Very few of my patients like brushing their teeth and fewer still actually look forward to it. Personally, I think the act of brushing gives you a quick 5-10 minutes to contemplate on life and give yourself a nice start/end to the day.
If you’re one of those who hate brushing teeth or get it done with too quickly for your own good, here are some suggestions from across the world to help you pass the time required to brush your teeth well…
- Exercise. Gentle exercises such as leg lifts, lunges, bends and squats will loosen up your body and stretch you up before you start your daily activities.
- Clean your bathroom. Organize the magazines on top of the toilet, pull the shower screen, clean out the medicine cabinet, put others’ brushes in their proper places…
- Read. This is one of the best times to progress through that book you can’t put down. Or skim through the newspaper headlines and see if anything piques your interest.
- Dance. Practice a step that makes you hep.
- Watch TV. Catch up on your favourite morning show or a few movie trailers.
- Go potty. Get another chore done with.
- Take a shower. Gives you a full body clean. Amazing experience.
- Condition your hair. This needs a bit of advance planning, but if you leave the conditioner in your hair while brushing, your hair will benefit too.
- Pack your lunch. Or your office bag. Or anything you need to take with you when you go out.
- Do a bit of housework. Fetch the newspaper, water the plants, wake others up, take the garbage out, load the dishwasher, put on the kettle.
- Wander. Look around your house, your yard or garden. Snoop on the neighbours. Take in the views up and down your street.
- Decide what to wear. Have your clothes ready. Just don’t drop gunk on them.
- Think. Contemplate on life. Count your blessings (you’re not out of toothpaste). Plan your day. Make a mental note of things to jot down later on your to-do list.
- Text your friends. Say good morning. Forward those annoying messages. With your other hand of course.
- Play Angry Birds. Needs only one finger. Weeeeeeee…
Just make sure you last a minimum of three minutes. Keeps your teeth biting fit! If you’ve got any more ideas, do let me know in the comments.