Why I Shower Every Other Day During Autistic Burnout
Being in burnout significantly impacts my ability to take regular showers and maintain basic hygiene. This isn't something people talk about. Morning showers cost me 2-3 energy before I even start my day.
The Cold Burst I Can't Stand
Ever since I've been in burnout for the past 5+ years, I find showers immediately disorienting and uncomfortable from a sensory standpoint. When I turn the knob expecting warm water, it's more often than not the opposite—a complete burst of cold water which immediately overwhelms me.
I jitter around and start to pace. I steer to the edge of the shower to minimize how much water is touching my skin. It barely helps.
I never enjoy it.
Me being so sensitive to temperature changes in burnout makes every shower a negotiation.
Short Showers vs. Long Showers
My family complains about how little and how long I take showers—often as little as 3-4 minutes, or as long as 20-30 minutes.
Short showers happen because of immediate sensory overload. My nervous system basically panics as if something's desperately wrong. The sudden change in temperature directly on my skin is something I cannot stand.
Long showers happen when the temperature is warmish. I'm subconsciously trying to minimize the transition cost of getting out—staying longer helps calm me down before I have to face the cold air, find my towel, dry off, feel my body temperature drop, and deal with the other transition costs and physical tasks: putting clothes on, grabbing lunch from the fridge, setting up a rideshare ride.
Why I Shower Every Other Day
I work 3 days a week at my warehouse job. The other 4 days, I shower every other day instead of every day. It gives me a small but meaningful recovery—roughly 4-5 energy instead of 2-3 when I get out.
I've thought of waiting until the water is warm enough before hopping in. But the window is variable. In colder months—December, January, February here in Charlotte, North Carolina—it takes a couple minutes longer than expected, adding another layer of unpredictability, especially if I'm in a rush.
What Disappears After
On bad shower days, the exhaustion is immediate. Tasks I was looking forward to—writing blog posts, working on Spoons, playing games, looking at art—the motivation disappears. Most involve my special interests: optimizing things, looking at photos of cats, patching bugs in my app.
When I wake up and my room is suddenly very cold or very hot, I stay in bed for a couple more hours—even though it barely helps—while I desperately wait for the temperature to get comfortable again.
It impacts me for the rest of the day. Sometimes daydreaming about cats—or seeing images of cats on warehouse items—helps me calm down. But the exhaustion doesn't fully lift.
About Me
I'm Omari, a 23-year-old autistic adult who's been managing chronic burnout for 5+ years while working warehouse shifts.
This is why I built Spoons. To see how showers generally impact me so I can prioritize showering every other day instead of every day—to maximize my own recovery from burnout instead of trying to get everything done daily when I'm clearly exhausted.
Launching April 2026. getspoons.app - One email when it's ready. No spam.
— Omari
Note: I'm sharing my personal experience as an autistic adult, not medical advice. If you're experiencing severe burnout or crisis, please consult a healthcare provider familiar with autism.