Time for a break? Take just five minutes to clean up a flat surface (desk, counter, table, shelf, etc.) within sight. It'll help make things feel a little less chaotic.

Never underestimate the smug sense of self-satisfaction you can get by putting a load of clean, dry dishes or laundry away immediately after they’re done. Unstoppable. Indomitable. Can’t tell me shit. I could rule the world. Try it.

Feeling exhausted, hopeless, or powerless due to [gestures wildly at everything]? Step away from the news and exert a little control over your immediate environment. Clear off a counter. Wash a couple of dishes. Put away some laundry. It's a great way to interrupt the spiraling.

What household task can you half-ass today so it’s maybe just a little bit better than it was? Giving yourself permission to not do a perfect job is really freeing. Give it a try if you can!

Basically every author you know (including me!) has had their copyrighted work stolen by Meta to train their AI. The multi-billion dollar tech company could have legally licensed books and papers, but they stole them instead because it was cheaper and easier. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI

Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

theatlantic.com

Do you have a load of laundry in the washer that needs to go in the dryer? Go do that. (If it’s been a while, run it through a quick wash cycle again with 1/2 the detergent and 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, if you have it. The vinegar smell doesn’t survive the dryer and kills the musty smell.)

Being OK with doing tasks a little at a time without pressure to complete everything often results in more getting done overall, which is a nice little bonus! Plus you don't have the pressure or guilt you may have associated with cleaning your whole life.

Christina D@akasha111182.bsky.social · 2y ago

Realizing this approach is totally ok has honestly been life-changing. “Just take out the trash, you don’t also have to scrub the entire kitchen, it’s fine.”

This is WAY more common than you'd think. Lots of people having breakthroughs outside of therapy when they realize how much their upbringing fucked with how they approach (or don't approach) housework. Moved out? Good news! You can clean how you want. Your home, your rules. Or lack thereof.

em@gusufan.bsky.social · 2y ago

“It’s fine if it’s not the way your parents demanded it get done” I am way too perceived by a profile about cleaning.

Usually, having the household task done, even imperfectly, is infinitely better than having it done "right." This applies both to tasks you do yourself or tasks someone else in your household does (but not the way you'd do it). Is the outcome an improvement over the starting point? Awesome.

Have you reached the point where literally anything is better than marinating in the constant horrors of current existence by doomscrolling through bad news all day? Good news! Taking a few minutes to do some dishes, pick up some clutter, or put away laundry qualifies as literally anything!

Have you reached the point where literally anything is better than marinating in the constant horrors of current existence by doomscrolling through bad news all day? Good news! Taking a few minutes to do some dishes, pick up some clutter, or put away laundry qualifies as literally anything!

I highly recommend taking a picture of a messy spot in your home before you clean it, and then taking another one after it’s clean. Having tangible proof that you accomplished something is so helpful, plus it reminds you that you can get it back to that state when it gets messy again.

I just took a load of laundry out of the dryer as soon as it finished and then immediately folded everything and put it away. Nobody can tell me shit today. I feel like a superhero.

When it comes to housework: -“Good enough” is fine -Perfection is a trap -It’s OK if you’re not up to trying your best -Half-assing things is still progress -There’s nothing wrong with getting started and then stopping when you need to -Letting go of the “right way” to do something can free you

I love this framing.

Zane Schacht - Voice Goblin@voicesbyzane.bsky.social · 2y ago

If life is an endless cycle of laundry and dishes that also means it's an endless cycle of hot meals and fresh clean clothes

And just a reminder: not all advice will work for everyone! Neurodivergent people can have different challenges than other people with the same neurodivergence. Life circumstances vary wildly! I try to offer advice that’s adaptable enough for many people. Sometimes it won’t work for you.

Domestic tasks are incredibly annoying because they’re cyclical. You do them, time elapses, and then you have to do them AGAIN. It sucks. Switching your mindset to accept this cycle instead of fighting it can help you let go of some of the frustration and resentment that comes with housework.

Do you have something on your to-do list that’s been hanging over your head for ages and will take less than 10–20 minutes to do? Doing it, crossing it off, and not having to think about it anymore will feel SO good. Try it! (Yes, even if you may need to do it again in the future.)

