How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
- Downloads：3275
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-26 08:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：K.C. Davis
- ISBN：1668002841
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
This revolutionary approach to cleaning and organizing helps free you from feeling ashamed or overwhelmed by a messy home。
If you’re struggling to stay on top of your to-do list， you probably have a good reason: anxiety， fatigue， depression， ADHD， or lack of support。 For therapist KC Davis， the birth of her second child triggered a stress-mess cycle。 The more behind she felt， the less motivated she was to start。 She didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months。 One life-changing realization restored her sanity—and the functionality of her home: You don’t work for your home; your home works for you。
In other words， messiness is not a moral failing。 A new sense of calm washed over her as she let go of the shame-based messaging that interpreted a pile of dirty laundry as “I can never keep up” and a chaotic kitchen as “I’m a bad mother。” Instead， she looked at unwashed clothes and thought， “I am alive，” and at stacks of dishes and thought， “I cooked my family dinner three nights in a row。”
Building on this foundation of self-compassion， KC devised the powerful practical approach that has exploded in popularity through her TikTok account， @domesticblisters。 The secret is to simplify your to-do list and to find creative workarounds that accommodate your limited time and energy。 In this book， you’ll learn exactly how to customize your cleaning strategy and rebuild your relationship with your home， including:
-How to see chores as kindnesses to your future self， not as a reflection of your worth
-How to start by setting priorities
-How to stagger tasks so you won’t procrastinate
-How to clean in quick bursts within your existing daily routine
-How to use creative shortcuts to transform a room from messy to functional
With KC’s help， your home will feel like a sanctuary again。 It will become a place to rest， even when things aren’t finished。 You will move with ease， and peace and calm will edge out guilt， self-criticism， and endless checklists。 They have no place here。
If you’re struggling to stay on top of your to-do list， you probably have a good reason: anxiety， fatigue， depression， ADHD， or lack of support。 For therapist KC Davis， the birth of her second child triggered a stress-mess cycle。 The more behind she felt， the less motivated she was to start。 She didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months。 One life-changing realization restored her sanity—and the functionality of her home: You don’t work for your home; your home works for you。
In other words， messiness is not a moral failing。 A new sense of calm washed over her as she let go of the shame-based messaging that interpreted a pile of dirty laundry as “I can never keep up” and a chaotic kitchen as “I’m a bad mother。” Instead， she looked at unwashed clothes and thought， “I am alive，” and at stacks of dishes and thought， “I cooked my family dinner three nights in a row。”
Building on this foundation of self-compassion， KC devised the powerful practical approach that has exploded in popularity through her TikTok account， @domesticblisters。 The secret is to simplify your to-do list and to find creative workarounds that accommodate your limited time and energy。 In this book， you’ll learn exactly how to customize your cleaning strategy and rebuild your relationship with your home， including:
-How to see chores as kindnesses to your future self， not as a reflection of your worth
-How to start by setting priorities
-How to stagger tasks so you won’t procrastinate
-How to clean in quick bursts within your existing daily routine
-How to use creative shortcuts to transform a room from messy to functional
With KC’s help， your home will feel like a sanctuary again。 It will become a place to rest， even when things aren’t finished。 You will move with ease， and peace and calm will edge out guilt， self-criticism， and endless checklists。 They have no place here。
Reviews
Jessica
，
So I am not a huge how to or self help book reader， but I saw this book and thought This is what I need being a SAHM to 4 little kids。But I was still skeptical。。。 I mean could this book really help me？ So I decide I will get through one chapter。。。 Next thing I know I am almost halfway through the book。 It is such a short and easy read that really was enjoyable to readThis book is not a cleaning schedule or a giant to do list for your home。 It has practical ways of cleaning especially when you do So I am not a huge how to or self help book reader， but I saw this book and thought This is what I need being a SAHM to 4 little kids。But I was still skeptical。。。 I mean could this book really help me？ So I decide I will get through one chapter。。。 Next thing I know I am almost halfway through the book。 It is such a short and easy read that really was enjoyable to readThis book is not a cleaning schedule or a giant to do list for your home。 It has practical ways of cleaning especially when you don't want to， which for me is honestly most of the time。5/5 for this book！#NetGalley #howtokeephousewhiledrowning 。。。more
