I’ve seen a lot of people comment about how difficult showering can be and asking for tips to make it easier on social media. Trust me, I know your frustration and pain when it comes to showering. There was a time when I would take a shower and then have to sit or lay down for because my heart was racing so much and I was so lightheaded and exhausted. I was so afraid of passing out that I would not shower when I was home alone.
I actually started taking a lot of baths instead of showers which was not the worst thing since I love baths but they do take a lot more time and it’s a pain to wash your hair in the tub. I would also try things like washing my hair in the sink and then washing my body in the shower to make it go faster, washing my body in the shower and then letting the water run while I sat in the tub to shave my legs and wash my hair.
Although those ideas worked a little better, it was still awkward and embarrassing. I mean think about it, I have been showering myself for over 30 years by this point so to have to resort back bathing like a kid was almost traumatizing, or at the least a severe bruise to my ego.
One day I saw an article that said steam can cause your blood pressure to drop and pulse to go up so I started experimenting with different temperatures of water and realized that warm water worked better for me than hot water. I also left the shower door (was have sliding glass doors) slightly open to let any steam (if there was any) out.
Just like many other zebras, I still had a problem with washing my hair. I personally have long curly hair that can be difficult to wash, condition and style so I have spent a lot of time coming up with hacks to care for my hair. I read in a book that when you have curly hair you should rinse the conditioner out with cool to cold water to close the pores of the hair and lock the moisture in because it reduced the frizz. I wass not sure how true that was but I figured it can’t hurt to try it, so I did. Between using cooler water during my shower and rinsing my hair in almost cold water, I actually felt great getting out of the shower! I didn’t have to sit down and rest, I wasn’t lightheaded, my heart was not racing and I was not exhausted. (FYI – my hair was also less frizzy!!!)
I now take slightly warm showers with a blast of cooler water for at least a minute at the end of the shower and am able to tolerate standing up, shaving and even washing my hair. Reducing the steam as much as possible and letting cooler water run over my head at the end of my shower was a game changer for me.
If this does not work for you (everyone is different, we don’t all respond in the same way), you can try using a shower chair and handheld sprayer in the shower, taking a cooler shower and washing your hair in a sink, washing your hair less often by putting a shower cap on when you shower and using dry shampoo, or taking baths.
Good luck and hopefully some of you find some relief with these new ideas!
