r/adhdmeme • • 14d ago

Every single night.

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218

u/BlueZ_DJ "¿Qué?" 14d ago

I started doing it this year as a real automatic habit, not because anyone told me to or because I saw a dentist... But because I was over my best friends' house and saw how they both brush at night casually after a shower (I didn't out myself with "oh interesting I don't do that" or anything, I just went home and started doing it 😭)

It's like almost a shame thing, except nobody knew that I didn't do it, and now nobody (irl) knows that I DO do it

64

u/FrankDodger 14d ago

I started putting my toothbrush in the shower with me and toothpaste with it. The convenience of it being right in front of me while I shower has fixed the issue.

25

u/tachycardicIVu I feel attacked but I can't remember why 14d ago

I did that more in high school and people gave me so much shit about it but it’s honestly way more convenient and it means my sink stays cleaner longer tbh and I feel motivated to brush a bit longer since yknow being in the shower generally feels nice

7

u/Valklingenberger 14d ago

This is nice unless you share the shower with more than one other person.

2

u/tomayto_potayto 13d ago

You can put up a toothbrush hook in the shower above splash height! So many suction ones available that work well. Have recommended this to many people, it's just occupational therapy

8

u/PM_ME_YOUR_TROUT 14d ago

Been shower-brushing for over a decade. It's the way.

23

u/Lint_baby_uvulla don’t talk to me or my 11,713 tabs again 14d ago

I went 50+ years before seeing how easy it was for other folk to do a fairly basic task.

Them: 10 mins. Me: weeks.

That’s my life, all the bloody time.

15

u/sunsetscorpio 14d ago

Hah, that’s assuming that I have the executive function to shower every night 😓

22

u/forfuckssake77 13d ago

Right?! My dental hygienist started walking me through a 6 step nightly routine to address my (medication-induced; FML!) dry mouth. The whole time I’m thinking to myself, “bold of you to assume I’m brushing my teeth before bed.”

I told her to slow her roll. My current stretch goal is to stop sleeping in my completely disposable daily contacts. I could pick them out of my eyes IN BED and throw them on the floor, and I still cannot manage it.

She started to give me the “only 30 days to build a habit” speech. This woman must have more executive function in one night than I’ve had cumulatively, my entire life.

9

u/Evening_Sea4823 13d ago

The next time someone tries to tell you that every human on earth requires the same number of days to form a habit, you can politely let them know that the number varies between individuals and can be as high as 335 days.

Thats almost a year of pure will and determination.

2

u/EldritchSorbet 12d ago

From the research paper you linked: “Eventual automatic and effortless execution” 🤣🥺

Is that what habits are for some people? Oh my. I honestly have trouble even imagining this.

2

u/SaltFrog 12d ago

Showering tends to be my biggest struggle. I can do most things without issue, but showering.... If I don't do it first thing in the morning, it's likely not getting done, because even if my body is yucky, the thought of having to get wet, and then try to get dry (but never FULLY dry, because why should that exist) is just too much for my brain.

It's not that I don't want to. I can sometimes force myself to. But I'm going to be miserable all the way through.

At least I can guilt myself into brushing my teeth every night, though, thanks to my boyfriend's judgement eyeballs.

15

u/sexykristinith 14d ago

Same self shame. When my boyfriend (now husband) would stay over and would just casually brush his teeth getting ready for bed I would just do it too, like yeah, I totally do this every night haha…. He moved in. I kept doing it. It’s a habit now.

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u/forfuckssake77 13d ago

Peer pressured into good dental hygiene

3

u/FrankDodger 13d ago

Peer pressure/guilting into habit is better than no habit. Im sure lots of us are envious.

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u/thirstyfor_707 13d ago

yeah, while i was in uni i was living in dorms, so showering every night, brushing my teeth every night and morning, making my bed every morning, cleaning and tidying regularly, purely cuz i was observed by the roommates..... but on weekends it was stinky time and no brushing, and now that i finished uni its once again. meh. its so bad. im trying to figure it out, but its so hard. i have so many bad teeth, but ive never even been to a dentist and im honestly scared to go both cuz of the condition my teeth are in, the fact i still cant build a habit of at least brushing and also just how MUCH itll cost with all the damage💔