How to Keep House While Drowning: A gentle guide to caring for your home – and yourself
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-25 07:51:52
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：K.C. Davis
- ISBN：1529900034
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Have you ever looked at a pile of dishes in the sink and wanted to crawl back into bed？ Or found yourself staring at the overflowing recycling bin thinking， Why is my life such a mess？
But what if we stopped seeing a clean house as a reflection of our worth and instead as a kindness to our future self？
How to Keep House While Drowning will introduce you to six life-changing principles to revolutionise the way you approach domestic work， all without a single to-do list。 Most importantly， it will help you get free of shame and guide you in coping with stress。。。 and that ever-mounting laundry pile。
This is a book for anyone who feels overwhelmed by life and is looking for an accessible and gentle way to care for their home - and themselves。
This book will help you:
· Find ways to make your home serve you
· Break down domestic work into manageable tasks
· Stop negative self-talk around housework
· Give yourself permission to rest， even when things aren't finished
_________________________
What readers are saying:
'So simple it's brilliant'
'This book is a revelation'
'I highly recommend this book to anyone'
'Absolutely loved this book 。。。 It felt like [KC] had seen into my soul and written it directly for me'
'Profound and life-changing'
'It has had the biggest impact on me out of every book I've ever read'
But what if we stopped seeing a clean house as a reflection of our worth and instead as a kindness to our future self？
How to Keep House While Drowning will introduce you to six life-changing principles to revolutionise the way you approach domestic work， all without a single to-do list。 Most importantly， it will help you get free of shame and guide you in coping with stress。。。 and that ever-mounting laundry pile。
This is a book for anyone who feels overwhelmed by life and is looking for an accessible and gentle way to care for their home - and themselves。
This book will help you:
· Find ways to make your home serve you
· Break down domestic work into manageable tasks
· Stop negative self-talk around housework
· Give yourself permission to rest， even when things aren't finished
_________________________
What readers are saying:
'So simple it's brilliant'
'This book is a revelation'
'I highly recommend this book to anyone'
'Absolutely loved this book 。。。 It felt like [KC] had seen into my soul and written it directly for me'
'Profound and life-changing'
'It has had the biggest impact on me out of every book I've ever read'
Reviews
Bloss ♡
，
As much as I love the idea of a gentle approach to home management， I was not the target audience for this book。 There were， especially towards the end， some useful wee tips and tricks that can be applied outside of the book’s intended context （the importance of rest， reframing， being gentle with yourself） that we’re refreshing to read。 I was growing a bit weary of how parent-focused this was and how little I could relate to a lot of the stories and feelings within; so， I was actually really chu As much as I love the idea of a gentle approach to home management， I was not the target audience for this book。 There were， especially towards the end， some useful wee tips and tricks that can be applied outside of the book’s intended context （the importance of rest， reframing， being gentle with yourself） that we’re refreshing to read。 I was growing a bit weary of how parent-focused this was and how little I could relate to a lot of the stories and feelings within; so， I was actually really chuffed to see the section for childfree individuals which highlighted that life isn’t the pain olympics and that childfree folks have struggles too - it did feel like the author was trying to reach everyone。 The book gets points for the engaging and conversational writing style and I can confidently say that this was one of the most inclusive books I think I’ve ever read。 Even if I wasn’t the target audience， I still had some takeaways and food for thought。 。。。more
Lena
，
I loved everything about this book！ I loved the premise that "care tasks" are morally neutral and that our space should function to serve us instead of us serving our space。 I loved the little hacks the author uses to make her space more functional and to be gentle with herself。 I also loved the format of small chunks of information and simple organization for those of us with attention issues or who feel easily overwhelmed by a lot of information。 Overall I would recommend this book to anyone w I loved everything about this book！ I loved the premise that "care tasks" are morally neutral and that our space should function to serve us instead of us serving our space。 I loved the little hacks the author uses to make her space more functional and to be gentle with herself。 I also loved the format of small chunks of information and simple organization for those of us with attention issues or who feel easily overwhelmed by a lot of information。 Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to keep up with their housework and feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks。 Such a game changer！ 。。。more
