When I first tried to shower on crutches, it felt less like hygiene and more like a low budget stunt show. Every step was slow, careful, and just a little terrifying. What surprised me later was this, my body started getting better long before my brain believed it.
That is why I like using a simple Shower Progress Tracker. The version that lives at
pdf/shower-progress-tracker.html is meant to be printed, slipped into a plastic sleeve, and scribbled on
with a pen or dry erase marker. One line per shower, one week at a time.
Big idea
You are not guessing how showers are going—you are watching your confidence, timing, and energy change on paper.
Why track your showers at all
If you are on crutches, shower days can feel like boss levels. Tracking might sound silly at first, but it quietly does a lot of heavy lifting.
- Shows that progress is real, even when it feels slow or invisible.
- Helps you spot patterns: better days, worse days, and what changed.
- Gives you concrete info to share with your doctor or physical therapist.
- Turns “I am scared” into “I am scared, but I can see that I am still improving.”
I used to tell myself nothing was getting easier. Once I wrote down my times and confidence scores for a week, I realized I had quietly shaved off five minutes and bumped my confidence by two points. My brain had stayed stuck on day one panic—the tracker showed me the truth.
What the weekly tracker includes
Your Shower Progress Tracker - Weekly Progress Tracker is laid out in rows, one row per shower. The exact labels can vary, but most versions will have some mix of:
- Date
- Time of day
- Confidence rating (before the shower, and optional after)
- Shower duration (in minutes)
- Support used (people and equipment)
- Pain or fatigue level after
- Notes or quick comments
You do not have to fill it out perfectly. Even half-complete weeks can tell you a lot.
How to use your Shower Progress Tracker
Quick instructions
Fill in one row per shower. At the end of the week, review the page and ask, “What actually changed?”
Date and time, catching patterns you would miss
Date. Write the day of the shower. If you notice two or three blank days in a row, that may be a sign that pain, fatigue, or mood is getting in the way.
Time of day. Mark morning, afternoon, or evening, or write the time. I eventually noticed that morning showers wiped me out and late night showers spiked my anxiety. Afternoons sat in a sweet spot. Once I saw that pattern in writing, changing my routine felt less dramatic and more obvious.
Confidence rating, from “nope” to “I have got this”
Before you start, give yourself a quick confidence score. Use 1 to 5 or 1 to 10—keep it simple.
- 1 - I feel scared and very unsure about showering.
- 3 - I am nervous, but I can manage with support.
- 5 - I feel steady, prepared, and as calm as possible.
The goal is honesty, not perfection. Watching your average move from a 2 toward a 4 over a couple of weeks is proof your brain is slowly trusting your body again. Add an “after the shower” confidence box if you want to see that gap shrink.
Shower duration, timing without turning it into a race
Use a timer or note the clock before and after. Write how long the whole routine took.
- Shorter is not always better—sometimes a longer shower means you paced yourself.
- The goal is smoother, more predictable timing, not speed runs.
- If showers suddenly take much longer and you feel worse, that is a signal to share.
Seeing consistent ranges can calm your brain; it proves things are not as chaotic as they feel.
Support used, who and what helped you
In the “support” column, note people and equipment.
People:
- Independent - you managed solo with your usual setup.
- Minimal help - someone nearby for spotting, or helped with drying feet or carrying items.
- Full assist - a caregiver helped with most of the process.
Equipment:
- Shower chair or bench
- Grab bars
- Non slip mat
- Handheld shower head
Over weeks you might see a story forming: first mostly “full assist,” then more “minimal help,” then a few “independent” days. That is progress, even if you still feel nervous.
Pain or fatigue level, listening to your body
Right after the shower, give your pain or fatigue a simple number from 0 to 10.
- 0 - no pain or fatigue at all.
- 5 - noticeable, but you can still function.
- 10 - the worst you can imagine.
If scores creep from 3s to 6s or every shower leaves you wiped out, that is not grit—that is a signal to adjust timing, equipment, or your rehab plan.
Notes section, your story in a sentence or two
This is where you add the human details. One or two short lines is enough.
- “Tried a new non slip mat, felt much safer getting in.”
- “Skipped my pre shower snack, felt lightheaded after.”
- “Friend waited outside the door and talked to me, anxiety dropped.”
- “Bad mood, but shower went fine, fear was louder than reality.”
These notes explain your numbers and help you make smarter tweaks next week.
End of week review, a five minute ritual
At the end of the week, look at the whole page and ask:
- Did my confidence change? Even a half-step counts.
- Is my shower time more predictable? Steady ranges beat chaos.
- Did my pain or fatigue scores move? Stable or lower is good.
- What helped most this week? Time of day, mat, music, support person.
- What should I change next week? Shift timing, add a snack, rest more.
That quick review turns seven separate showers into one clear story about how you are actually doing.
How your tracker helps your care team
Bringing your weekly shower tracker to appointments makes conversations easier.
Instead of saying “Showers are scary,” you can say:
- “My confidence scores went from 2 to 4 in two weeks, but fatigue after evening showers is still around an 8.”
- “I am fine while sitting on the chair, but any time I stand for more than a minute my pain jumps to a 7.”
- “Once I moved showers to the afternoon, my time dropped by three minutes and my fatigue went down by two points.”
Those details give your care team something specific to work with instead of a vague “It feels bad.”
Be kind to yourself while you track
A tracker is not a report card—it is a mirror. Some weeks will be messy. That does not erase progress.
- Celebrate small wins; even one slightly easier shower counts.
- Allow rough days without guilt; you are collecting data, not grading yourself.
- Fear and improvement can exist together; you can be shaky and still getting stronger.
You are rebuilding trust between your body and your brain in a tiny wet room full of hard edges. If all you did today was track one shaky shower and stay upright, that still counts.
When you are ready, print the tracker from pdf/shower-progress-tracker.html, laminate it or slide it into
a clear sleeve, and keep a pen nearby. One line at a time is enough.