51% of people seek privacy in the bathroom, according to recent study.
This statistic doesn’t surprise me.
When younger my brother hid in the bathroom. Sometimes I think he even secretly did his homework.
My husband, Matthew, is known for taking his “baths,” where he disappeared to the bathroom for 15+ minutes. He “says” it helps his aching back.I am sure it does. But it also allows him those 15 minutes of quiet.
In all fairness, Matthew will say that I escape to the bathroom every so often. But, I really don’t like long baths or long showers. And besides, moms rarely get to use the bathroom uninterrupted or in silence.
But, aside from personal experience, how many commercials do we see of people escaping to the bathroom to enjoy a bath, cookie, or to take a zoom call. Bathrooms are known for a moment of privacy.
With over half of Americans finding privacy in the bathroom, maybe what we are discovering is that people are actually seeking privacy. In busy, loud houses with kids, dogs, and commotion… the bathroom is just the place that symbolizes “I need to be alone.”
In the study, the author concluded that bathroom alone time is most popular in families with young children and the percentages drastically drop as children age or people live alone. Single people and empty nesters are not escaping to the bathroom. These people find privacy elsewhere.
I understand wanting privacy. I like my alone time. It gives me a chance to decompress, recharge, and hear myself think. I work on some projects better alone. I focus better. I am more productive. I can evaluate situations better. I only use the bathroom as a silent sanctuary occasionally. Instead, I often find myself driving in silence, or waking up early just to have a moment to myself. Those are my places of comfort and quiet more so than sneaking into the bathroom.
So if you are one who finds solace in the bathroom, know you are not alone. Make it your place… claim it. If you have another place… where is it?