Vicki Nowak Koglmeier
，
On days like today where the world is imploding around me and I feel like a complete and utter failure， this was pure peace。
Sarah B
，
PRAISE！ 5 Stars and I'm not even done reading it yet！ Accessibility is everything， and I applaud the first page and layout of this book and its respect for neurodiversity and understanding of the struggles of people with executive dysfunction （those with ADHD， autism， anxiety， depression， OCD， and more）。 I wish every nonfiction/self help/mental health book started this way！From the first page - how to read this book:This book has been designed for maximum accessibility for readers who are neurod PRAISE！ 5 Stars and I'm not even done reading it yet！ Accessibility is everything， and I applaud the first page and layout of this book and its respect for neurodiversity and understanding of the struggles of people with executive dysfunction （those with ADHD， autism， anxiety， depression， OCD， and more）。 I wish every nonfiction/self help/mental health book started this way！From the first page - how to read this book:This book has been designed for maximum accessibility for readers who are neurodivergent。 Words are printed in a sans serif font and left aligned to make reading the text easier。 Paragraphs and chapters are short and main points are bolded to account for both attention and comprehension needs， and literal interpretations are offered of any metaphors used for clarity。I have written this book to be comprehensive without being too long or intimidating。 However， if you feel you do not have the capacity to read the whole book right now， please follow my shortcut journey through the book。 This abridged way of reading the book should only take you thirty minutes to one hour depending on your reading speed。 Begin with the first page。 In addition to the accessible way this book is written， its content is also wonderful。 I'll add more in a final review， but for now， these are some highlights:- "Care tasks are the 'chores' of life: cooking， cleaning， laundry， feeding， dishes， and hygiene" - Care tasks are functional and morally neutral - you are not a failure if your house is a mess， etc- Your living space exists to be a functional place for living， not as a means of measuring your self worth- "You can't save the rainforest if you're depressed" 。。。more
Debra Craw
，
This was written for me！！ Adult adhd， high anxiety，Expecting perfection， busy wife/mom/worker…。 This book was a great read！ Simple explanations， ideas， and great inspiration for how I view myself and the work I do for my household and family！
Aubrey
，
I had no idea I needed this book。 Who knew a book about cleaning could make a person cry？
Ashley Brooks
，
This book is a unicorn: a guide to keeping a functional home specifically for neurodivergent folks （particularly those with ADHD and/or depression）。 The author made her chapters short and sweet， with important points in bold for easy skimming。 She even includes a "shortcut" version of the book， with certain chapters that can be skipped without missing the gist of the message。Unlike most other organizational/home-keeping books that try to provide a system for getting your act together， this book This book is a unicorn: a guide to keeping a functional home specifically for neurodivergent folks （particularly those with ADHD and/or depression）。 The author made her chapters short and sweet， with important points in bold for easy skimming。 She even includes a "shortcut" version of the book， with certain chapters that can be skipped without missing the gist of the message。Unlike most other organizational/home-keeping books that try to provide a system for getting your act together， this book is about shifting your mindset and resetting your expectations。 Namely， that you don't have to earn rest， that it doesn't matter how clean your home is as long as it's functional *for you*， and that housekeeping tasks are morally neutral。 As a person with mild ADHD and depression who keeps house pretty well but have a tendency to beat myself up if I fall behind， I found this book to be so freeing。 Highly recommend to everyone， but especially those with mental or physical health conditions that make caring for your home an overwhelming task。 。。。more
Ruth
，
One a day is probably a good idea — I just read it in an hour。 Great advice！
Heidi Slaney
，
