Hi! I’m wondering what you all do to help you keep your home tidy, even when using as little effort and thought-power as possible. I realize thinking a lot about what to do can easily leave you exhausted before even getting started. What has helped? Do you have any specific system?
Everything has a “home” - it helps with the mental labor of putting things away when I am not also trying to figure out where to put things. Bins - yes these can become doom boxes, but almost every room has a bin in it for things that don’t belong in that room. Everyday I try to put away everything in just one of the bins. Make it easy - yes I love the beautifully folded towels or artfully arranged cabinets I see on TicTok, but that is also what makes a task seem harder than it is. I try to keep everything as simple as possible - fewer steps = more likely to get it done. I also try not to make “extra work” - my husband can decide on the state of his office, no dog toys that are just going to be shredded, no point in saving leftovers that won’t be eaten, etc. And maybe the thing that has helped me the most - function over form. Things can live where they are used. My house doesn’t need to look like a showroom at all times. My house is clean even if my hair dryer is on the counter or there are dog toys on the floor.
Get a routine in place. This app helped me so much. Everyday I do a little something around the house as not to get overwhelmed.
In addition to your normal tasks, set the timer for a 15 minute pickup each evening.
