Teach my squirrel brain how to straighten up daily

amother

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 1:12 pm

If you have a regular brain (because I think mine is ADHD) can you tell me how you clean up a big mess without spiraling down all the rabbit holes?

example:

a delivery came this morning so the kids were helping put it away while I straightened up.

I clear the breakfast table. there's a fleishig cup. let's put it in the dishwasher right away.
oh the dishwasher is full (clean). let's empty it first

there's a defrosting tray inside (side point I have no idea if it actually works. it's a metal plate from amazon) that reminds me I have to defrost a salmon
now I have room in freezer for the frozen stuff that was delivered, let's put that away

there's too many crumbs on the floor, I haven't finished here but let's sweep

there's a toy... have to put it away... put it aside to put away later

baby pj on the floor. let's put in hamper. actually let's put a load up now.

back to the breakfast table, the orange juice goes in the fridge, but first let's put away the eggs on the counter...

I don't know if I'm being clear but the point is I'm switching tasks a million times. at the end evreything ends up getting done but it's not methodical and it feels like it takes more mental enery (and probably time) than it should.

there;s a few things I do already like run the dishwasher and put up laundry at night, and in theory empty/switch loads during breakfast (except today I didn't get up)

disclaimer: I have a cleaning lady 3x a week. Today she's not here. also the little kids are still on vacation so things were a bit flying, and I stayed in bed while they played/made a mess this morning.

kollel_wife

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 3:26 pm

Divide up the kitchen in your mind
- table
- milchik counter(s)
- fleishik counter(s)
- sink1
- sink2
- floor

clear the table - in this order or re-order as you like (my acronym GRP-PW)
G- garbage- throw out any garbage, papergoods, scrape plates and put in sink
R- refrigerate- refrigerate items on table only
P- put in sink items from table
P- put away clean dishes, food containers in cabinet etc.
W-wipe down and dry table

- do the same or similar with each counter
- throw out
- refrigerate
- put in sink
- put away clean dishes, silverware, food containers in cabinet etc.
- wipe down and dry

Then wash dishes
If you wash dishes leave them to dry, next time you do counter, they will get put away
or you add this to a step when doing dishes to dry and put them away

Sweep floor, if there's anything to put away, pick up and put away while sweeping and then return to sweeping right away.

kollel_wife

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 3:29 pm

I just realized - I don't have any dishwasher and therefore you'd do it differently. But the idea is, rules and an order to go in. If you're doing the table, those items go in the fridge. Do not do the counter - the eggs. If you want, for example, if you have a toy on the counter, you can put in on a chair, and then when you do the floor, you will put both away.

myname1

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 3:38 pm

I had the exact same experience tonight! I raced my 7 yo if she could finish her bath before I finished sweeping. She won by a landslide! I kept finding things I needed to put away before I could even sweep and seeing things on the table and counter to put away. And the garbage to take out. I still haven't finished! It was like never-ending back-and-forth taking things and putting them other places and then trying to get back to what I was doing. Vacation time definitely makes it much much worse.

Brit in Israel

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 4:44 pm

totaly relate. I find it slightly easier if I am listening to a podcast/shiur whilst clearing so my brain is focusing on the task I had set for example clean kitchen table and what I am listening to. it usually helps the brain from wander from task to task as its preoccupied.
but I very hardly can get things done when kids are home as I try not to have earphones in when they are around.

Bleemee

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 4:59 pm

You can make one pile of things that go into another room. I usually use a basket to contain that pile.
So if you’re sweeping and there are toys on the floor, place on the counter, and then add the books on the table to that same pile.
When you’re done the whole room you can tackle the pile.

amother

Papaya

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 5:05 pm

I can really relate to this. And then dh comes in and wonders what happened to me tidying the kitchen. I do find it helps to do little and often. So when I come into the kitchen, I throw away the empty cups, then I get distracted and do something else, but when I come back to the counter, I can do the next thing. So it doesn't build up as much.

Highstrung

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 5:52 pm

Lol. I do this a lot and I’m not ADHD.
But I also know how to focus on one room at a time.
If I find pjs on the floor of the dining room , it goes in a laundry pile on the floor in the corner of the room
I put all toys I find on the floor , onto the table
If the grocery delivery boxes are all over the room , I move it all into the kitchen and leave it until I tackle the kitchen
When I’m done with the dining room and ready to sweep, vacuum , wash the floor , then I bring the laundry pile down to the laundry room , and put the toys in the playroom and whatever else where they belong .
I leave floor washing for the last . I do sweep or vacuum though before moving on to the next room.