That title sounds like click-bait, but I couldn’t find any other words to describe this post.

I am a therapist who struggles with depression and anxiety…as well as quite a bit of trauma, on top of being queer in a society built for cisgender individuals. I have been in therapy for about 4.5 years and still uncovering things that need to be processed.

This kind of background will usually result in some habits or tendencies that don’t really set me up for success, so I’ve been trying this month to really focus on a few aspects of my life that I want to change and most of them involve self care. Here is a short list of things I’ve done to trick my brain into completing these seemingly simple things.

I have always struggled with keeping up with personal hygiene and skin care. So I made it a goal to actually spend the full 2 minutes brushing my teeth, washing my face and moisturizing daily. My skin is no longer itchy and feels smooth as heck, my teeth look better than ever and almost zero problems with acne. Here’s how I’ve done it every day for the last 3 weeks.

• I narrate my routine as if I’m doing a tiktok. I look in the mirror and say out loud what I’m doing in a “get ready with me” style. I show off the products, talk like I’m a MLM mom on Facebook live and walk through it step-by-step. It seems silly, but it works for me.

I hate cleaning my home. There’s no pressure to keep it tidy like you might keep an office (because other people may see it), and having depression really makes the simplest task impossible. Here’s my tricks for keeping it from getting too bad.

• I invested in simple washcloths and commercial kitchen towels. I picked them up from Amazon for between $15-$30. Having the access to these items that aren’t “disposable” but doesn’t matter much to me if they get ruined has made keeping my kitchen/bathroom clean a lot easier.

• Laundry Hampers in several rooms. It’s easier to say “I’ll just do the clothes in the living room” instead of seeing a giant pile of clothes that need to be washed at once. Plus, it has the bonus of keeping chaotic undressers in check.

• Dishes are a struggle no matter what. I opted to use really fun sponges and colorful dishes/utensils to keep me engaged in the task. Brands like Scrub Daddy or Ototto really come in clutch for this.

• Trash cans in every room. I am notorious for using a soda bottle for small plastics, but then you can’t recycle the bottle after and I am trying to be better about this. The kitchen is the only one for food waste. The others are for the miscellaneous trash you accumulate throughout the day. A few times a week, I’ll sort the recyclables into a large popup hamper next to the trash in the dining room.

• The last one is “spray and forget” types of cleaners. It helps keep the bathroom and kitchen looking cleaner and for places that need heavier cleaning from a spill or something, I keep Clorox wipes around the house.

These are a few things I use to help manage my life and keep my house functional. Is it spotless? Absolutely not. However, it makes it easier to navigate it and keep the shame that I can’t seem to do those things in a more traditional way.

It’s okay to struggle with things that others seem to do without any issue. What’s important is making your space functional for you. In some cases, you might need a little more support and therapy is a great place to get that while you figure out how to make your space functional for you. DC is accepting new clients and you can book a consultation here.

#lifehacks #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #therapy #function #cleaning #hacks