Jennifer
，
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis was the book I needed to read…and maybe you do too。 Davis is a licensed therapist who suffered from postpartum after having her second child during the start of the pandemic。 She is also a former addict and has ADHD。 The book is not so much about the right way of keeping your house orderly， but rather giving yourself permission to find systems that work for you…even if that means never folding the laundry。 She developed the book with neurodivergents i How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis was the book I needed to read…and maybe you do too。 Davis is a licensed therapist who suffered from postpartum after having her second child during the start of the pandemic。 She is also a former addict and has ADHD。 The book is not so much about the right way of keeping your house orderly， but rather giving yourself permission to find systems that work for you…even if that means never folding the laundry。 She developed the book with neurodivergents in mind and acknowledges her privilege by having other experts chime in where needed。 Chapters are short but impactful。 Mental health is at the forefront of the book。 Sometimes surviving and making it to tomorrow is more important than doing the dishes。 If your sink is full of dirty dishes， congratulations， you feed yourself and your family！ #netgalley #April2022 。。。more
Stefanie Bevins
，
I'm 6 months postpartum with baby # 2， have postpartum depression and have a serious dislike for laundry。 Reading this book by K。C。 Davis has been a game changer。 Her philosophy of you don't work for your house， your house works for you left me thinking how very true that is。 Why do we need to have things in order around the house based on Social norms of what's expected instead of how it can help to better serve us？ This was a quick and easy read that I recommend to anyone postpartum， with depr I'm 6 months postpartum with baby # 2， have postpartum depression and have a serious dislike for laundry。 Reading this book by K。C。 Davis has been a game changer。 Her philosophy of you don't work for your house， your house works for you left me thinking how very true that is。 Why do we need to have things in order around the house based on Social norms of what's expected instead of how it can help to better serve us？ This was a quick and easy read that I recommend to anyone postpartum， with depression， with chronic health issues or just has a serious dislike for certain household tasks。 。。。more
Amanda Hatch- Dobelmann
，
Easy and HelpfulThis was a quick and easy read with bite size information to help with a mindset shift。 Easy to reread as needed。
Alexandra
，
It could have had a little more substance， a little more "here's things you can try。" But overall I found this very lovely， comforting， and VALIDATING。 It was straight up hard to read because I had to face some things about myself that I really try to tuck away （e。g。， a chapter named "how to take care of yourself when you hate yourself"）。 Highly highly recommend。 It could have had a little more substance， a little more "here's things you can try。" But overall I found this very lovely， comforting， and VALIDATING。 It was straight up hard to read because I had to face some things about myself that I really try to tuck away （e。g。， a chapter named "how to take care of yourself when you hate yourself"）。 Highly highly recommend。 。。。more
Patrícia
，
This is the kindest book I've ever read， and it has helped me a lot。 I've really made progress with my care tasks。 Not everything is perfectly clean and shiny but much better than it used to be。 And I do believe I couldn't achieve these results without KC Davis。 Thank you。 <3 This is the kindest book I've ever read， and it has helped me a lot。 I've really made progress with my care tasks。 Not everything is perfectly clean and shiny but much better than it used to be。 And I do believe I couldn't achieve these results without KC Davis。 Thank you。 <3 。。。more
Morgan Schulman
，
As a Nuerodivergent person married to a Nuerodivergent person with two neurodivergent kids in a small apartment during a pandemic， this book was very necessary。 Trust me。 Full of hacks as well as how to deal with shame messages and self care。
Tegan V
，
Dang。 I let this be carried around in my bag for too long when it could have helped me 6 months ago。 The tiny recommendations in this book are so worth it and as a therapist ， will come majorly in handy with clients。 Stop making care tasks moral！
Annadoir Staveley
，
Such a relief of guilt！！It is amazing how Davis nailed all the aches and pains。 It is everything I am feeling and dealing with。 There were some subtle suggestions that I will try。 The homemaker guilt is horrible。 I used to be able to juggle so much at once， now getting out of bed is hard。 The guilt and anxiety of not performing the way I had， and feel that I should， was overwhelming。 Now， I feel like I can breathe and give myself time to heal。
Jena
，
A must-read for anyone who has ever felt less-than， not enough， or overwhelmed。 This book is so short， which is exactly what the chronically depressed adult needs to take tiny but important steps toward feeling better。
