Crap, why didn't I think of it as spa time? Seriously, I might just get some stuff to set it up like a bathhouse. Too bad my area's too rural and separated for any banyas to exist.

Thank you for the tip—it sounds amazing!

I love music, but it doesn't sound right in the shower, therefore I avoid audio for the sake of preserving the original sound. I have a pack of antibiotic wet wipes for that reason as well.

Oooh. Thank you! (i'm going broke)

The problem for me usually lies in the temperature. I need it hot so I don't shiver and I relax, but at the same time I get lightheaded when this happens. Also, I get tired of standing and maneuvering for the body wash part. Since I can wash my hair in the sink or just by sitting, usually that's alright. There may be a slight gender dysphoric component to it, but I don't hate my body, and I'm grateful for all that it does for me.

I mainly find all the tiny steps and actions I do exhausting, but I'm stuck doing them because it bothers me more if I don't. I think that's the TL;DR.

I just don't feel clean unless it's once a day kind of thing. Yeah, I don't know why it's so normalized either, but I kind of participate anyway because I don't like the pampering it takes to ensure I don't stink and the constant insecurity over my smell. It's summer and humid here, so I can't escape sweating, even with cotton/linen clothes and sunscreen to the max.

I make sure to use body lotion and body oil so that my skin isn't so dry after cleaning.

Alright, thank you. I have bar soap, but I don't use it unless I haven't showered in a while because it's a bit stripping (and I ran out of body lotion :c), but it's definitely easier to use than liquid soap. My hair is unfortunately medium-length and oily/sheds a lot, so it needs to be washed more often than not. I might combine this idea with another one's comment about making it spa time. Essentially, I'd get rid of the basic steps quickly and utilitarian-istically and then spend the rest of my time relaxing.

Should I toss the washcloth into the laundry bin afterwards (of course, after hanging it to dry)? Thinking about cutting up some old or broken clothes for this.

Thank you! I do have wipes for this reason as well 😁

I don't know how to feel about the autism thing T_T I don't feel like I have enough of the criteria to be autistic, but damn it could explain some things. I don't know. We'll see I guess!

About the white hair part, I have something akin to 1c/2a, and my hair genuinely just gets oily and sometimes dandruffy after the first day. How are you able to extend it to a week?!

I thought the same thing, that I could have autism and ADHD combined, and that it simply masked symptoms from both sides. But this was during a manic episode, so I don't know how much of that was actually credible.

ouuu??????

thank you 🥺

Was previously diagnosed with OCD. I simply took the CBT techniques to heart and over a few years my OCD just kind of...disappeared. Although there are remaining issues, I don't deal with a lot of intrusive thoughts on the regular. Now I'm diagnosed with bipolar I, whatever that means...

I had bad hygiene in the past (middle school me genuinely stank) and some bad memories associated with it, so now I guess I am a little obsessive about my cleanliness. I'm afraid of the social isolation and judgement passed onto twelve-year-old me will repeat, so I'm careful to make sure I'm smelling fresh.

The clothes are not a problem (although polyester does collect odor), but I will replace my sheets more often and look into laundry techniques some more.

a. Have one b. Considering one

That sounds like the exfoliating gloves we have here in the States. I don't use anything other than my hands for the sake of hygiene (can't stand the idea of being washed with potential bacteria/oil/dead skin cells), but a simple rag that I chuck into a washing machine on a sanitizing cycle would probably be effective. Thanks for the idea!

absolutely poetic words, thank you. i didn't mention this is in the original post, but i just got an autism evaluation and came out with a maybe. he said come back after a year. i think he leans in favor of autism, but there's a lot of factors in my current life that are a mess and could muddle that. perhaps that could be the reason gender seems out of the question when talking about souls?

ohhh, interesting!

Is there actual science behind this?

i am quite comfortable with just being unlabeled and i guess agender/non binary in my experience, but the problem is society is constantly putting me into a box (i must be a woman since i have a feminine voice) and i almost always end up trying to do something to change their viewpoint of me out of dysphoria. this means my gender expression is probably masculine because it shuts up people and the voices in my head more than femininity. i also just dislike the superficiality i see with a lot of feminine things. i've always yearned to be part of the guys as well, so i guess it all mixed together and formed this inherent need for masculinity when i'm constantly perceived as feminine. but now that i AM masculine, i feel like i have to stick to being masculine all the time, which isn't making my core happy and reminding me i have attachments to femininity.

demigenderflux? partially non binary/agender, partially masc/fem and the intensity of these feelings change? ahhhh idk what to do (i feel like i need a label to just stop the confusion, ironic as it is)