4 Methods for Managing Housework with Depression
It is raining outside, which means my body physically hurts. So, I am sitting on the couch with my dogs. Unfortunately, I feel completely overwhelmed. The phrase "when it rains, it pours" comes to mind, but I do not mean the weather outside.
When my depression takes over
My depression has been worse than usual lately and I feel like I have fallen behind in all the various aspects of my life. This includes managing my household.
Normally, I can manage my household effectively despite my major depressive disorder. I find that I am slightly disappointed in myself for letting things get out of control. It is time to dust off my household management methods.
4 methods I use to manage housework
1. Keep tidy
The best method to manage a household while battling the complexities of depression is to tidy up as you go. This is a pretty simple concept. Instead of creating a sink full of dishes, unload the dishwasher and put the dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher as they are used. Instead of waiting to have multiple loads of laundry, you can run a load as soon as you have enough dirty clothes to make a load of laundry.
By doing the chores as you go, you can avoid having mountains of housework that need to be done all at the same time. This can save you some stress. It also helps to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by large amounts of housework.
This or That
When do you typically have more energy?
2. Take breaks
As somebody who also lives with chronic fatigue syndrome, this suggestion is one of the most important ones to me. Taking breaks as you handle various tasks will help you not push your body too far. Sometimes we want to finish our tasks so much that we ignore signs of fatigue from our bodies.
Adding breaks into your routine can look however you would like it to look. You may choose to work for a set amount of time and then rest for a set amount of time. On the other hand, you could choose to take breaks after you finish a certain amount of household work.
3. Break it down
Another household management suggestion that I have learned over the years is to break it down. Instead of trying to clean the house top to bottom in one day, divide the tasks out. For example, on Saturday you can wrangle all the laundry and then on Sunday, you can handle cleaning the kitchen.
This method works great with the previously mentioned suggestion of taking breaks. If it is laundry day, you can take a breather between loads of laundry.
4. Enlist help
The last suggestion that I have is to enlist help from others. Enlisting help can involve people who live with you, friends or family members, or even professional house cleaners. It all depends on your situation.
If you have other people living with you, perhaps they can assist you with managing the tasks. There are many ways to divide up tasks to decrease the time and energy necessary to manage all the household chores. One person can clean the kitchen, while the other cleans the bathrooms. On the other hand, you can always work side by side to finish each area.
Asking for help with depression
I will be honest, asking for help is the one that I have the hardest time doing myself. This is partly because I do not have many people in my life who would be willing to help me manage my household. Sometimes asking for help can be nerve-racking but it is important to know our limitations.