Scientists Claim That the More Time You Spend in the Shower the Lonelier You Are, and Here’s Why

Our everyday habits can hide a universe of surprising information we can’t even fathom. Let’s take a look at ordinary activity like showering or bathing. While you may think that taking a long hot shower or bath means that you have a profound love of cleanliness or that it’s your true way to relax and forget about all your stress, scientists have a different story. They say that this a true sign of loneliness.

Here at Bright Side, we couldn’t believe that loneliness and showers can be linked. But we couldn’t stand against the scientific world as they’ve got some very convincing evidence.

Remember the last times you took the shower or bath. Were they steamy and long or did you just hop in and out without wasting tons of time and water? One of the answers to this question can uncover your hidden needs. In fact, scientists from Yale University made us scratch our heads with the idea that this shows how lonely we are.

The first step of the study involved 51 students from 18 to 45 years old. They were asked to complete a survey about their everyday habits and mark how lonely they felt. The survey included 3 questions about their bathing or showering routine — the researchers wanted to know the frequency, temperature, and duration of this procedure.

The results showed that students who felt lonelier took 23% more showers or baths in comparison to other students. The lonelier the student felt, the longer they spent in the shower and the warmer the water was. This happens because hot water essentially replaces a real companion and dispels feelings of isolation.

Although the results of the first step confirmed the initial theory, the researchers wanted to look at an older group of people to check and see if there would be any changes. So, they repeated the same test with 41 participants, ages 19–65.

The researchers reported almost similar outputs, except that they didn’t find a link between the frequency of bathing or showering and loneliness in this group. But this difference can be explained as well. Older people tend to have more regular and routine habits than students. So their need for social warmth is fully satisfied by an increase in both the temperature and duration.

We believe that it’s important to note here that loneliness can mean different things to different people. And sometimes it’s not about the number of friends a person has. Some of us might be surrounded by a lot of people and have friends, but still feel lonely or disconnected from them. In this case, it’s better to look at the problem and understand why it’s happening.

This is not the first study that has looked into the connection between physical and emotional warmth. For example, this study noted that even a simple act like holding a cup of hot coffee for a while can make a person feel more generous and trusting toward others.

So, next time you feel like taking a long hot shower, pour yourself a cup of hot tea or coffee, cover yourself with a soft blanket, and try to understand what your emotions are trying to tell you.

Do you like taking long showers or baths? Would you say that you feel lonely sometimes?