TikTok Says There's A Place For "Nothing Showers," Too

When you step into the shower, it’s usually because you’re on a mission: a mission to wash your hair, scrub your pits, and get yourself clean so you can feel nice and fresh. Sometimes, though, it feels good to stand in steamy water with no objective whatsoever. This is now called a “nothing shower” — and TikTok is all about it.

The nothing shower is the antithesis of the everything shower, a recent trend that popped off on ShowerTok with over five billion views. Unlike a traditional daily shower, which is closer to a thorough rinse, the everything variety is an hours-long bathing ritual that leaves no body part unwashed. During this time, one dips into an array of scented body washes, scrubs, and shampoos. It’s when you double-cleanse your face, exfoliate rough bits, and shave away any hairs you no longer want. It’s so thorough that leaving an everything shower feels like being reborn. It’s also a lot of work — so much so that you might even need a post-shower nap.

TikTok user @alexandra.r.simpson acknowledges this practice but points out that “nothing showers” have a time and a place, too. And seeing as she already has over 100,000 likes on her video, it seems she isn’t alone in her desire to do ~nothing~ but let the water pour.

What Is A Nothing Shower?

To take a nothing shower, all you have to do is turn on the hot water and step into the steam. To really get into it, you can sit down and let the warm water wash over you. You can think, you can stare, you can mull over your problems — just make sure you don’t touch any soap. The point isn’t to wash or get clean, but to simply relax.

Chances are you’ve taken a nothing shower at some point; their appeal is undeniable. As one TikToker commented, “Sometimes I do nothing with the lights off and pretend I’m in a sensory deprivation pod.” Another said, “I do a quick scrub of the smelly parts so I can disassociate for the rest” while someone else wrote, “Thank you. Normalize nothing showers.”

According to Simpson, the nothing shower is excellent for migraine management (or regular headaches), muffling sobs, and hiding from responsibilities. It’s also an ideal way to cure period cramps and hangovers, warm up on chilly days, and get five to 20 minutes of uninterrupted alone time. Need a good cry? Don’t feel like fixing an issue? No worries. You can slip into the shower and do nothing instead.