It feels impossible to care for your home when you’re physically unable. But if you’re sick or not feeling well or have limitations, here are some ways to accomplish something around the house.
Sometimes, as much as you want to have a clean house, you simply can’t.
- Maybe you’re suffering a serious illness.
- Perhaps you’re physically limited.
- Or you are absolutely exhausted and you’ve absolutely zapped your energy.
Whatever ails you, cleaning your home has become more than a chore. It has little to do with motivation.
It simply feels like an impossibility.
Yet as much as you can’t clean, you still watch your home get messier and dirtier. And it’s so frustrating.
Watching a real life spiral
As a girl, I watched my mom, a driven housekeeper, care for our family home. Spring cleaning – often done during summer vacation – was an annual necessity. Everything was scrubbed – walls and floors, baseboards and trim, nooks and crannies.
My grandma always told my mom she didn’t really need to clean so much – walls didn’t have to be washed once a year. But my mom cleaned and scrubbed every year. Until she couldn’t anymore.
Over the past 15 years, her health has gotten progressively worse. And today, simply walking across the room brings a lot of pain.
Cleaning now takes a huge amount of effort and time. And it brings pain.
5 Secrets to Caring for Your Home When You’re Physically Unable
Recently I asked my mom how she manages to take care of her home when she’s physically limited because of pain. She shared five secrets with me:
1. Let go of perfect.
As hard as it may seem to resign to the though, accept that your home won’t be as clean as it once was.
2. Purge your unnecessary belongings.
When you have a little energy, purge your belongings. Decide what you truly need and keep it. Get rid of the rest. Not needing to clean unnecessary things will be very helpful.
3. Make sure everything you own has its place.
Once you’ve decluttered, find a place for everything. And once you’ve used it, return it to the same place. Remember – a place for everything and everything in its place.
4. Do a little bit of housework every day.
You may not feel like you can do much, but as long as you do something, it makes a difference. Decide what Non-Negotiable Daily Chores you’d like to accomplish. Then work on them every day.
If you know you’d like to work on bigger projects around your home, break them up into smaller chores. Just focus on one or two a day until you eventually accomplish what you’ve set out to do.
5. Give yourself grace.
As frustrating and painful as it may be to recognize your limitations, give yourself plenty of grace. Life is more than a clean house. Take care of yourself.
Unless you hire help for your cleaning (and that’s always a possibility!), realize that your home may not be as clean as it once was. And that needs to be OK.
If you’re physically unable, or if you’re sick, how do you manage to care for your home?
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All images courtesy of Pixabay.
Sarah says
September 11, 2018 at 2:01 pmWhen I was pregnant and couldn’t walk, I asked the church and neighbors for help. I had girls 10-12 yrs old come for an hour a week and I’d pay them a dollar to run around the house putting things away where I told them to put it. Sometimes they’d sweep the floor (if they knew how), or carry the laundry to the washer for me. That was honestly so helpful. If there are any preteens you can find, see if they will work for a few dollars.
Hilary says
September 11, 2018 at 8:39 pmThis is an amazing suggestion, Sarah! I never would’ve thought of it … but it’s such a great idea.
Joy says
February 17, 2019 at 5:51 amI have lower back problems that have bothered my for years and I’ve come up with a few ideas. Since I can’t stand for very long at all, I try to sit when I clean. I have a rolling stool in my kitchen and bathroom that allow me to do pretty much everything sitting except putting away dishes and cleaning the shower. The stools aren’t anything special and usually you can order them from Walmart, Amazon and many other places for around $50, sometimes less.
I also order all my groceries online and pick them up. Many places will also deliver. I have used Walmart Grocery and Kroger most of the time. It is no more costly online at Walmart but Kroger does charge a small fee. It takes a little while to get used to doing this but it’s a great energy saver and keeps my back from acting up.
On the weekends is when I clean the most, I do so in 10 minute increments but you can get a lot done if 5 minutes, too. You don’t have to go from task to task. You can wait an hour between them which is what I usually do. Laundry is still difficult but I put everything on the bed and do my folding and hanging. Distribute laundry to other rooms as you feel up to it or when you’re.
I use every convenience I can find. My garbage is picked up at my front door 5 days a week. No lugging it around!
I usually wait an hour between tasks but you can do as few or as many tasks a day as you feel up to. Just remember to sit and save your energy and seek out conveniences that will help you.
Like your Mom said, it’s not going to be as clean as it once was but it is perfectly acceptable house cleaning.
Hilary says
February 19, 2019 at 7:36 amWhat amazingly helpful tips, Joy. Thanks so much for sharing!