How to Survive a Week in a Bathtub

Are you having a bad day? All you need is a nice, hot bath. Wow! You can relax, soothe your body, and enjoy a glass of wine. But what if you spent a whole week in a tub?

Most of us like to have a good soak in the bath. On average, people spend 15 to 30 minutes in the tub. And some of us could stay in there all day. But if you had to spend a long time in the bath, say one hour or even a week. Do you think you could survive?

It might seem like your life’s all rubber ducks and bath salts, but there are some big risks and issues you’ll need to know about. How would you relieve yourself? What would be the best diet to eat? And could you sleep in a bathtub?

Step 1 – Monitor Your Temperature

Since you’ve decided to do this yourself, make sure to choose the correct temperature for the water. Our bodies’ normal temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), but if your body temperature drops below 35°C (95°F), you’ll risk hypothermia. If that happens, your organs will start to be affected, and it can even lead to death. So, if you can keep the water temperature around 27°C (81°F), this should give you the best chance of getting through the week.

Step 2 – Wear Gloves and Socks

We all know that feeling of spending a little too long in the bath, and our fingers start wrinkling. This isn’t so bad for the first couple of hours, but if you’re in there any longer, your skin will start shedding. This is not good, as it can expose your inner layer of skin to infections and bacteria. Luckily, not all your skin will wrinkle. It’ll probably just happen to your hands and feet. So, if you can, wear waterproof gloves and socks. And you might try to keep your hands and feet out of the water.

Step 3 – Keep Moving

When you’re stuck in bed too long, you can get bed sores. You can develop tub sores if you spend too much time bathing and don’t move or change your position. If you’re in an average size bathtub, it won’t be so easy to move around. But you will need to change position as much as possible.”

Step 4 – Doing Your Business

Whatever happens, if you’re going to spend a week in a bathtub, you’ll need to think about what to do when you need have to do your business. You’re going to have to get accustomed to sitting in your urine. Don’t worry, though. You’ll get used to the smell pretty quickly. It’s just the higher risk of infection you need to worry about. And whatever you do, don’t drink the water, or get it in your eyes. Also, if your skin’s wrinkled, the inner layers have a much greater risk of infection. And if you think that’s bad, imagine what taking a number 2 will be like!”

Step 5 – Choose Your Menu Wisely

If you don’t want it to get messy in your bathtub too quickly, make sure you eat foods that don’t encourage you to poop. Try to eat low-fiber, liquid foods, such as fruit juice without pulp, or canned fruit without any seeds or skin. And keep the food next to your bathtub, since you’re in there for a week. And the same goes for water. Keep it handy, and drink whenever you need to, so you stay hydrated.

Step 6 – Keep Your Head Above the Water

During the week, you’ll need to sleep. But now, your bed is also your sitting room, bathroom, and kitchen. Let’s face it, it’s not going to be comfortable, and you probably won’t get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep. But make sure you keep your head above the water. You wouldn’t want to drink the water, or drown, would you? Your best bet is to use a floatation device for your neck. That could even be comfortable, considering the situation you’re in.

Step 7 – Stay Occupied

A week is a long time to sit around doing nothing, So, keep yourself busy. You can listen to music or start watching that TV series you’ve been looking forward to. Why not read a book? Or learn a new subject? One thing that’s just as important as the physical endurance you’ll need is your mental well-being. Staying positive, and having the right mental state, will do wonders for your motivation. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive a week in a bathtub.

Science has proven that taking a warm bath has many benefits, physical and mental. But there can always be too much of a good thing. And spending a week in a bathtub falls into that category. So, by all means, enjoy a relaxing bath after a long, hard day, but try not to push your luck about how long you stay in there.