When it comes to showering, I've always subscribed to the mantra "ignorance is bliss." I know I take showers that are too long and use too much hot water. But standing under a stream of hot water doing absolutely nothing productive feels so indulgent! My morning shower is like rushing through a boring meal to get to the chocolate dessert -- it makes me more motivated to get up. So I haven't been in a rush to find out how long I actually take in the shower because -- to continue the chocolate metaphor -- like avoiding the scale after pigging out, I didn't really want to know how bad it was. But ever since I started this blog, I've been meaning to time myself.
The idea got into my head again about six months ago, when I saw a TV news report on ways for families to "go green." There was a kit you could send away for that included a balloon-like contraption that reduces water flow in your toilet (what, we're too good for bricks these days?). But what got my attention was an hourglass that times your showers. That almost motivated me to send away for the kit. But I didn't.
So here I am six months later, still reveling in my wasteful morning routine (it's a time waster too, partly to blame for my finding it nearly impossible to arrive at work by 9 a.m.). So for whatever reason, this week I grabbed my iPod with its stopwatch feature and started timing myself. And it turns out, it's not as bad as I thought.
Monday -- 7 minutes, 20 seconds
Tuesday -- 5 minutes, 20 seconds. I stick to the basics, my loofah exfoliating scrub ignored.
Wednesday-- 5 minutes, 20 seconds. Drat, still not under 5.
If anyone knows where I can get one of those handy hourglass shower timers, I'd love to know. I may come to regret it when the sand runs out and tells me to get out of the shower while I still have conditioner in my hair, but I think it would help me take shorter showers more consistently. Because once you have a little bit of knowledge, ignorance isn't so bliss after all.
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