Puttering as a Form of Self Care
My husband had baseball practice this afternoon, so I decided to dedicate that time to "putter" around the house. Not a big singular project, but instead a dozen or so small chores that get procrastinated, as they're not part of daily, or even weekly maintenance.
- First off was to give a light scrub to the subway tiles in the shower surround. I keep a small cleaning brush in the shower, which I use to occasionally clean while showering. This delays the full scrub, which is my least favorite chore.
- I threw a load of laundry into the wash. Okay, this is obviously a "regular chore," but I'm still including it.
- Next up was the back porch, which was littered with dry leaves and miscellaneous items. I rehomed a couple items, threw away a few things and then gave it a thorough sweep.
- I water houseplants on Sunday, so I checked that from my list. Having a specific day for this task helps to not over or underwater my plants.
- The rosemary in the bathroom was drying out, so I threw it in the compost and went out front to snip a new batch. I have an infinite supply of rosemary in my garden, so it's a year-round display above the toilet. Looks nice, smells lovely and it's free!
- I ran the vacuum through the living room, dining room and kitchen. Again, this is a regular chore, but it only takes a few minutes.
- I took a butter knife and scraped the bathroom floor where the litter box used to sit. The combination of clay litter and steam created a concrete-ish substance, which lived between the tiles. Not hugely noticeable, but I'd put off dealing with it.
- I keep a few bathroom supplies on a tray, which can get a bit dusty. I brought it into the kitchen and gave everything a quick clean.
- I gathered a pile of mail from the dining room table and dumped it on the coffee table, so I can sort through it while watching TV. I've yet to check this from my to-do list, but at least it's now within arm's reach.
- There are five or six nails that pop up from the hardwood floor, so I grabbed a nail set and hammer to tap them back into place.
- I reset all the clocks to Daylight Savings time.
Nothing took more than a few minutes, but my house is noticeably more ordered as a result of my efforts. I'd guess that I spent a bit more an hour on these chores, while also listening to a library audiobook. I get stressed out when my house is messy or disorganized, so these tasks serve as "self care," as well as a "favor to my future self."
It minimizes the free floating anxiety I get from vague unfinished tasks and we get to enjoy the home we paid so much to finally own.
Do you ever choose to hit the random small tasks instead of the big picture stuff? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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(Brisbane, Australia)I live in a compact one bedroom apartment, and am allergic to marriage and housework. My deal is that I do housework while boiling a kettle for a cuppa, or waiting for the microwave to “ping”. I may be in the running for “Most Efficient Woman , ( Vintage Class) 2026”, as I rarely do housework other than that. It is truly amazing what you can do in, say, 5minutes! I can make my bed, including fancy pillow arrangement!while my morning cuppa is boiling, and wipe the bedroom mirrors. Most people mistake sparkly mirrors for high standard cleaning, and that works for me! I have cleaning cloths and sprays stashed in every room , I do what is easy, and having things to hand is half way done already! “Perfection” is the enemy of “Pretty Good”, and I’m fine with “Pretty Good”!
1. Found a beat up purse I curb picked long ago in the garage. It had over a dollar in loose change in it. I put the $ in my change challenge bag.
2. Went to the grocery to check out their plants. I found a receipt in the parking lot to put in Fetch.
3. While scavenging I found 3 bags of dry goods. Looks like they came from a food pantry & were all in date. I put them in my car to hand out to the homeless. Gave a man a jar of peanut butter & a bag of pretzels shortly thereafter who was on a street corner.
4. I had a free loaf of French bread w/ purchase on my Panera app. I got a muffin for 2$ & got the bread free. I use my Sip Club almost every day for hot & cold drinks. It is one of my little treats. On occasion they put free items on my app.
5. Found a small navy club chair by a dumpster. It is likely vinyl but was clean & not ripped. It will look nice in my bedroom corner. I will wipe it down first. I also found a like new air fryer along side the chair. A good day for trash picking.