Bethany
，
I am that rare autistic who doesn’t typically struggle with executive functioning skills。 However， I DO struggle with what Davis calls assigning morality and shame to care tasks。 I love Davis’s TikTok videos: she is upfront and unafraid about calling a spade a spade， and she does that in this book， too。 And， even better， this book is written to be neurodivergent-friendly。 I rarely am able to finish nonfiction books （give me a story any day！）， but I read this in two sittings。 It is incredibly dow I am that rare autistic who doesn’t typically struggle with executive functioning skills。 However， I DO struggle with what Davis calls assigning morality and shame to care tasks。 I love Davis’s TikTok videos: she is upfront and unafraid about calling a spade a spade， and she does that in this book， too。 And， even better， this book is written to be neurodivergent-friendly。 I rarely am able to finish nonfiction books （give me a story any day！）， but I read this in two sittings。 It is incredibly down-to-earth and will be incredibly helpful for so many people who see Rachel Hollis and Marie Kondo and are frustrated at how perfect their lives look in the pictures while the readers’ own lives never seem to live up to the guidelines in the self-help books。 But， your life can look like Davis’s。 This book sets you up for success AND self-compassion。 。。。more
McKenna
，
Shame prevents me from taking action not only on housework and chores but in many other areas of my life， which I realized and reflect on while reading this。 Great short read with a different way of looking at life maintenance。
Rae
，
It's great for what it is designed to be， really helpful tips and it's all very actionable and accessible！ It's great for what it is designed to be， really helpful tips and it's all very actionable and accessible！ 。。。more
Larissa Lee
，
I can't recommend KC Davis or her methods enough！ I can't recommend KC Davis or her methods enough！ 。。。more
Nacho Iribarnegaray
，
Muy majo， cortito y útil para ayudar a apartar el sentido de culpabilidad de las tareas domésticas cuando la disfunción ejecutiva ataca
Courtney Williams
，
This book is really short， which is refreshing in a market saturated with books that are way longer than they need to be。 It’s intended to be read over 31 days， a chapter at a time， but I finished it all in one go and in less than an hour。These days I am a lot more able to "keep house"， but there was a time when my mental health was bad enough that daily chores felt insurmountable and I felt like a terrible person for not being able to keep up。 This book would have been revolutionary then， but i This book is really short， which is refreshing in a market saturated with books that are way longer than they need to be。 It’s intended to be read over 31 days， a chapter at a time， but I finished it all in one go and in less than an hour。These days I am a lot more able to "keep house"， but there was a time when my mental health was bad enough that daily chores felt insurmountable and I felt like a terrible person for not being able to keep up。 This book would have been revolutionary then， but it was still useful for me to read now。 It addresses a lot of the emotions that can come up around care tasks and how we perceive them， such as feeling ashamed of not being clean enough and feeling like you have to earn your rest。 It presents a different perspective that will help you reframe your care tasks as morally neutral， therefore removing the judgement and ultimately making it easier for you to maintain a positive space。Since I don't have much to say， I just wanted to share three of my own favourite resources:1） Todoist， or any other service that lets you set up recurring reminders。 I use this so I don't have to remember how long it's been since I last did a chore， and so I can clean more regularly but less intensely rather than waiting until things get really bad and I leave the chore undone for even longer because it feels so overwhelming。2） Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B。J。 Fogg: a really practical approach to forming habits that I've found especially helpful as a person with a not-entirely-functional brain。 There are lots of resources relating to the book online – you can even get free support from a Tiny Habits coach for five days， no strings attached。 I've recently set up the tiny habit of doing a little washing up or drying up whenever I'm waiting for the kettle to boil。 Since I drink a lot of tea， this breaks a seemingly neverending task down into manageable chunks。3） Aurikatariina on YouTube， who cleans the houses of people in need （often those with severe mental health issues） for free。 Her enthusiasm for dirt and "trashes" makes me excited to clean my own space！Here is the author's website if you'd like to learn more！ 。。。more
Erin
，
Validating， practical， compassionate， and short - just what you need in the midst of a mental health crisis。
Nina
，
Gute Ideen， schnell zu lesen。 Meiner Meinung nach könnten die 31 Punkte ausführlicher sein， statt nach 1-2 Seiten zum nächsten Punkt über zu gehen。
