Summer is the busiest time of the year for most people, including me and my family. After weeks of travelling with my husband for work and going to weddings and just all the things that summer comes with, we came home to a house that was just a disaster. We were all exhausted. All I wanted was to sleep, but I had laundry to do, bags to unpack and put away, on top of basic household chores that needed doing. A week later my home is tidier, most of my chores are caught up, and I feel more rested. Here are the five tips I use almost daily to keep a tidy home even when you are exhausted.
Prioritize Rest
Your physical and mental health should be your top priority. For me the goal is always to get back to my rhythms, to set myself up for success in my cleaning which I can’t do if I feel overwhelmed or chronically tired. Prioritizing things that are passively restorative such as self care and sleep, and also prioritizing active rest activities such as reading or your hobbies is the key to keep your house tidy even you are exhausted.
Set Healthy Expectations
If you are getting back from a trip or are just completing a really busy time in your life, it is not realistic to expect yourself to get everything back in order in a day, or even two days. In order to avoid (further) burnout, it is important to set healthy expectations. This will be different for everyone, but I like to start with one task per day until everything is back in order. This is the manageable expectation I can set for myself so that I don’t get overwhelmed by everything that needs doing.
Make Your Schedule work for You
I personally have never had success with those “This is the only schedule you should be using” type posts. Although those posts often have useful advice, people have such vastly different lives that it’s impossible for one schedule to work for everyone. Take a little time to evaluate what you do on a daily basis and figure out when would be best for YOU and no one else. It may take a while to really pin down what works best for you. Here you can read more about how to set up a cleaning rhythm and why it’s better than a schedule.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Shortly after my baby was born, while I was struggling to get back into a rhythm, I had a revelation that larger tasks – such as laundry, cleaning the kitchen/ bathroom– can all be broken down into smaller tasks. If you are someone who struggles with ADHD paralysis or decision paralysis, try breaking your tasks up into smaller tasks.
For example, if you need to do laundry, you will have to: gather all your clothes together, take them to the laundry room, wash, dry, fold, and put away. If that seems like too much to do all at once, try just gathering the clothes and taking them to the laundry room so that as soon as you are able to/ have more energy you can start your load of laundry. Another way to do this is to set things out the night before, for example if I have to vacuum I will take out and plug in the vacuum so that the next day all I have to do is start vacuuming. This is something that has helped me to keep a tidy house even when I’m exhausted, and maybe it will help you too.
Ask for Help
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Constantly having to keep a tidy home even when you are exhausted is going to take its toll on you. You can’t always do it alone, and that’s ok. I’m still having to learn this one for myself, but it can make all the difference in being able to get things done to even just have an extra set of hands to help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help especially when you are exhausted.
Final Thoughts
Having to keep a tidy home when you are exhausted is no easy task. These are the things that I find myself constantly coming back to over and over again in order to keep myself from burning out, but still keep my home clean and tidy, especially in these busy summer months.
I hope that these things can help you as much as they have helped me, and if there are any tips you have, feel free to share them in the comments down below!