Ami's Totally BOOK-ish Review: "How to Keep House While Drowning" by KC Davis, LPC

"Congratulations, we made it to 2023! There IS something about a new year that feels good, like a fresh start, or perhaps it’s a sense of optimism, that anything is possible. 

Resolutions, anyone? This could be the year that you (fill in the blank!) lose weight, propose to your partner,
land that dream job... KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN.

That last one has been my New Year’s Resolution for as long as Ican remember. I’m a “Creative”, and it’s always been a struggle for me to keep my home the way I feel it should be. (I know the bookstore is lovely and well-organized...somehow that’s different!) I’m also a perfectionist and a daydreamer, so there you go. The perfect recipe for disaster! And you know what? I’ve always felt deep embarrassment and shame about it.
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Last month I found this gem: "How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing" by K.C. Davis. Well, you had me at that title! Yes, I thought, I’m drowning! Help! 

I’m not alone. I showed this book to my friend who is a visual artist, and after a fl ip through, she declared, “A chore schedule? Yes!”

What’s so special about this book is it’s made for people like me; fellow Creatives maybe, or just folks that want to manage their mess but don’t know how.

I tried Marie Kondo. Didn’t work. I’ve read the Fly Lady. Didn’t work. Why? Because my brain doesn’t work like that. Their “simple” steps just overwhelm me, and I’ve failed before I’ve even begun!

But this system? Hallelujah, we’ve hit the jackpot. What Davis explains is that for many of us, our homes and how we keep them hold shame for us. We’ve attached a moral judgement to our mess. Not having the clutter sorted means you’re a failure. Not having the laundry folded means you’re a bad mother. Have you ever said these things or felt disappointed in yourself because you just can’t get a handle on the mess?

That’s a lot of shame to carry around.

At 160 pages, How to Keep House While Drowning is a short read that’s packed full of simple tips for those of us who are struggling to separate the state of our homes from our perception of ourselves. Please read it. It will encourage you so much. You will start 2023 with compassion for yourself, and through simple do-able steps you will learn what works for you so you too can have less stress and anxiety about your home.
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How to Keep House While Drowning is on the shelves now at Totally BOOK-ish.

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