We Asked: Why Are You Taking So Long in the Shower?

5 hours ago

Let’s get into one of life’s great mysteries: What are people actually doing in the shower for that long?

How do some of us speed-clean in 5 minutes while others come out 45 minutes later like they just returned from a wellness retreat? Are they hiding extra limbs? Underground hot yoga? Or—dare we say it—are the quick-shower folks just... not doing it right?

We had to know.

So, in the spirit of investigative journalism (read: we asked our friends and family group chats), we ran a very unofficial survey: What’s really going on during these extra-long showers?

The results? Honest. Hilarious. And deeply relatable.
We broke them down, added dramatic flair, and sprinkled in a little self-care truth—because let’s face it, these aren’t just showers.

They’re rituals.

They’re therapy.

They’re time-warped masterpieces of me-time.

So without further ado, here are the top 5 reasons people are in the shower that long—each one more relatable than the last.

1. Relaxation

"Honestly… it's just a nice place to relax . Most of the time, I just stand there, while the warm water runs over me."

Translation: No texts. No responsibilities. No one asking what's for dinner or where their other sock went. Just you, your thoughts, and hot water doing what it does best.

For many, the shower isn’t just a place to get clean—it’s the closest thing to an escape hatch. A warm, steamy force field where stress can’t reach you and nobody expects a thing. It’s often the only room in the house where you can lock the door and not be followed—unless, of course, those tiny fingers from your tots start poking under the door like a horror movie snack-seeking subplot. But once that water’s running? It’s like the chaos fades and you're finally alone with your thoughts… and not someone else’s juice emergency.

The water calms your body, your brain powers down to “do not disturb,” and for a few glorious minutes, you're doing absolutely nothing—and loving every second of it.

Honestly? It's the most affordable therapy session you’ll ever have. No talking, no multitasking, just you, the steam, and some peace and quiet.

2. It’s a Full Self-Care Event

"Shaving. Scrubbing. Shampoo. Hair mask. The works."

Finally, someone said it out loud—and we see you.

This isn’t just a quick rinse and get-out. This is a ceremony. A glow-up production. A one-person spa retreat where the playlist is perfect and the lighting is flattering. It’s the Met Gala of personal hygiene and guess what? You’re the host, the guest of honor, and the glam team.

You’re using at least three washcloths, because one for your face, one for your body, and one for that weird area behind your knees isn’t being dramatic—it’s hygiene. You’ve got a rotation of soaps like you're testing fragrances for a spa chain, and don’t even get us started on the shampoos. Plural. Plus conditioner. Oh, and you brush your teeth in there too—because this is an all-in-one glow-up command center.

Let’s break it down, shall we? In 45 minutes, here’s what’s actually going down:

Shampooing and letting it marinate like it’s doing deep internal work
Cleansing your face with the care of a 12-step skincare guru
Lathering up body scrub like you’re frosting a cake
Rinsing off, then applying conditioner like a peace treaty for your split ends
Soaping up again but this time with a CBD bath soap, because round two is for your soul
Shaving every square inch with precision and a prayer
Rinsing out conditioner, finally
Scrubbing your feet so thoroughly you could walk barefoot through judgment
And doing multiple full-body rinses because anything less would be uncivilized

And even that doesn’t feel like enough time.

Because when you're using luxury shower products, it's not just skincare. It's self-respect. It's therapy. It's reclaiming your time in the most deliciously extra way possible.

So, if someone asks why your showers take so long? Just say, "I’m exfoliating the past, conditioning for the future, and taking meetings with my higher self. Please hold."

3. Warm Water = Pain Relief

"If I’m in the shower that long, it’s probably because my head’s pounding, my body hurts, or I need to clear out my sinuses.”

Look, this isn’t some quirky shower habit—it’s pain management. Science backs it up: hot showers really can help with migraines, sore, overworked muscles, and even clearing out your sinuses when you feel stuffy or sick. So when Excedrin’s dragging its feet and your brain feels like it’s pulsing to a dubstep remix, standing under a steady stream of warm water isn’t just a shower—it’s survival mode with a side of steam.

