How much time do you spend getting ready for the day? I clock in at about an hour, although that time is divided between the night before (when I shower and dry my hair) and the morning when I fix my now pillow crimped, weird hair, and put on a minor amount of makeup. About an hour. Sometimes more, sometimes less but if you were to round it out I'm gonna go with an hour.
According to my totally informal, unscientific and possibly grossly inaccurate Facebook poll, that's about the same amount of time a lot of you devote to getting ready every 24 hours. Unless you're Wendy Ann who says it "Only takes 10 minutes, when you have fine hair and don't wear makeup or jewelry or clothes". But I think she's the exception.
One of my sisters on the other hand takes almost twice that amount of time (although that includes her sitting with her coffee waiting for her hair to set or some 1950's thing). The other sister is less high maintenance but still wakes up extra early so she can clean. Who ARE these people of mine?
The two hour sister and I were talking about the amount of time we both spend getting ready, she 2 hours, me 1 and thought wouldn't it be fun to calculate how much time in our lifetime we lose by showering, doing our hair and putting on makeup.
That's some amusement park level fun for middle agers right there.
We both started doing quick calculations in our heads but because we're both more linguistically skilled than mathematically we mostly just stared at our fingers as we tried to remember if we'd counted that one already.
Out came the iPhone. Let's see. We start worrying about showering and doing our hair at around puberty, although honestly, I didn't wear a stitch of makeup until I was out of University, much to the chagrin of Betty who was constantly chasing me with "rouge" and lipstick.
But let's say most people start taking care of their appearance and start a daily getting ready routine at around the age of 14.
Canadian women have an estimated life expectancy of 82 years, much longer if you're healthy. Let's go with 82 though for the purpose of this very scientific study. Assuming you maintain the same level of "getting readiness" throughout your lifetime, that's a total of 68 years of waking up and getting ready.
Just a pic of me in my shower cap which I wear when I want to save 30 minutes of my life by not washing my hair.
An hour a day every year is 365 hours per year of getting ready. That works out to 15 days a year GONE to showering, hair and makeup. And I mean full days. A full 24 hours each.
Multiply that by 68 years and it's 1,034 days of getting ready in a lifetime.
What does that mean?
It's almost 3 years.
WE LOSE ALMOST 3 YEARS OF OUR LIFE TO SHOWERING & GETTING READY.
If you didn't shower or get ready you'd have enough extra time in your life to become half of a doctor.
3 years of beautiful dreams, laughing out loud, hugging your friend, reading a book, listening to music, watching the birds, walking in the grass, eating ice cream, relaxing at the cottage, yawning, crying, talking, listening. ALL gone. So you don't stink and have good(ish) hair.
I don't have a solution. No fix for it. It's just a reminder to pay attention this weekend to enjoying things because 3 years of your life is going down the drain.
Have a good weekend!
Or, just be a dirty girl (not showering in the morning, unless you never ever have s**...) and icky pillowed hair...Why not embrace that you want to look and fell fresh and good and take care of yourself every am to get the party started. A small price to pay...try it..... from a Canadian girl. fyi.
There are a lot of people in Canada that dont have clean drinking water, never mind shower water . - also a Canadian girl .
As a guy with curly hair (looks like Jerry Curls), I used to have to wash it every damned day. I solved that my buying an electric hair clipper. I don't need no steeking guard!
2 questions where did you get the shower cap? and how does one subscribe to the lee valley newsletter?
I used to do hair and makeup every day, and my getting ready routine was about an hour. Then the pandemic happened. Now I brush my hair, throw it up into a ponytail, brush my teeth, slap on some sunscreen, and I'm good for the day.
As I am no longer an oily teen or twenty-something, I can get by with washing my hair about once a week. Since it is still gardening season, I wash my body when I come inside and notice I have clods of mud dropping off me in the mud room (about every other day, LOL).
I probably spend about 2 hours a week on showering and getting ready now. No idea what I'm doing with those extra 5 hours. Probably just drinking more coffee. :)
Same .
Since I used to work in Emergency Management, and getting up and going was a real 'thing'. I shower, including washing my hair, rubbing down my body, drying, lotion, brush hair and dress in about 15-20 minutes. Now that I'm retired I'm trying to slow down and enjoy....
I used to spend about that amount of time when I was younger and went into the office for work. I've been wearing makeup -- foundation, powder, mascara, blush -- since I was 16 and I don't regret a single day of it. Now, I only shower every three days because my hair doesn't require a daily wash, but I do at least brush my hair and maybe do a little bit of style maintenance, and I still put on my makeup. I rarely miss a day of makeup. I like how it feels on my skin, and I think it actually protected against sun damage all those years. And even though I only shower every third day, it feels really good to take a nice hot one. I think that doing whatever makes you feel good is what counts, whether that's not wearing makeup or putting on a full face and showering every day or not.
I totally agree. For some people skincare and makeup routines are a form of pleasurable self-care. I always remember my mom talking about how much she loved her night time showers and how good they made her feel. For me it's taking care of my skin and wearing some makeup, which I really enjoy putting on. I don't do it everyday but it feels like a little luxury when I do. Whatever floats your boat!
Kind of a depressing read on a Friday. Still love you though.
I'm in the 10 minute group. No make-up, no jewelry - just a wash (shampoo and conditioner) every day and a 2 minute blow-dry and that's it.
Can you show us your fix your hair routine?
Mine is limited to cement spray and drying upside down. Accompanied by swearing..
I love you Karen. I love you so much. I read from some FBI guy who does psychological profiles that when people are chronically ill, their appearance is the first thing to go. I am not sure how other people see me, but I do my best. And when I am home and feeling blah, which is most of the time, showering and getting dressed takes up all of the energy. I would rather read a funny blog and make dinner. Or sew if I can. So love.
Jennifer, you have friends on this blog . And hope you can do some sewing . Hugs
I have never been much of a make up or hair perfection kinda gal. My hair is very very fine and keeping it short is the only style that works. I have always hated the way make up feels. Always, from high school on. I survived being bullied over my "not so feminine" look at that time, and except for very special occasions I still shy away from any make up, even moisturizer.
My skin is actually quite young looking for my age of very close to 70. So I guess I am lucky because I also refuse to wear sunscreen and rarely wear a hat and I am outside all day long, year round.
But I am now fully retired. No job to go to. My local friends are all rural and most of us have an active outdoor life and I can't remember the last time I saw even 1 of them wearing make up.
Once I retired I stopped the silly process of a daily shower. It only dried out my skin and made me itchy. It wasted water that could be put on my garden to grow the food we eat. So now, depending on the weather and how much physical activity I have done, I shower no more than once every 3 days. It only takes me a minute or so in the mornings, and evenings to add a quick washcloth bath at the sink to my dental routine. I ALWAYS shower if I am going to be out around other people or if I have gotten particularly dirty or sweaty.
I long ago thought about the time so many others took to get ready for their day and it never made any sense to me. And I have always preferred the natural look that men were always allowed to get away with, but was looked down upon by my fellow women...