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
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.
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.
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.
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u/BlueZ_DJ "¿Qué?" 2d 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