This is an excellent read for people who may be neurodivergent or suffering depression and wanting to figure out ways to handle housework and self-care routines。 Realistic， humorous， and easy-to-read， KC provides people with the loving kindness and permission to make their houses functional versus Better Homes and Gardens worthy。 This IS not the next miracle quest to cleanliness， but after listening to it， I found myself feeling happier about engaging with chores， not as an obligation that I hav This is an excellent read for people who may be neurodivergent or suffering depression and wanting to figure out ways to handle housework and self-care routines。 Realistic， humorous， and easy-to-read， KC provides people with the loving kindness and permission to make their houses functional versus Better Homes and Gardens worthy。 This IS not the next miracle quest to cleanliness， but after listening to it， I found myself feeling happier about engaging with chores， not as an obligation that I have to have permission from society， but as something that helps me live my life in a more pleasant way that helps me to feel less stressed and happier。 。。。more
Sarah Kerner
，
This quick to read book is excellent for anyone who struggles with executive functioning or live with someone who does。 I love how the author reframes chores as “care tasks” and encourages people to be gentle with themselves - “good enough is perfect” and “anything worth doing is with doing half-assed” are a couple of favorite quotes。 The 5 Things tidying method is genius and I have already implemented the “closing duties” for the kitchen。
Ami Beyer
，
I started watching K。 C。 on TikTok。 She has such a great way of putting things that remove shame from tasks that are really morally neutral while acknowledging and providing support to people with multiple barriers and abilities！ Additionally she helps unlock our creative selves to solve our own unique challenges in a way that is sustainable and adaptable！ This is really a way to write a self help book！
Hector Ibarraran
，
This was the first life changing cleaning book I have ever read。 That’s all I am going yo say。 I am a happier， and more effective person thanks to this short book。
Hannah
，
A great quick read， I found the advice realistic and helpful and easy to adapt to what works best for you
Lynn
，
This is a great， quick listen。 It's actually about dealing with the anxiety caused by feeling you're not on top of this more than cleaning which is what I needed。 This is a great， quick listen。 It's actually about dealing with the anxiety caused by feeling you're not on top of this more than cleaning which is what I needed。 。。。more
WaferBiscuits
，
Short， sweet， to the point， and incredibly validating。 KC Davis has a lovely way of creating a nurturing and non-judgmental vibe in her advice。
Karin McGrath Dunn
，
the idea of “rest equity” I loved KCs practical advice sprinkled with reality checks about self-shaming， and some ideas for how to stop berating yourself and others for not meeting a perfectionist standard of housework。 I loved the way she talks about rest as a right and how creating fairness about “equal resting” between two parents is a way to transform the conversation about who does more。
Suzy
，
This review is for the audio version， read by the author with such compassion that I had to pause the recording and weep several times。 It is short and does exactly what it sets out to do: lessens shame around care tasks for overwhelmed and neurodivergent people of various races and family situations。4。5 stars， rounded up because ❤️
Madi Bergevin
，
READ IT。 Im serious。 Im not joking around。 Go。I love her videos on TikTok。 She is so relatable and so kind。 Everyone needs to read this book， even if you feel like you aren’t “drowning” enough to need a book like this。 It’s a really good look into how tough it can be for some people to keep their head above water when doing even the simplest of tasks。 I want everyone to read it so that there can be a lot more understanding and empathy。I felt like the whole book described my entire experience wit READ IT。 Im serious。 Im not joking around。 Go。I love her videos on TikTok。 She is so relatable and so kind。 Everyone needs to read this book， even if you feel like you aren’t “drowning” enough to need a book like this。 It’s a really good look into how tough it can be for some people to keep their head above water when doing even the simplest of tasks。 I want everyone to read it so that there can be a lot more understanding and empathy。I felt like the whole book described my entire experience with adhd/depression/anxiety + taking care of myself and my house。 There is a whole part on brushing your teeth and I cried through it。It’s a quick read。 Go and let yourself be hugged and validated by this wonderful human。 。。。more
Julia Bennett
，
I love the message to make your space work for you！ Great read， that is so well thought out right down to the font used in the book （which is easier to read for neurodivergent folks）。
Linda Callahan
，
Been There！I’m not sure what I expected when I purchased this book。 It’s not the usual tires cleaning and organizing lists。 Davis goes way beyond that。 It’s compassionate and humorous。 She addresses the reality of being human， and how sometimes being human is difficult。 I recommend it。
Conifer
，
