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| via “You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in the Slump. And when you’re in the Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. |
You know that feeling - you are tired, you are feeling a bit achy, a bit bored, a bit hopeless, a bit dissatisfied with yourself and everything you see? No?! Oh, not me either...Well, actually yes, me. This is what I do to try and restore the balance to my-own-world domination, when I need to Destress and Reorder my house. It mostly works. My list starts with my home, because that is the most important thing to me. If I feel like my home is in order, then my foundation is solid to move on to other things.
- Clean and declutter. I actually like clutter, but it's like the ocean, you can't turn your back on it or it will swell up like a giant wave and dump on you. Be ruthless, and get rid of it!
- Make all the beds. Some households make their beds as soon as they get up, but not the Chaos family. We have a persistent bed wetting co-sleeper on our hands, (pray for me) so the beds are normally in a state of disarray. maybe it's just me and my situation, but freshly made beds make me happy in my special place.
- Sort the laundry, and put a load on. Even if you don't hang it out until tomorrow, just starting this task will eliminate mental stress.
- Dust. This could have come under clean, but I like to do a special dust when the house needs a bit of order. I sprinkle Lavender oil and Eucalyptus oil on a micro fibre mitten, the one that looks like a sea creature. It will pick up the dust, sanitize germs, and deodorise the air. The hippy in me also believes that it dispels negative energy. Don't laugh! Give it a go.
- Shine my Sink. Just like the Fly Lady says, clean your kitchen bench tops, wash and dry (and put away) anything in your sink, and then clean your sink until it gleams. Eliminates that grody feeling from rooms away.
- Swap stuff out. Move around some furniture, change the pot plants, change the lamps or cushions. Changing stuff around seems to change my perspective a little bit, but it doesn't have to be major. One of my favourite (and simplest) things to do is use a different fruit bowl. The fruit bowl sits on our dining table and is viewed about a million times a day, so a different one makes a big impact.
- Oil Burner. Or scented candle if you prefer. Use a fresh, happy scent to lift your spirits. Sometimes I put some lavender in to match the Dusting, sometimes I get my inner aromatherapist on and put in Rose (calming) and Orange (instills happiness).
- Something nice in a vase. Clip something from your garden, it doesn't have to be flowers. Sometimes I clip a few small branches from an orange tree, sometimes a bit of honeysuckle or jasmine. Even ivy would work.
- Cook something nice for your family. Get the slow cooker going, put a casserole in the oven, bake a cake or some biscuits. Minestrone is easy, healthy and delicious. Whatever you cook doesn't have to be from scratch, cookie dough from the supermarket will have the same effect. It will make you feel domestically in control, and your family will be happy with something yummy in their tummy. This will have the effect of making them less prone to fighting and whinging, and hopefully, in the case of small children, sleepy. Win-win!
- Get everyone into warm, clean clothes. This might not be valid to you, but in a house of mostly male monkeys, it's imperative. My boys are happy to tear around in daggy, ripped and/or stained clothes with only their body heat to keep them warm - which means that while the neighbours are wondering if they should call the authorities the children will get sniffly noses and sore throats. Bribe them into something warm, and throw away the raggedy clothing. Feel free to adjust this point for seasonality, but keep the idea of throwing away anything raggedy.
- Fresh Towels in a clean bathroom. Not a novelty, but lovely. Just lovely. Put a little vase of greenery in there too. Get rid of bath toys, or store them in something pretty so you don't have to look at them.
- Sweep or Vacuum. Or both, if your house requires it. If your house is like mine it will need a steam mop as well, but don't do this until the children are asleep or there is just no point...
- Read something inspirational. Head to your favourite blogs and read some lifestyle hacks so you can at least feel like a fulfilling life is just around the corner. My current favourite is A life less frantic.
- Make some lists, one for each section of your life that needs attention. Health, Finances, Projects, Gardening, Home Reno's, Blog, whatever your poison. Now empty your head of all of the things that need doing into their appropriate list. Stop them swirling around creating stress and get them out! Just the act of writing them down is therapeutic, and it also forms a springboard to get them from being a nebulous 'item' to being 'an action point'. Once they are in black and white your brain has permission to put down the burden, move on, and to start thinking up a plan to get them done.
- Go for a walk. Breathe some fresh air, get a different perspective. Clean the cobwebs out of your head and get the circulation going. It's excellent for your mental health and invigorating to your body. If you can, walk near water, it is very soothing.
- Finish your day. Come home to your lovely, inviting, clean house, and have a shower in your beautiful spa like bathroom. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine, eat a lovely dinner with your family. Snuggle up and read something happy together. Bribe your partner with sex to mop the floor, then pop into bed with your laptop/ipad so you can buy yourself a little something online while you wait.
- Pretend to be asleep if you want. It's your list!
Do you have any hot tips to add on unshlumping yourself? What would you buy online? Most importantly, would you pretend to be asleep??
xx