Well, we try our best, most of the time. But there are some things that are just out of our control. From natural disasters to DIY disasters to science projects that start on the dining room table and spread out to other parts of the home (to work projects that do the same) — sometimes our homes are chaos. And while the ideal situation would be to dig in and deal with the chaos head-on (and clean and organize your heart out), that’s not always a possibility thanks to work or family obligations. What to do? Here are few tips to deal when you just can’t even.
Get out of the house/walk away
This is really the first thing you want to do when your home life feels like it’s falling all around you and you definitely don’t have time to tackle the situation. Does that sound like conflicting advice, to “deal with things as they happen”? It absolutely is. But again, you just can’t always deal with a disaster the moment it’s happening thanks to a number of factors. Now if there’s an emergency, keep in mind, (if something is flooding or like, animals or vermin are coming in) you should probably dig in and deal, but I think if we’re just talking about a big mess or house guests that won’t leave, give yourself permission to walk away for a minute or 30.
Get mindful and take a walk around your block and focus on your breathing or call out things you see to yourself on as you walk around your neighborhood’s streets. It’ll help take your mind off your home chaos, which could cut down on the stress of things. But more importantly, if you get away from your problem both physically and mentally, you may find that you come up with a better creative solution to your chaos, a solution that might get you out of chaos even faster than if you had tried to stay in and stay frustrated.
Reconnect
When’s the last time you called your parents? Or that old best friend? It’s the same concept as above; you want to get away mentally from your chaos, and reconnecting with friends or family is the best way to do it. Don’t call to lament your problems initially — catch up with them and their lives first to get out of your own head and your own issues for a few minutes. Then if the conversation shifts to your chaos, you can approach them with the situation to see if they’ve got a solution you would have never thought of before.
Carve out one small space you can focus in
If the chaos is taking over your whole home but you don’t have time to tackle everything, try carving out just one spot in your home where you can focus. Maybe a work surface. Maybe a corner of your bathroom. Just try to find one small spot you do have time to clear out so you can try and carve out some mental head space to tackle pressing matters or get some perspective on the home chaos that surrounds you.
Go back to your home routines
Trust the routines you’ve set up for yourself and your home. From home cleaning routines to bedtime and morning routines, when life is chaotic you might feel compelled to skew all routines, stay up all night and try to tackle the mess ahead of you. But there’s merit in chipping away piece by piece — instead of interrupting your sleep and your life even more, try trusting in the routines you’ve set up for yourself.