what！？！？ that was the last page？Doggone it， I was enjoying this book so much that when I hit the last page I was shocked and disappointed。 There was something so soothing and caring about reading KC’s kind words I didn’t want it to end。 Oh well， I will just have to use her helpful ideas and motivate myself to perform a care task or two…。 Maybe after I go enjoy some sunshine outdoors for a bit。 This was a helpful as well as enjoyable read。
Erin McCoy
，
I picked up this book mainly because I often （dramatically so） feel like my soul is being crushed and physically leaving my body because of my family’s mess。 It’s not a logical or rational response to humans existing in the space around me， it just is。 Care tasks are endless and exhausting and after staying at home with kids for 8 years， I feel like it’s next to impossible to disconnect from them。 This book is like a little signed permission slip to let go of the perfection and put in the minimu I picked up this book mainly because I often （dramatically so） feel like my soul is being crushed and physically leaving my body because of my family’s mess。 It’s not a logical or rational response to humans existing in the space around me， it just is。 Care tasks are endless and exhausting and after staying at home with kids for 8 years， I feel like it’s next to impossible to disconnect from them。 This book is like a little signed permission slip to let go of the perfection and put in the minimum effort to maximize functioning。 I don’t think I ever really believe that mess at home is my own moral failing （that’s an underlying theme here， in that it is NOT a moral failing to struggle with these tasks））， but a little head nod and validation is nice。 If the thought of Marie Kondo’s approach to tidying， which requires a huge amount of effort and executive function to accomplish， feels like a mountain you’ll never be climb， the tips in here may help sort out care tasks in a way that feels manageable。 。。。more
Amanda
，
Finished this one this morning。 Worth the hype in my opinion especially if you are neurodivergent or experience issues with executive functioning。 Also it’s short， sweet， and concise。 👌
Tiara Lynn
，
An absolute must-read for those who struggle with shame around executive function and cleaning difficulties。
Chandler Kleinhesselink
，
A review I read said “short， sweet and validating” and I don’t have better words for it。 Very good。 Only went with a four because I don’t agree with everything and it felt wrong to give a five。 M
alyssa
，
Best self helpThis was LIFE CHANGING！ Learning things are here to serve us and not us serve them， MORALLY NEUTRAL is something I say a lot now and the fact I don't need to fold clothes。 Everyone needs this book！ Best self helpThis was LIFE CHANGING！ Learning things are here to serve us and not us serve them， MORALLY NEUTRAL is something I say a lot now and the fact I don't need to fold clothes。 Everyone needs this book！ 。。。more
Sharon
，
This book is short and easy to read， much like binge watching a bunch of videos， which makes sense for someone who built a platform on TikTok。 It's mostly pep talk and reassurance with some advice here and there， a mix of general principles to follow （work with your tendencies， not against them） and specific suggestions （set up a clothes station in your laundry room if folding is hard for you）。Davis is a therapist and offers affirmations about how care tasks （her term for life upkeep things like This book is short and easy to read， much like binge watching a bunch of videos， which makes sense for someone who built a platform on TikTok。 It's mostly pep talk and reassurance with some advice here and there， a mix of general principles to follow （work with your tendencies， not against them） and specific suggestions （set up a clothes station in your laundry room if folding is hard for you）。Davis is a therapist and offers affirmations about how care tasks （her term for life upkeep things like housework） are morally neutral and how you're worthy regardless of your current state of care tasks。 I think this is a solid approach that will help lots of people。 I can't fully relate since my hangups are different and I already thought of these tasks as morally neutral， but it does seem to resonate with people。If you've already had some success with designing workable habits for yourself and you don't mind outsourcing tasks （I used wash and fold regularly for years）， you might not have a lot to learn here。 If， on the other hand， you feel overwhelmed because your sink piles up with dirty dishes and you don't have any tactics for getting yourself unstuck， you should definitely check this out， or at least watch some of Davis's videos on the topic。 。。。more
Eliza
，
Insightful and accessible suggestions。 Particularly impactful for parents working in the helping professions。
Angela
，
KC Davis gets it！I would recommend this book to anyone struggling to keep house and care for themselves， but especially if you have mental health issues， or are neurodivergent。
Ben
，