And if you’re in a bathtub? That’s next-level relief. Research shows that soaking in warm water helps increase blood flow, relax tense muscles, and ease physical discomfort, especially if you’re dealing with chronic pain or soreness. It also signals to your nervous system that it’s time to chill, which can help you sleep better afterward. So no, it might not cure what’s hurting, but it definitely makes the pain easier to live with—and a lot more bearable.

Pro tip: Drop a premium CBD bath bomb into the tub to take your soak from relaxing to therapeutic. As it fizzes, the CBD gets absorbed through your skin, helping to ease tension in specific areas—like sore shoulders, tight calves, or that lower back that’s been holding stress since 2009.

Bonus: it also nourishes your skin while you soak, leaving you smooth, calm, and feeling like a better version of yourself by the time you towel off.

4. Brainstorming. Yup—I’m Basically a Genius in the Shower.

"Whenever I need to think, I just hop in the shower. I don’t know what it is, but my best ideas show up somewhere between shampoo and conditioner."

You know how you step into the shower just planning to rinse off, and suddenly you’re rewriting your life story, solving climate change, and inventing a new app that pairs people by their favorite types of bread? Science has a name for it: The Shower Effect.

It’s a real psychological phenomenon where your brain becomes more creative when you're doing something relaxing and repetitive—like showering. Because you're not actively focused on a task, your mind enters what's called default mode. That’s when all those random ideas, memories, and lightbulb moments start connecting in weirdly brilliant ways.

Because when creativity hits, the concept of time just... evaporates.

You step in planning for a quick rinse, but the moment that warm water hits, your brain goes into overdrive—in the best way. Suddenly, you're deep in thought, unintentionally:

Outlining the plot of your future bestselling novel
Solving that work problem that’s been haunting you since Tuesday
Creating a brilliant business idea you’ll forget to write down later

Your body’s already clean by minute eight, but your brain? It's just getting started. So you stay. You let the ideas marinate, the water keep flowing, and before you know it, it’s been 45 minutes and your fingers are pruney—but your mind? Sharp as ever.

So if you need the perfect pitch, your next big idea might just be hiding in your favorite Soaperstar soap bar.

5. Emotional Processing

"I just stand there re-playing old conversations—finally saying what I should’ve said, usually with a few quiet tears mixed in."

This is where people finally say that perfect comeback from a fight two years ago. Where they practice that conversation with their ex and imagine every possible (and unrealistic) outcome. It’s where the brain pulls out every embarrassing moment since 2007 like it’s building a cringe highlight reel—and where a few tears can fall without anyone noticing.

The acoustics? Ideal for whisper-fighting or fake flirting. The steam? Perfect for emotional atmosphere. The water? Doubles as a judgment-free crying backdrop. It’s the perfect setting for an inner monologue.

So while it might look like someone’s taking forever in there, what’s really happening is a full-blown emotional cleanse. It’s healing. It’s cathartic. It’s therapy—with conditioner.

Case Closed: Long Showers Are a Lifestyle

Long showers aren’t just about getting clean—they’re about everything else. They’re the one place people can think, feel, spiral, glow-up, cry, and daydream in peace. Some use it to brainstorm. Others use it to exfoliate their way into a new personality. Some just need the time to emotionally recover from… well, existing.

Here are the other popular responses we heard:

They were trying to wake up and just stood there for the first 20 minutes hoping the hot water would jumpstart their brain.
They’re waterbending like they’re in an episode of Avatar.
The song is too good to leave mid-chorus.
The podcast just hit a cliffhanger.
They’re not alone in there (say no more 👀).
They got so dirty it took four rounds of scrubbing to feel human again.
They’re cleaning the shower while they clean themselves—two birds, one very soapy stone.

So while some folks still wonder, “Why does it take you that long in the shower?”—the rest of us know: it's not wasted time. It’s sacred time.

Just maybe… keep the faucet guilt in check, and if you need an extended me-time moment, opt for a long soak instead. (Bonus: you can still listen to your podcast and emerge feeling like royalty.)