Hygiene and Chronic Illness: 5 Tips for "Lazy" People

Editor's Note: This article was written by Mikayla Bianchin, a Health Leader living with cystic fibrosis. Read more of Mikalaya's articles at Cystic-Fibrosis.com.

While living with a chronic illness, keeping up with my personal hygiene can make all the difference in how I feel. It makes me want to be social and feel happier, cleaner, and better about myself.

Unfortunately, having cystic fibrosis (CF) makes me exhausted, tired, and unwell a lot. This makes it difficult to do things, even simple things.

My rare disease is my main priority

People say it's laziness, but they don't know what it's like – it's just how my body functions. I often feel shame about my lack of hygiene because it seems to others as a basic practice. It is so important, yet so challenging, when CF is my main priority.

Luckily, I've picked up some tips over the past few years that have helped me maintain good hygiene or better hygiene than I used to.

Tip 1: Baby wipes are not just for babies

Baby wipes, or wet wipes, are a great hack when it comes to the shower battle. I picked up this hack while camping in the Dominican Republic. We didn't have running water, so wet wipes were our friend.

I recently started dabbling in this because of the cast on my broken foot, but it is always quite useful. Showering is super important, but gathering the strength to stand in there and do the whole routine sometimes is challenging.

So having wet wipes on hand is perfect for in between those showers, just to feel refreshed and clean. It doesn't have to be a whole sponge bath, but even just under the arms and other places that sweat. I get the cheapest hypoallergenic ones from the dollar store because they do the job for me.

Tip 2: Hair care can be simpler

Managing hair can be tough, especially if you have a certain length or cut that demands attention. I have long hair, which means it gets tangled super easily. A detangling spray is great to have on hand and makes brushing easier.

I also leave my brushes in easy-to-grab places like my bedside table. If I can't do this frequently, keeping it in a braid while I sleep prevents the tangles, for the most part. My other lifesaver is dry shampoo. It makes me look cleaner, which is perfect for going out in public.

Tip 3: Oral care made easy

Oral health is important, but so is your mental health. If it needs to be simplified to fit your lifestyle, there shouldn't be a stigma around that. I like to buy those flosser tools that already have the floss string strung across the plastic handle. I leave them in my bedside table, purse, and bathroom. If you feel things between your teeth it's not a nice feeling, and this is the easiest solution.

Also, if you can't brush your teeth for the whole 2 minutes multiple times a day, don't. Do as much as you can, even if that means brushing for a few seconds with water. Anything is better than nothing.

Tip 4: Make the mountain of laundry a hill

I like to have 1 laundry bin clean and 1 dirty. Or piles. Whatever you've got. I pick out my most-used clothes and wash them. Then instead of hanging up or folding them, I just toss them into the clean bin. I also try to wear clothes that are baggy or that can be worn a couple of times before they need to be washed.

There's also no need to wash clothes that have only been worn for a few hours. I find myself going through outfits because I change to go out with friends. Then once I'm home, I immediately take those clothes off. I assume them to be 90 percent clean.

Tip 5: Do what you can

This final trick is to just be kind to yourself. As patients, we can't always function at 100 percent, and that is OK. Be proud that you are trying, even if you aren't trying but just thinking about it – that is something to celebrate.

It isn't always practical to keep up with our rigorous chronic illness routines, a self-care routine, and all of life's other demands. You know you are doing your best for the type of day you're having. If you only feel 50 percent today, do activities that take only 50 percent energy. It doesn't have to be one specific way all the time. Adaptation is your bestie!

Have you found ways to make hygiene simpler or more manageable? Share with us in the comments below.