Three Unique Tidying Strategies for Disabled People to Use When Cleaning
I'm somewhat of an organizing and productivity junkie and productivity junkie. One of my favorites stores is The Container Store and I love learning new tips and techniques to help my house and life run more efficiently. Sometimes, though, my disability and my energy levels on any given day can mean no matter how well I plan, plot, or research new ways to keep things tidy, my body can say, "sorry, not today." And after a couple of days (or a few), things can start to pile up.
For this post, I thought I would share some real-life photos of when I needed to practice some intentional self-care to nurture my body, which came at the sacrifice of a tidy kitchen. And perhaps more importantly, some strategies I use to get back on track.
But before I get to those strategies, I want to make something very clear: if you have a disability or a chronic illness, and you struggle with keeping your space organized or just keeping up with housework in general: YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. It's not that you are lazy or don't know how to keep your space neat and tidy. Rather, it is that you are tired, or you are in pain or both. And some days or several days, your body and your health have to come first. And that is more than okay— that is non-negotiable.
One of the reasons I believe that disabled people and those who live with chronic illness are some of the strongest people ever is that every moment of every day is a moment lived in pain or discomfort. We have to learn how to live with the pain. And every day brings moments of real-time assessment. What is the need? How am I feeling? Can I do it? I will be honest and say sometimes I answer "no." There are some days when simply breathing is my top priority. I pass by my full sink of dishes, and if my back is too sore or my heart rate is racing, the dishes are going to wait until tomorrow. It's not that I don't want an empty sink; I am just not willing to sacrifice my health to have it.
After giving my body the rest it needs, and I'm ready to tackle my kitchen again, the following are three easy strategies that I use to clean up the kitchen (or any room) that make it quick, easy, and dare I say, fun (or at least more fun). In all, cleaning up my kitchen in these pictures took about two hours. Part of my daily routine is to do my chores first thing in the day when I have the most energy. Cleaning up the kitchen fit into my two(ish) chore slot of my day.
Strategy #1) Know your end goal
One of the first things I do before I start on any organizing or tidying project, large or small, is I imagine in my mind how I want the space to look when I am finished. It might sound kind of "woo-woo," but I promise it helps. It helps to motivate you to get started and gives you a North Star to work toward. Don't stop until you achieve that vision, even if that means cutting corners along the way.
For example, if your counter is cluttered with a bunch of random things, but you don't have the time, or energy, to put everything back exactly where it belongs, then don't. Instead, use a box or a bag to gather up like items, and just put them aside for now.
Before: My messy kitchen table. It always seems to be a dumping ground!
I know most organizing gurus would think of this as blasphemy. And to some extent, I agree that it is somewhat counterproductive to not put everything away in the moment. Sometimes, however, that just isn't possible. Yet, with my approach, in the end, you will have still achieved your goal: a clear countertop. Whether your path of progress is a straight line or takes some turns along the way, building your muscle of accomplishing goals will help you gain confidence in your tidy skills and be organized in the long term.
After: My clean kitchen table. It is always the first thing I clear off.
Strategy #2) Work in one direction
This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Whatever room or area of space you want to clean up, start at one end and work your way to the other. It doesn't matter what direction you choose: clockwise, counter-clockwise, up, down, left or right. The reason this tip works is that it is a momentum-builder. Rather than just picking up random things out of a pile, working in a constant direction shows progress.
Before: Our cluttered kitchen bar area. As you can see we like to snack!
Think of yourself as an imaginary line separating the mess from the non-mess. As you move, so does the line. The progress that you have just made will hopefully keep motivating you to finish until the end. Again, I know this sounds a little hokey, but I promise it helps. If you get more intentional about your method of cleaning up, doing it may not be easier, but it will be more efficient. And I hope something you find more enjoyable.
Strategy #3) The Rule of Three
As I've hinted at with Strategy #2, anything I can do to "game-ify" my chores, I'm all in. The Rule of Three is an example of how I try to incorporate more whimsy into an otherwise utterly mundane task.
After: The kitchen bar area when it is cleaned up. I try to not have too many things out here because clutter just seems to make more clutter.
It's pretty simple. As I'm putting things away (working in one direction, of course), I try to pick up three items at a time, typically random. Now, depending on the size of the items, this is not always possible. With three things in tow, I then put them away where they belong. Next, I come back to my mess and repeat the process. As you can imagine, by working in threes, the project of tidying up is faster than had I just put away one item at a time.
The other key to this strategy is that I don't spend a lot of time putting things away. If there are things that belong in the bedroom, for example, I just take them to the bedroom and put them on my bed, for now. Again, the organizing pros would probably not recommend this method. They would say you are merely cleaning one mess while creating another. But I don't believe that is the case, for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is that I am only concerned with the end goal of my current project or task. And that is primarily because of my second reason: I only have a limited amount of energy in a given time period. If I had unlimited energy and ability, then yes, a more conventional approach to cleaning up would probably work ( i.e., have a mess? Put everything back where it belongs perfectly.) But that does not work for me or my life on most days. Because of my disability, I am making constant negotiations and re-negotiations about how much I can realistically get done without jeopardizing my health. And that is okay. I've learned what my limits are, and that is why I have developed these strategies to help maintain a living space that feels good and functions well for my family and me.
I hope you found some of these tips helpful. I hope this post gives you some support to know you are not alone if you struggle with the tasks and chores that come with managing a home when you are disabled. Thinking outside the box, listening to your body, and respecting your boundaries are all important aspects of learning how to find tidying and organizing solutions that work for you.
And THAT is what is most important 🙂