By now everyone who knows me knows my conflicting emotions on working from home.\u00a0 I know I’m so fortunate that I have been able to keep working full time when so many other have not. I also know that never leaving the house messes with my mental health in serious ways.\u00a0 \u00a0 It’s truly a mixed bag.<\/p>\n
One thing that has NOT been hard for me is compartmentalizing.\u00a0 I have never felt an urge do to housework while I’m on the clock.\u00a0 To take it a step further, I almost never feel an urge to do any housework during my lunch break.\u00a0 \u00a0 I know a lot of folks who really struggle with this, but I don’t.\u00a0 Not.\u00a0 One.\u00a0 Bit.<\/p>\n
Why?\u00a0 Because I embrace clutter.\u00a0 It’s more efficient to have things were you need them, not to pretend you live in a magazine.\u00a0 Mail on the table?\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 Coat on a chair?\u00a0 I’m just going to use it again tomorrow anyway (well, maybe not this year but you know what I mean).\u00a0 \u00a0Clean laundry waiting to be put away?\u00a0 I’ll get to it eventually and I have more than 7 pairs of underwear to my name so I’m not out anyway.<\/p>\n
To some people this sounds like the seventh circle of hell.\u00a0 I argue that I’m a lot happier than you are.\u00a0 I have friends who routinely complain that they can’t relax after work because of all the things they have to clean.\u00a0 I say- Don’t do it!!\u00a0 You know that old saying that no one on their dead bed ever wishes they had spent more time in the office?\u00a0 I bet no one has ever wished they spent more time cleaning either.\u00a0 Play with your kids!\u00a0 Talk to your spouse!\u00a0 Watch that TV show!\u00a0 You deserve it!<\/p>\n
Now to be clear- there is a difference between clutter and filth.\u00a0 Mail on the table is clutter.\u00a0 2 days worth of dirty dishes on the table is filth.\u00a0 A haphazard stack of books on the end table (that I am going to read eventually- really!!) is clutter.\u00a0 Pet accidents are filth.\u00a0 Clutter means you live there.\u00a0 Filth means you belong on an episode of Hoarders.<\/p>\n
There is even an entire decorating style devoted to this- it’s caller cluttercore.\u00a0 It’s the exact opposite of Marie Kondo’s approach.\u00a0 \u00a0Keep things you need where you need them.\u00a0 Keep things you love- ALL the things you love –\u00a0 where you can see and appreciate them.\u00a0 \u00a0It’s been referred to as “an organized mess” but it’s more than that- it’s being comfortable in your own space while living in it at the same time.<\/p>\n
This attitude comes natural to me.\u00a0 If you aren’t so lucky I don’t recommend going all in all at once.\u00a0 Your head will explode.\u00a0 Start small.\u00a0 If you get the same small appliance out every day- maybe a coffee maker or blender- give it a permanent home on the counter.\u00a0 Let those shoes stay by the door (where they aren’t a trip hazard of course).\u00a0 You put them on there anyway, right?\u00a0 You might be surprised how liberating this is!\u00a0 \u00a0And I guarantee your family will appreciate it too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By now everyone who knows me knows my conflicting emotions on working from home.\u00a0 I know I’m so fortunate that I have been able to keep working full time when so many other have not. I also know that never leaving the house messes with my mental health in serious ways.\u00a0 \u00a0 It’s truly a mixed bag. One thing that… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24,25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-bright-shiny-objects","category-warm-fuzzies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t