Why I Take A Weekly "Everything Shower" For My Me Time: Benefits, Maximum Stress Relief, Self-Care & More

You can learn a lot about a person based on their bathroom habits, so what if I told you I can easily spend up to two hours in the bathroom on Sundays when I do my "everything shower"? That might sound like a lot, but to me, it's two hours that I grant myself every week for a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual reset.

In lots of cultures, bathing rituals are seen as transformative experiences—so the concept of using a bath or shower to refuel your body and soul is not new. It's a time-honored practice, which makes my weekly habit all the more appealing to me.

The term "everything shower" started bubbling up in the zeitgeist all thanks to TikTok, where the hashtag has racked up almost 8 million views. It's what folks are calling showers where you do, well, anything and everything you can for personal care—as opposed to just the staples of your regular showers. They tend to be more thoughtful, time-consuming, and maybe even a bit indulgent.

For me, that looks like focusing on exfoliation and scalp rinses in the shower, adding extra ambience, and more (which I'll get into later). But, of course, everything showers are totally personalizable.

Meditation is a practice used to increase clarity, induce calm, and be more present in life—and the research-backed benefits are pretty abundant. For example, meditation lowers the stress response in the brain. It also keeps our brain healthy as we age and improves memory and attention. Finally, it can also enhance activity in the insula (the part of the brain responsible for empathy). Studies have also shown that meditation increases compassionate responses to the suffering of others.

And there are many ways to fold meditation into your own life, which could include in the shower. I utilize a few practices to help me center myself. First, I turn on meditative music, which can make you feel more calm and at ease.

You can also utilize visualizations as another useful tool. For example, visualize that with the spray of the water, you're simultaneously washing away your worries and stress.

Finally, mindfully focusing on each step of the shower feels gratifying. This is a form of present-moment meditation.

The act of cleansing—yes, even just simply washing your face or taking a regular shower—can actually impact your mental health. Research has shown1 that cleaning oneself is related to reductions in anxiety, even after stressful events.

"There is a big psychological component to washing off the day. I feel like I've left the stress of the day behind. There is also a symbolic cleansing of the day," board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist Amy Wechsler, M.D., tells mindbodygreen about the benefits of cleansing.

Warm water can actually relax muscle tension and stiffness. So standing in the warm flow of the shower can help relieve muscle or body aches that you might be experiencing.

And I always end with a good cold splash not just to help seal my hair shaft and prevent frizz, but because it makes me feel super good.

Spas and wellness centers are wonderful places to find community and care and relax. But they're not accessible to everyone or every budget. And in general, showering is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to carve out relaxation time to pamper yourself and give yourself some love.

You can tailor your bathroom to whatever your everything shower needs are—the point is to do it mindfully and with intention.

I like to set the tone of my everything showers with lighting, music, and aromatherapy, for instance. With the overhead lights off, fairy lights on, an ambient playlist rolling, and a peppermint shower steamer warming up, my bathroom transforms into a spa.

As you go through each step, pay mindful attention to what you're doing, moving slowly and with ease. This is not a shower to be rushed but one to savor.

In my mind, the everything shower isn't truly over until you're out of the bathroom, and the post-shower routine is how you close out the ritual. For me, it includes a face mask followed up by moisturizing from head to toe. I also like to use a hair growth serum bolstered with a drawn-out scalp massage to help stimulate hair growth.

The less glamorous points in the post-shower routine include brushing and flossing my teeth, plucking my eyebrows, and cleaning out my ears.