Really struggling with cleaning/ household tasks

Hi guys,

I've just read through all the comments and nodded my head and chuckled.

We all write lists, and in some ways they help, because they co-ordinate our focus.

However when we 'overthink' ( I hate that term BTW) we end up generating lists which are too long which only make us more depressed and anxious.

It is ok to ask for help with tasks too, so when peer pressure from family or friends get applied, ask them for help.

None of us are perfect and I have learned that those who tell you 'it's easy', tend to be those who delegate tasks to others anyway.

Above all be honest with yourselves and others. Not everyone can understand those periods of suffocating darkness or the listness and apathy they can bring.

I have discussed things with my GP, and I get busy when I go through those times, although I have learned to give myself at least one 'down-day' every couple of weeks or I get so exhausted I get ill.

When I had children still at home my solution was blackboard paint on doors. On the inside doors of kitchen cupboards allowed me to keep separate lists, ie 'shopping' and 'to do' etc. The kitchen door was where I would leave school reminders, and the door to the living room carried 'house' reminders.

Visitors may have found it odd, but the consensus was it was a good idea.

Our homes may be cluttered and messy, they are homes, not some idealised picture in a magazine which is pushed at us as though it is normal when it is anything but.

I use music to tackle housework, and I usually tackle it in bursts of energy when I find time. I find it best done when I am alone and I have less distractions.

I've found up-beat jazz or rock and roll the best for deep cleaning and since I hate ironing I use 2beat reggae to deal with that. When I am dealing with something that requires a more aggresive approach I use rock music.

I now use a combination of whiteboards, a large calender by the front door to keep track of my various work schedules, and I get great delight in wiping off the white boards when I have completed them.

I am a professional cook so as long as my kitchen is clean, I can ignore the rest until I get round to it. The bathroom is small so that is easy to keep uncluttered and I use storage boxes to keep everything out of sight.

Paperwork is my biggest bugbear, and I use a 'hamster' filing system, which means I tend to stuff it all in a cupboard out of sight until it gets so full I have to deal with it.

Those days I am always in a foul mood and best left alone. I get a large laundry basket to dump the stuff I don't need to keep and as I am mindful about confidentiality, it gets burnt in an old washing machine drum I have outside as a firepit.

I have one display cabinet where I keep all my 'sentimental' things. Although larger items are displayed on window sills or shelves.

Our 'collections' can prove overwhelming but I have discovered that if I can give away to a good home an 'entire' collection I can move on with less attachment and anxiety.

My family and friends have learned that I do not mind if they then re-gift those collections eleswhere, but I only get upset when they are put into the rubbish.

Modern life is more complicated than ever before, and I use a white marker or a black marker pen to write on plugs the name of the relevant gadget they are attached to. It helps me remember what that particular adapter is for too.

I have a friend who dislikes writing on objects so she uses coloured tape tags on the wires which she finds more acceptable.

There are no 'off-the-cuff' solutions and there is a reason why housework gets called 'chores', but if you can make them more fun for yourself, they are more easily tackled.

Some of us work better at schedules, some of us work better in 'bursts' but find what works for you.

I hope this helps illustrate possible solutions for some, now I really should stop 'procastinating' on-line and go scrub my floors, and take my huge fluffy dog for a walk through all the wet muddy woods.  True, I'll walk the dog first then scrub the floors.

I wish you all well, and hope you find some sunshine on those cloudy dim days, but the housework needs to be prioritised just like any other occupation.

So deal with what needs doing to stay healthy first.

Hi guys,

I've just read through all the comments and nodded my head and chuckled.

We all write lists, and in some ways they help, because they co-ordinate our focus.

However when we 'overthink' ( I hate that term BTW) we end up generating lists which are too long which only make us more depressed and anxious.

It is ok to ask for help with tasks too, so when peer pressure from family or friends get applied, ask them for help.

None of us are perfect and I have learned that those who tell you 'it's easy', tend to be those who delegate tasks to others anyway.

Above all be honest with yourselves and others. Not everyone can understand those periods of suffocating darkness or the listness and apathy they can bring.

I have discussed things with my GP, and I get busy when I go through those times, although I have learned to give myself at least one 'down-day' every couple of weeks or I get so exhausted I get ill.

When I had children still at home my solution was blackboard paint on doors. On the inside doors of kitchen cupboards allowed me to keep separate lists, ie 'shopping' and 'to do' etc. The kitchen door was where I would leave school reminders, and the door to the living room carried 'house' reminders.

Visitors may have found it odd, but the consensus was it was a good idea.

Our homes may be cluttered and messy, they are homes, not some idealised picture in a magazine which is pushed at us as though it is normal when it is anything but.

I use music to tackle housework, and I usually tackle it in bursts of energy when I find time. I find it best done when I am alone and I have less distractions.

I've found up-beat jazz or rock and roll the best for deep cleaning and since I hate ironing I use 2beat reggae to deal with that. When I am dealing with something that requires a more aggresive approach I use rock music.

I now use a combination of whiteboards, a large calender by the front door to keep track of my various work schedules, and I get great delight in wiping off the white boards when I have completed them.

I am a professional cook so as long as my kitchen is clean, I can ignore the rest until I get round to it. The bathroom is small so that is easy to keep uncluttered and I use storage boxes to keep everything out of sight.

Paperwork is my biggest bugbear, and I use a 'hamster' filing system, which means I tend to stuff it all in a cupboard out of sight until it gets so full I have to deal with it.

Those days I am always in a foul mood and best left alone. I get a large laundry basket to dump the stuff I don't need to keep and as I am mindful about confidentiality, it gets burnt in an old washing machine drum I have outside as a firepit.

I have one display cabinet where I keep all my 'sentimental' things. Although larger items are displayed on window sills or shelves.

Our 'collections' can prove overwhelming but I have discovered that if I can give away to a good home an 'entire' collection I can move on with less attachment and anxiety.

My family and friends have learned that I do not mind if they then re-gift those collections eleswhere, but I only get upset when they are put into the rubbish.

Modern life is more complicated than ever before, and I use a white marker or a black marker pen to write on plugs the name of the relevant gadget they are attached to. It helps me remember what that particular adapter is for too.

I have a friend who dislikes writing on objects so she uses coloured tape tags on the wires which she finds more acceptable.

There are no 'off-the-cuff' solutions and there is a reason why housework gets called 'chores', but if you can make them more fun for yourself, they are more easily tackled.

Some of us work better at schedules, some of us work better in 'bursts' but find what works for you.

I hope this helps illustrate possible solutions for some, now I really should stop 'procastinating' on-line and go scrub my floors, and take my huge fluffy dog for a walk through all the wet muddy woods.  True, I'll walk the dog first then scrub the floors.

I wish you all well, and hope you find some sunshine on those cloudy dim days, but the housework needs to be prioritised just like any other occupation.

So deal with what needs doing to stay healthy first.