This may sound like a bit of a contradiction. After all, since we were kids we learned, mostly, that chores are a necessity, something you have to get through in order to do the fun stuff. I don’t think I know anyone who says to themselves, “ooh! I can’t wait to dust and vacuum today!” While we may not actively dislike doing chores around the house, and we may even actively dislike doing some of them, we do them.
When we grow up and move out on our own, all of a sudden, this tedious task our parents gave us on a regular basis all of a sudden becomes OPTIONAL. Granted, in order to exercise the option of not doing chores, we may live in filth, but the option is there. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has taken advantage of this situation to give myself what I thought would be a nice, relaxing break from the grind of seemingly constant household chores. What I didn’t realize beforehand was that as much as these chores needed to be done, I also needed to be doing them. Quite a letdown to come to this conclusion, let me tell you. I still do this a lot, mainly because I’m lazy and can find something better (or more interesting) to do with my time other than clean my house, but now I understand the full price I pay. It’s a lot more than just being surrounded by a mess.
A lot of people’s moods are directly related to their immediate surroundings; they need a safe, comfortable environment in order to feel at ease. I’m one of these people. The more clutter and mess I’m surrounded by, the edgier I get. It’s like looking at the clutter takes it and puts the clutter into my mind, where it proceeds to rattle around. When I’m already anxious about something, it’s even worse. I’ll start cleaning up just to make myself feel better; it actually borders on compulsion, because when I get anxious, I start stacking things and lining them up to create order in the chaos and feel like I have some control. I need light, I need space, and I need to see at least a couple of mess-free surfaces in the immediate area. Otherwise, I can get downright cranky. Other people’s messes can and do annoy us, and we want to tell them to clean up their stuff. Our own, though, we tend to ignore and not realize what it is that’s annoying us. Clutter and mess is ugly, and ugliness upsets your brain.
For me, cleaning up can also be a motivator and a way to stay active – another unfortunate realization. As I start to let the chores go, and the house gets messy, I feel less and less like getting up and doing things. I just want to sit and stare at the wall. I don’t really know why, but it seems like the more there is that needs to be done, the less I feel like doing it. However, once I actually manage to get myself up and working, it quickly snowballs into an all-day cleaning frenzy. Doing chores makes me have more energy, and once I start it makes me feel like getting things done. The first step is the hardest, but it’s all downhill from there. So the next time you’re in a bad mood, feeling lazy and grouchy and just generally bad, take a look around you. All it may take is two minutes of sweeping to ease your mind and get you back on track.
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Living with Keith will do that to any one. At least I survived.