I really take my hat off to you for your honesty in this piece, Jordan. And you know what? I bet a lot of people have had a similar problem but not dared to talk about it.
I had a friend who i met thru schools who sounds a little like you - and our kids became friends - my kids never once mentioned the chaos of her house when they went to play there
Jordan, it feels like you reached into my brain and pulled out all the messy, jumbled thoughts I have about my own struggles with clutter and organization. This essay is so vulnerable and so honest, it's breathtaking. Thank you for writing this. It makes me feel so much less alone in my own struggles.
I used to watch Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 😅. I feel your struggle though. Cleaning or any chores in general feels like a Sisyphean task. I overcame it by not attaching myself to cleaning. Sounds counterintuitive, but once I don't feel (un)cleanliness as a part of me. I treat cleaning as just something I do like cooking or maybe shower/bath. Hope this makes sense. 🫶
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This comes from a guy who used to live with 3 housemates (all guys). Our house could turn into a shipwreck in seconds.
I am not blessed with the 'clean-gene' either, and I know it aggravated my mom many times when she was still alive. But, I do clean (superficially) every other week. The one thing that helped me was decluttering, but the main thing is that my husband tends to clear up behind me, and I hate that.
I won't go into giving you any advice, but as I read this, one thought came to mind: have you ever looked into ADHD in women?
I have been diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. At the start, I tried meds, but they seemed to make my overall mental state worse. And I do see a lot of what’s typical for adult ADHDers in myself - the doom piles, the way I’m overwhelmed by even starting a task. I wish, however, that I had the trait my daughter seems to have, who has childhood ADHD. She has these manic episodes where she just HAS TO clean. She can go months without one, but then it just suddenly hits her and she’ll tackle her whole room in one day. I never get that.
I recognize those manic periods in myself and my daughter. We are both not diagnosed, but my daughter has started the process for an official diagnosis. I am so sorry you are suffering from this, Jordan. I wish there was a way I could help you 🤍
I really take my hat off to you for your honesty in this piece, Jordan. And you know what? I bet a lot of people have had a similar problem but not dared to talk about it.
I had a friend who i met thru schools who sounds a little like you - and our kids became friends - my kids never once mentioned the chaos of her house when they went to play there
Jordan, it feels like you reached into my brain and pulled out all the messy, jumbled thoughts I have about my own struggles with clutter and organization. This essay is so vulnerable and so honest, it's breathtaking. Thank you for writing this. It makes me feel so much less alone in my own struggles.
I used to watch Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 😅. I feel your struggle though. Cleaning or any chores in general feels like a Sisyphean task. I overcame it by not attaching myself to cleaning. Sounds counterintuitive, but once I don't feel (un)cleanliness as a part of me. I treat cleaning as just something I do like cooking or maybe shower/bath. Hope this makes sense. 🫶
.
This comes from a guy who used to live with 3 housemates (all guys). Our house could turn into a shipwreck in seconds.
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P.S. But tbh I still detest ironing. 😅
I can't even remember the last time I ironed. It has been years.
Your honesty here is amazing, Jordan!
I am not blessed with the 'clean-gene' either, and I know it aggravated my mom many times when she was still alive. But, I do clean (superficially) every other week. The one thing that helped me was decluttering, but the main thing is that my husband tends to clear up behind me, and I hate that.
I won't go into giving you any advice, but as I read this, one thought came to mind: have you ever looked into ADHD in women?
I have been diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. At the start, I tried meds, but they seemed to make my overall mental state worse. And I do see a lot of what’s typical for adult ADHDers in myself - the doom piles, the way I’m overwhelmed by even starting a task. I wish, however, that I had the trait my daughter seems to have, who has childhood ADHD. She has these manic episodes where she just HAS TO clean. She can go months without one, but then it just suddenly hits her and she’ll tackle her whole room in one day. I never get that.
I recognize those manic periods in myself and my daughter. We are both not diagnosed, but my daughter has started the process for an official diagnosis. I am so sorry you are suffering from this, Jordan. I wish there was a way I could help you 🤍