Balancing Physical Hygiene and Mental Health
When you’re battling a mental health issue such as depression or bipolar disorder, it can be hard to maintain proper hygiene. Depression may make it difficult for people to get out of bed and face the day, let alone shower and brush their teeth. On the opposite end, anxiety and OCD can cause people to obsess over hygiene on a daily basis. But what role does hygiene really play with our mental health? How important is it to set up physical hygiene check ups with ourselves? And how can we strike a healthy balance with hygiene in our lives? Let’s explore…
The answer is different for everyone. Depression can cause a slip in everyday routines, while OCD can cause an hypersensitivity to feeling “dirty.” Not only does participating in physical hygiene practices help people feel more motivated and “normal” (whatever that means to you), but it can also help fight specific physical illnesses and setbacks that mental health issues tend to bring up.
For example, certain medications can cause dry mouth, which in turn puts people at a greater risk for dental problems such as oral infections. Staying on top of your physical health is just as important as remembering to take your medication or go to therapy. On the flip side, brushing too much can wear away at your enamel and cause the same types of issues.
There is also stigma surrounding hygiene and its role with mental health issues. People don’t want to admit that they struggle to shower or change their clothes every day because it makes them feel embarrassed. But rest assured, there are far more people than you realize struggling with the same dilemna.
Here are some creative ways to try and help you get motivated to maintain a healthy dose of daily hygiene practices… take that shower or brush your teeth:
Set up a reward system - Set a goal to brush your teeth twice a day. For every day you do that, you get to read your favorite book, or play your favorite video game. Make it something small, which you usually don’t get to do.
Set up a shower playlist - Make a playlist of your favorite “get up and face the day” songs. Knowing you can belt your heart out may be the motivation you need to get it done.
Set out your outfit the night before - We've all heard this from our parents to stay more organized, but it can really help with your mental health. Find an outfit you’re excited to wear the night before and lay it out in your room. It makes it that much easier to change in the morning and it will leave you feeling better because you’re in your favorite outfit.
Taking a bath instead - We all need some time to just wind down. If standing and bathing seems too much, lay down and wind down with a bath. You’re still getting clean and you can get some much needed aromatherapy too with some essential oils or soaps.
Invest in “luxury” products - Going to a higher-end store to buy your favorite products is a surprisingly good motivator to keep up your hygienic routines. Consider that you’re more likely to use your favorite, high quality scents and scrubs than you are to use the generic versions. Splurging every once in a while can help you stay on top of my hygiene.
It’s not easy maintaining proper hygiene when you’re dealing with mental illness. Disorders like bipolar, anxiety, or depression can make everyday tasks like taking a shower or brushing your teeth more difficult than ever. If you think you are struggling with daily tasks because of a mental health issue, talk to your therapist. There are so many to try and motivate yourself; you just need to find the right combination for you.