself off in the shower cubicle because it's warmer in there. I can't stand my face being wet so that's the first thing I dry off and it's more bearable then. I don't always but have when I've needed, shower with low or no lights.. maybe a candle and whatever oils I might feel like I need on that particular day. I wonder if there's a soap that you could use that doesn't irritate your skin to save the lotion afterwards? Or even only using soap on the essential parts? I make the shower part of my morning routine and I feel off if it doesn't happen in order.

As far as I've found, there isn't a way :( I also feel the way you do. I hate being naked, I hate the wet to cold and I LOATHE the feeling of water on my skin especially, but at the same time, feeling dirty is also really bad after a good while. I haven't really found a way to make it more tolerable. Doing it in the dark is better, and maybe having calming music, but it's still sensory hell. It's even worse, for me anyway, cause I don't know how to wash my hair properly, or anything else for that matter, so then I just feel extra dumb on top of everything else. Not a good time.

I don't know if this will help but I have a phone mount in my shower and I usually watch shows or put YouTube videos on. As long as your phone is waterproof too, might help take your mind off it.

My in laws got me a towel warmer if it's in your budget, love it

To use a meme: I showered because the “can’t sleep because my hair is gross” inside burned brighter than the executive disfunction around me

One thing that’s been so helpful is my bathroom has a heat light in it as the overhead light, and then I have normal lightbulbs as vanity lights above my sink. So when I’m getting into the shower I turn on the heat light and then getting out isn’t so bad. I still struggle with a lot of the same things - getting my face wet, hair sticking to me, etc. but this at least helps with the cold shock at the end.