How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

Davis addresses dealing with critical family members and friends who may not understand or support your journey toward self-compassion and moral neutrality in housekeeping. She suggests responding to well-meaning but unhelpful advice by expressing your shared goal of a functioning environment and asking for specific, tangible help, such as requesting assistance with tasks like taking clothes to a donation bin or sitting with you while you clean. If they refuse, asking them to refrain from commenting on your space is acceptable. For particularly pushy individuals, Davis recommends setting boundaries with phrases like, “Thank you for your concern, but I am not taking any feedback on this issue right now” (116).

Davis emphasizes the importance of finding a “rhythm” instead of rigid routines for managing care tasks. She suggests adopting flexible patterns that allow for missed beats without falling off track. Davis shares her personal experience of moving from a chaotic approach to a structured yet adaptable schedule, like doing laundry every Monday or washing sheets every Thursday, regardless of immediate necessity.

She introduces rituals, such as her Five Things Tidying Method, to streamline tasks and reduce decision fatigue.