Ingram Trexler
，
Easiest 62 pages I’ve ever read。 And most helpful
Laura
，
Thank goodness my mom doesn’t read these reviews…or maybe that’s exactly what should happen？ Like the rest of the privileged folks who have been pandemic-ing from home for almost two years， I have felt overwhelmed by the cleaning。 As a pretty organized， tidy person， it’s always been a positive that I married a partner who is tidy。 He will wipe out a vacuum and clean dishes。 So our home has always been clean。 But over the last two years， especially with a toddler， we’ve both looked at each other Thank goodness my mom doesn’t read these reviews…or maybe that’s exactly what should happen？ Like the rest of the privileged folks who have been pandemic-ing from home for almost two years， I have felt overwhelmed by the cleaning。 As a pretty organized， tidy person， it’s always been a positive that I married a partner who is tidy。 He will wipe out a vacuum and clean dishes。 So our home has always been clean。 But over the last two years， especially with a toddler， we’ve both looked at each other and wondered how we’re supposed to have the energy and time to clean “like we should。”That’s where this missive （it is not a book） is helpful。 The core is shame。 Shame for not having brilliant white cabinets or spotless floors。 And for internalizing the inability to make time for cleaning as shameful or somehow morally wrong。 It’s not。Meant to be read as a daily journal for 31 days， I can see how this would be helpful for those struggling with deeper demons。 But it was just a strong reminder that my mom can think all she wants about my backsplash—it shouldn’t affect my Sunday afternoon。 。。。more
Danni
，
Easy read。 Wonderful for people who have adhd/anx/depression to help change their view on their care tasks。
Cathy
，
Life changingThis was the book I needed years ago。 Very helpful for anyone navigating adhd or depression。 Hooray for moral neutrality
Shannon Vanderhyde
，
I love her attitude and non-shaming way of writing。 I do wish there had been a few more hints， but this was a great start。
Jean
，
Simple， straight forward， and short。 It gets right to its important points; and I found it very relavent from both a chronic illness and neurodivergent angle。
Nick
，
This was a very quick read。 Made me rethink my approach to daily tasks and how others may perceive them。
Brandi Torre-Lomax
，
How to Keep House While Drowning is a daily meditation guide where one small chapter is intended to be read everyday for 31 days。 During this month long journey， Davis takes us on a journey of self compassion and true self care。 The book is aimed at anyone struggling with depression， anxiety， ADHD， or life in general。 Where as many other self-help books praise the nose to the grindstone mentality， Davis reminds us that a sink full of dirty dishes doesn't make you a bad person。 Laundry on the flo How to Keep House While Drowning is a daily meditation guide where one small chapter is intended to be read everyday for 31 days。 During this month long journey， Davis takes us on a journey of self compassion and true self care。 The book is aimed at anyone struggling with depression， anxiety， ADHD， or life in general。 Where as many other self-help books praise the nose to the grindstone mentality， Davis reminds us that a sink full of dirty dishes doesn't make you a bad person。 Laundry on the floor doesn't make you a failure。 Personally， I struggle with anxiety and depression and there are days where it is hard to just get out of bed。 This book helped me shift by perspective about chores from one of shame and guilt to functionality。 What tasks absolutely necessary for me to make it through the day？"Remember anything worth doing is worth doing half-assed。" 。。。more
Georgia H
，
Bittersweet and short enough to read in one go。
Melissa
，
Anxious Girl Approved I’ve been struggling through depression and anxiety for 2 years and I always feel terrible about the state of my apartment。 This was a short easy to read book that got right to the point， with practical steps you can practice daily。 And reminders to go be gentle with yourself。 Just want I needed。
Erin Colson
，
It’s a very quick read。 But honestly this is everything i needed。 I’m currently struggling with some mental health stuff and overwhelm and this little gem has helped me realize how I talk to myself and care for myself is actually slowing me down and adding to the overwhelm。 There is a quote in here that I love， “Remember that anything worth doing， is worth doing half-assed。” In our society where productivity and perfection equal morality and worth， it was truly refreshing to see this。 Im no Mart It’s a very quick read。 But honestly this is everything i needed。 I’m currently struggling with some mental health stuff and overwhelm and this little gem has helped me realize how I talk to myself and care for myself is actually slowing me down and adding to the overwhelm。 There is a quote in here that I love， “Remember that anything worth doing， is worth doing half-assed。” In our society where productivity and perfection equal morality and worth， it was truly refreshing to see this。 Im no Martha Stewart and that’s perfect for me。 。。。more
Rebekah Gillian
，