People are sometimes surprised I support outsourcing domestic labor if you can. My goal isn’t to make you clean your own house, it’s to help you get a clean house without sacrificing your mental or physical health. As long as everyone is treated and paid fairly, I’m in favor. Get your time back.

My most important message re: housework is that if you have a way to make it easier for yourself, do that, even if it’s not the way it’s “supposed” to be done. We have so much judgment and morality around household tasks and it just doesn’t make sense.

Claire Gilder@clarbar.bsky.social · 2y ago

I think the biggest mental benefit has been not just the time savings and mental load reduction, but the fact that clean clothes don’t live in piles that constantly make me feel like I’m behind and failing at adulting.

If it gets done, and it gets done in a way that works in favor of your mental health instead of against it, that’s the goal! However that gets accomplished is fine! It doesn’t make sense to torment yourself doing something you hate or find difficult when a way exists that you don’t have to.

Cate Young@ninjacate.blacksky.app · 2y ago

for some reason, cleaning my bathroom is the one chore that always makes me want to DIE INSIDE and giving myself permission to hire someone to do it instead has been such a gamechanger for my mental health.

This is absolutely not cheating! It’s not inherently more virtuous to do your own laundry when you have an alternative that fits your life and budget. There are many ways to make sure household tasks get done, and outsourcing is a completely acceptable and logical solution.

Claire Gilder@clarbar.bsky.social · 2y ago

This is cheating, but for the price of $2.95/lb, a local laundromat will pickup, wash, fold, and deliver our laundry once a week. It’s $80-$100/wk for the clothes for our family of 4, so if you have room in your budget, it can wipe out a whole day of laundry chores.

Did you know there’s a whole spectrum of stuff in between “spend all weekend cleaning your house” and “don’t do anything at all because it’s so overwhelming”? Wipe down one counter. Put away half a load of laundry. Vacuum one room. You can do a little bit, and it helps! And then you can stop!

Today’s challenge: Identify an invisible corner* and set a 5-minute timer to tackle whatever you can in that time. (*Invisible corner: any collection of random stuff in a weird place that’s been there so long that you don’t even register it anymore when you look at it)

Today's challenge: Every time you start spinning out in panic from reading the news or catching up on social media, put down the phone and spend 5 min. cleaning up/picking up/tidying/somehow improving your home environment. And then notice how much of a difference your small effort can make.

Need to step away from today's fresh new horrors? Maybe you have some dishes or laundry to do? A flat surface to clear off? Floors to vacuum while you zone out to a playlist or audiobook? Taking care of yourself and your immediate environment will help keep you from succumbing to the despair.

If I open one more program I need to do my job and I’m suddenly being forced to deal with AI taking over every blank text field so I can’t write, paste, or edit, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. And none of the instructions to disable it work, even the workarounds. This is infuriating.

Need some art AND want to support an incredibly talented Black artist this BHM? Nani’s photography is vibrant, breathtakingly beautiful, and full of life — and she’s a delight personally, too! Class up your walls with her work.

Nani@lenubienne.bsky.social · 2y ago

#BlackHistoryMonth #BuyFromABlackWoman Prints available, custom orders welcome. FernandaMeier.com

What have you done today to channel your anxiety about [gestures wildly at everything]? Me? I: -Made a fancy pour over coffee in my favorite mug -Cleaned my desk, which was long overdue -Called both my senators and my rep (and added it as a daily reminder in my calendar)

Unfuck Your Habitat@teamufyh.bsky.social · 2y ago

Panic and despair without an outlet can be self-destructive. Interrupt the doom spiral: -Do 1 self-indulgent thing that makes you feel happy or content. -Do 1 thing to make your home environment more calm or comfortable. -Do 1 thing to help your community and people in it. Repeat as needed.

Panic and despair without an outlet can be self-destructive. Interrupt the doom spiral: -Do 1 self-indulgent thing that makes you feel happy or content. -Do 1 thing to make your home environment more calm or comfortable. -Do 1 thing to help your community and people in it. Repeat as needed.