Introduction
The average member of mankind spends six months of their life on the toilet. Moreso if you have a poor diet, have underlying health conditions, or consume uncontrolled distractions like social media while having a bowel movement.
Before smartphones, taking a number 2 was a solitary and reflective experience where one had time to think, or would read the bottle of a bathroom fragrance spray to have something to do. Now, many people use social media while on the toilet, which isn’t a good use of time.
Today, many people never get moments of silence. They go from moment to moment with music, podcasts, and videos, without ever being bathed in silence. Even while sleeping, many will have sound playing.
You can make bathroom time useful again by meditating in silence or using an educational app while sitting on the throne. Below are 8 Applications you can use to make going to the bathroom a richer experience.
If you want to spend less time in the bathroom–and you should--invest in a bidet. Bidets are inexpensive, easy to install, and work with virtually all toilet setups, even if you live in an apartment or other living situation where you do not own the space.
Educational Apps to Use in The Bathroom
Feedly
Feedly is a publication syndicator so you can read whatever content you like—including this publication–all in one place. Feedly is our top pick for an educational app to use while in the bathroom. Articles are perfect for reading in the bathroom.
- We hope you read us in the bathroom on Feedly
Feedly allows you to follow as many publications as you like, for free. So whenever you are in the bathroom you can read publications like ours. Read all the articles from one publication, or hop between them.
Feedly has been around since 2008 and became especially popular when Google killed Google Reader in 2013, one of their most helpful products, which appears to be a Google trend–shutting down useful services people like.
You can use Feedly to save articles to read later, so you’re able to curate a reading list whenever you have a few moments in the bathroom.
Feedly is a generous freemium app that never annoys. If you could benefit from their premium offering, you should consider it.
Duolingo(or other language learning app)
Duolingo is a language learning app with lessons you can complete in just a few minutes; the perfect timing for having a bowel movement.
Recall that the average person spends around 6 months of their life in the bathroom. The average time to become conversational in a language is 3-6 months or roughly 400 hours of study. This means if you only study languages while using the bathroom, you can be conversational by middle age, or at the latest, on your death bed. If you want to be conversational faster, you’ll need to learn languages more than during bathroom time.
You can use any language learning app. You should try them all and stick with the one that resonates with you the most. Babbel and Pimsleur are popular alternatives to Duolingo. You can also use multiple apps for language learning, regardless if you pay for one, or none at all.
Podcasts
Listening to podcasts while going to the bathroom is easy. You may already be listening to a podcast as you enter the commode.
Podcasts are a type of passive learning that should not be done when active learning can occur. If the choice is between using a language learning app, versus listening to a podcast, you should try to use the language learning app as that is the more active form of learning.
- Podcast addict for Android: we recommend Podcast Addict because you can “favorite” episodes, as well as make notes and bookmarks in podcast episodes. This is useful for reference and learning.
- Podcast app for iOS
If you can multi-task a bit, you can try to do a meditation for the body domain while listening to podcasts–which has nothing to do with the body. Try a body meditation by being as still as possible, which includes keeping your eyes still. Alternatively, you can do breathwork, which can include breath holds at the top and bottom of your respiration cycles.
A daily reader book
A daily reader book is perfect to place on the tank lid of your toilet. A daily reader book is a book that usually has 365 pages, where you read a page every day. These pages are usually not long. These books aren’t meant to give you in-depth ideas, but instead exist to provide a concept to ponder; what better place to ponder than in the washroom?
Books are a technological application filled with words–people forget that books are technology, one of the longest-lasting forms of technology, like the wheel.
Every time you go to the bathroom, read and ponder a page from a daily reader book.
Daily Reader recommendations:
- The Daily Laws – Robert Greene
- The Daily Stoic – Ryan Holiday
- Touchstones: A Book Of Daily Meditations For Men – Anonymous
- The Daily Pressfield – Steven Pressfield
- The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done – Peter F. Drucker
- Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh – Thich Nhat Hanh
- Awaken Every Day: 365 Buddhist Reflections to Invite Mindfulness and Joy – Thubten Chodron
- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Book of Days: 365 Inspirations to Enrich Your Relationships – John Gray
Comics, Manga, or Books on The Kindle App
The Kindle app is excellent for reading comics and manga on your phone. Since you’re bringing your phone to the bathroom anyways, a BM can be a good opportunity to read some graphic panes for 5-10 minutes, or longer if you have a diet lacking in fiber.
You can also read manga, like Vagabond above, in paper form, setting the book on the lid of the toilet tank. Many manga’s will not be in digital form to preserve the artform in the medium it was designed for.
You can also read a daily reader on the Kindle app too. A daily page from a daily reader can be part of the morning primer.
Recommended comics/Manga:
- Vagabond – Takehiko Inoue (Miyamoto Musashi Manga)
- Akira(like the movie) Manga Box set – Katsuhiro Otomo
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set – Hayao Miyazaki
- V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
- Berserk Deluxe Volume 1 by Kentaro Miura
- Watchman – Alan Moore
Mimo for coding/Programming
Mimo is an application that allows you to learn how to code or program on your phone. Mimo is a fantastic application, but it should be a supplement to an engaged, no-phone pursuit of programming mastery with a curriculum containing courses, videos, and books. Besides, it is difficult to use a text editor on a mobile device.
Mimo is an excellent way to help you learn how to program or code, or dabble in what could be a new interest, and a new path in the domain of mind. The lessons, like Duolingo, can be completed in a short time, making Mimo an excellent choice for bathroom learning.
Quizlet
Quizlet is an AI-powered flashcard application that has existed since 2007. Students use Quizlet to make flashcards and study a variety of subjects. While you’re in the bathroom, you can use this time to review flashcards for different subjects.
Quizlet operates on the freemium model. You can use it for free if you don’t mind watching a few ads on occasion. This is fine for most; power-users may want to upgrade, or those who simply want to support a business offering a superb product.
If you’re a student, you can look at flashcards you make for your classes while in the bathroom.
If you’re not a student, you can use Quizlet flashcards to memorize anything you want to have permanently etched into your mind.
If you’re a Muay Thai student, you can create flashcards for the MongKohn and the Prajioud to recall the meaning of each, and which is the headband and which is the armband.
If you’re a football player, Quizlet can help memorize plays.
Final Thoughts
When we are on the path we want to spend as much time in pursuit of attainment across Body, Mind, and Spirit(BMS). The more time we spend on the path, the more rewarding pleasure is off the path because it is earned.
We know the pursuit of pleasure is hell because pleasure cannot be fulfilled. We know pleasure is a respite from walking the path diligently and aggressively.
When you’re on the path, try and maximize the efficiency of attainment, which can include doing some kind of practice while in the bathroom.
Some may call this extreme, we call it acting rational.
