Finding a Bathroom in an Unfamiliar Workplace

By Sawyer Matheny

3 min read

I’m definitely not a morning person. I’ve always loved waking up to the sun, eat a breakfast once my stomach wakes up, and use the restroom at an appropriate time. AT my own home, where it’s safe and normal. Starting a new job as a school picture-day photographer isn’t exactly what my body is used to, or appreciates, frankly.

Changes in my routine

As someone with IBS, routine is paramount. I need to wake up early enough so that I can use the potty at my home, where it’s reliable. My old trusty toilet that has seen me at my worst. As a photographer, I have to get to k-12 schools before their day starts. This means that if my Imodium isn’t enough to quell the sleeping giant within me, then I need to find options and fast.

My normal routine

Every morning I do what I can to try and poop in the 30-45 minutes that I give myself to get ready and be an awake person.

The first thing I do is get up to brush my teeth. Toothpaste, like clockwork, loves to trigger someone dark passenger inside of me and get my guts rolling. It’s a stupid curse that really starts my day in a frenzy!

Next, I lay in bed and scroll on my phone. Honestly, I wake up with just enough margin to allow myself some browsing time to really wake my mind up. I need to start the day on a warmed up note! It’s a shower of the mind, if you would. While I do this, I curl up in fetal position. I’ll bring up my knees and sit there like I’m faux on the toilet, just tooting away. It helps gets things moving if I’m in a hurry!

The need for a bathroom on the job

Some days, the few and far between, start me off with a BM that plummets my inevitable anxiety of having to find a bathroom at the school I'm working at that day.

Most days, aren’t so lucky.

Different types of bathrooms

As a contractor working in a public school, I’ve found that they have a few different toilet philosophies. The best option, are the private “faculty” only restrooms. It’s such a safe respite. I swear, these bathrooms are even better than the one that I so very miss at home. They have scented sprays, double ply toilet paper, and fans to boot. It’s like living in my own personal toilet paradise where no-one can stop me.

It makes the anxious job of having to work in a new school every day, photographing students for their year book, assembly-line style, much easier.

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Having to disturb others

Other times these adult-only bathrooms are attached to the teacher’s lounge which is okay, but not great. Disturbing teachers, despite me being 27, is something I still find uncomfortable. Hell, I still call them by their last name, despite us all being adults.

The worst option imaginable

The worst option, by far, is the boys' potty. Holy shit, this space is just a breeding ground for nasty teens cutting class. A cesspool of vaping boys who’ve made this their den. Not exactly a comfortable place to go when you have to take a poo in the place where poos are had (the audacity).

What is there to do?

Well I have a few options.

Turn around and just hold it forever, which is a nice and temporary option, wait until they’ve gone to class (likely not) or try my best to stealth poop. This is all incredibly not hypothetical, as at one of my schools, I had to find a way to poo during every loud noise in the room. Whether it was another person flushing, a loud laugh or music playing, I used audio camouflage as my best way to get on with my day.

This job comes with a lot of ups and downs. Yes, I get to leave my work day at 2, but at the price of having to find a bathroom in a building that I’ve never been before, while I set up my photography equipment. It’s not ideal, but hopefully, the more my body forms a habit, the easier it’ll be for me to find a way to balance my schedule and my need for poops.

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Thyme Member
Wow, that's smart. That's also cool you're a photographer; I'm not very tech smart despite being 21. I get what you mean having a reliable toilet at work. At my first job as a dishwasher at the most popular (and disgusting) pizzeria in my state, we were allowed to freely use the bathroom but I wouldn't have much time to (and having IBS and heavy periods never helped). No one complained because it was my job to clean each of the toilets too. Now that I'm at my current job at a small local thrift store, it's only a few of us running the store, and everyone does everything in the bathroom and there's room spray (that for once I'm not allergic to) though the toilet gets clogged easily even for people without IBS, but we all unclog it. Stupid Toilet. While I was getting my Associate's in Criminal Justice, I learned that people in prison let each other know when they have to use the bathroom and constantly flush the toilet in waves to keep from clogging and minimize the smell. Most people in bathrooms mind their own business I found out, and even if they complain about the smell, they chose to ditch class in the bathroom and they can suffer the consequences. I myself would also hold it in, but it's much easier to do if you're constipated vs if you have diarrhea. Sometimes I would have to take otc meds (I don't have a prescription or diagnosis) if i suddenly have diarrhea, or drink clear sweetened liquids and have safe foods if I have diarrhea. It sounds oversimplified I know, but if you're going to different schools for your photography, maybe try asking for a map of the school, or directions of where the nearest one is, and maybe the nearest exit in addition to it so you just sound like you want to be generally prepared, from the bathroom to fire drills, etc., and so it takes the attention away from the toilet and focuses on the layout of the school.
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Thyme" user-id="8677143"/> Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I'm sure Sawyer will be very appreciative. It's always smart to position yourself in positions that are with ease to get to the restroom. And I think it is great advice to look at a map. I hope you are well today. Best, Elizabeth (team member)
Thyme Member
Sorry I didn't realize how long this was
CommunityMemberf75b15 Member
Hold it in? You must be very lucky. I have a bathroom in my office and sometimes I cannot even make it there in time. I can't hold it in at all. Nope! Never!!
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMemberf75b15" user-id="8536671"/> You're not alone. Do you have an emergency kit for when that happens, like described here: <a href='https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/dealing-with-emergencies?' target='_blank'>https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/dealing-with-emergencies?</a> Urgency is the worst. 🙁 Karina (team member)
CommunityMemberf75b15 Member
Yes, I do have an emergency kit but if it is more than just a little, I have to go home for the day. I get so tired during an episode.
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMemberf75b15" user-id="8536671"/> I get that. How often do you get these episodes that force you to leave work? Karina (team member)
CommunityMemberf75b15 Member
Not as much now as I used to since I identified a couple of food triggers. Grease and oil and caffeine. I used to be about once a month or so, but since I quit caffeine it has downgraded to occasionally. 
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMemberf75b15" user-id="8536671"/> I'm glad you get these less often now. Avoiding your biggest triggers can help so much, I remember when I first started working on my diet, I went from daily flares to at least a couple of days a week where I was fine. Karina (team member)
CommunityMemberf75b15 Member
Yeah, the hardest thing was finding the triggers.

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