This post contains a range of ideas and suggestions for keeping your home both clean and cleansed with low or unpredictable energy. While I do refer to energy levels, it is also applicable to pain levels.
Setting yourself up for success:
Quick note: these are things I do, you may not find the same things to be overwhelming or necessary, as discussed later in the post! Multiple wastebaskets. I keep two under my bed, for garbage and recycling. This makes it easier to throw things away when done with them, rather than letting them become an overwhelming pile. A box or tray for used dishes, cups and water bottles. This keeps the piles from feeling overwhelming and makes it easier to move to the kitchen when that’s do-able.
Extra blanket to protect the bedding. It’s easier to move/wash one blanket when food spills, rather than wrangling with a comforter.
Fitted vs. flat sheets. Fitted sheets are exhausting to remove/put on. Flat sheets can be easier! (Also, I recommend having two sets of sheets, so you can switch them out right away and have clean bedding whether or not you have the energy to do laundry.)
Clean and dirty laundry hampers. A way to avoid piles and stay organized without needing to fold laundry or put it on hangers. Simply have a hamper for each (or lots of baskets if you want it more organized).
Cleaning supplies in each room/area. That way, when the motivation to clean arises, you don’t need to spend that energy walking across the house to get the supplies.
Focus on the main areas:
My bedroom is my number one focus, as this is the room I spend the most time in. The others are my bathroom, living room and kitchen. There’s no point in having a spotless spare room if you’re overwhelmed by the rest of the house. Prioritize the places you spend your time in.
Do what you can, when you can:
The excellent thing about having a good setup is it means when you do have more energy, you don’t need to do as much to catch up (which often involves paying for it later by overdoing it). You know your limits, do what you can.
Have no energy? Do your best to do the things I listed above. With this setup its okay if you can’t do it right away, when you feel able to, its there. Maybe today you can get the tissues in the wastebasket and tomorrow you put the dishes in the box.
Have a bit of energy? Empty your wastebaskets, bring the dishes to the kitchen, move your dirty laundry into the washroom, etc. One step closer to helping your future self.
Have a lot of energy? Now is an excellent time to do some dishes or get some laundry started. Hopefully, this is now manageable because of the steps your past self took.
Along these lines, you don’t have to do everything at once. Because I have cleaning supplies in each area, I can clean whenever I feel like it. Perhaps I feel really motivated to scrub the toilet. That doesn’t mean that I also have to wipe down the counter and the tub, shake out the mats and sweep the floor. Each of those things can be separate. Cleaning something partially is better than not cleaning at all (or overdoing it) in my opinion.
Take breaks! It’s okay if things take you longer than that rude inner voice says it should, or if you need to take multiple breaks.
Create a routine:
Here’s a glimpse at my daily routine (which is ideal; when my health doesn’t allow for all of these, I do what I can): Bedroom: Open the curtains and the window to let light and fresh air in. This also lets my bedding air out. After a few minutes, I do a quick sweep of the floor and make my bed (which I can do while sitting on it).
Bathroom: Every few days I’ll sweep it and empty the trash + laundry hamper. Kitchen: Sweep the floors each morning. Empty the dishwasher or load any new dirty dishes into it. Also, feed the cats and check their water.
Living room: Whenever I get up to go to the kitchen, I bring any dishes or garbage. Each evening I tidy up and put things back.
I almost seem obsessive over cleanliness because I constantly do little things. Done using the kitchen counter? Wipe it down. Dirty plate? Rinse it and load in the dishwasher. My energy is very unpredictable so I do little things whenever I can so that when I crash, everything is taken care of.
Prioritize:
Sometimes the ideal and the practical aren’t compatible. What MUST happen? For example, my cats come first. They have no control over their food, water or litter boxes. I ensure all of their needs are met early in my day.
What will have negative long term effects? Shit happens, and it doesn’t always line up with our ability to handle it. Sometimes you must clean up a water leak or remove the gross thing, even if you pay for it with a flareup later or it results in other things not getting taken care of for a while.
Ask for help. I understand that not everyone is lucky enough to have a support system, but if you can, ask a friend or family member for help when you need it. Sometimes things get too overwhelming, and a little help can go a long way.
Make a list:
Figure out what key things make the space feel clean or dirty to you.
What would you like to maintain? What feels more manageable when you do it each day? What are you going to prioritize?
Figure out the ideal frequency of each task. I’ve given examples of my daily routine, but what about the bigger tasks such as changing your bedding, or vacuuming the carpet? What about dusting and getting the cobwebs in those hard-to-reach corners? How often would you like to do those?
(Having a list can be helpful for your higher energy days so you know what to focus on.)
Cleansing:
For me, a lot of my cleansing ties into physically cleaning + having a clean space. This can be a bit tricky when you don’t have the energy to keep an entirely clean home, which is why I focused so much on that side of things! Do the best you can and prioritize the places you spend time in.
A few basic methods:
Bedridden witch: Stale energy edition (lots of small tips for cleansing and changing the energy in space). Smoke cleansing. Can be done with a variety of plants.
Steam cleaning. An excellent alternative if smoke isn’t your thing, boil the plants instead and allow the steam to act the same way smoke would.
Cleansing spray. Similar to steam. Be aware that some plants may stain surfaces, and avoid using undiluted essential oils. You can also buy natural room sprays if making one feels unmanageable.
Sound cleansing. This is often done with instruments, but can also be done with a song.
Visualization. Elements. Open your curtains and windows, let the wind, the rain, the sunshine, the full moon, etc. do its work. Absorbing. Sometimes we can’t open a window or actively cleanse, this is when having things that absorb negative energy can help, such as a Himalayan salt lamp, a bowl of salt, etc.
Negativity absorbing buddy Salt bowls to absorb negative energy