OS Motivation

strumpet

Hi Foreversomeday,

Reading your initial post, here's some of the ideas I use to get me motivated (and boy, do I need motivating some days!)

1. Go for a 10 minute walk up the road - the extra oxygen you get from being outside peps you up and makes you feel less groggy and more energised!

2. Don't think of the house as an entire house to be cleaned. Rather think of it as separate rooms and do them one at a time.

3. Keep the kitchen clean as you go along - that way you're not left with a huge pile of washing up to be done all at once.

4. Little and often is the kep to cleaning.

5. You mentioned having takeaways all the time when you'vs no fresh veg or forgotten to take stuff out of the freezer.
Buy frozen veg (peas / sweetcorn / spinach etc) which can be cooked from frozen and are just as good as fresh, especially peas!
There are loads of frozen foods which can be cooked from frozen eg Pizza, pies, etc
Have you a microwave - use the defrost function!

6. Make sure you're getting all your vitamins and minerals - via supplements if necessary especially as you are expecting. Your body needs them more than ever!

7 Treat yourself - I find a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice first thing fills me with "Zing" and gets me kick started in a morning!

Good luck
Love and Light
Strumpet
xxx

Snowdrop_2

foreversomeday i can sympathise. That could have been me writing that description (other then the fact I have a 5 year old instead of awaiting the arrival)

like most people have already commented it sounds like you have a degree of depression, although it may only be due to your hormones. you need to get yourself checked out, i had PND and it's a nightmare.

I also suffer with low energy levels, so i find it hard fitting eveything in. once i come home from work and sort out DD i can barely do anything else. but you've simply got to face facts you're not wonderwoman. I accept that my house is a bit of a mess thanks to DD toys! but i set myself goals each day, e.g. today i'm going to clean the kitchen, if i then move on to another thing then it' a bonus. i also been known to (if i'm home alone all day) 1/2 cleaning / tidying then 1/2 sat down with a cup of coffee watching some tv. then back to 1/2 hour cleaning and so on. it works for me.

x

Winky,_The_House_Elf

Hey I can whole heartedly recommend the flylady sitehttp://www.flylady.com

I thought that I was totally lazy, couldn't get organised, house in a mess, really overwhelmed(Understatement of the year!):p I'd previously suffered depression and the house wasn't helping.

I had good intentions but never saw them through.:rolleyes:

I put things off 'cos I knew that I'd never finish them, or for when I had my day off. Which of course meant all I did was feel guilty then as I hadn't done a thing!:mad: or crashed and burned out after frantic cleaning.

I don't want to sound cheesy, but this site has completely changed my life!

Its a bit naff, but you start with baby steps. One simple thing at a time. People who instinctively know how to do this stuff can't share it as they don't know that they do it!

The premise is your house didn't get like this over night, so it won't get spotless over night!

The Flylady thread here scares me! Those gals (and guys!) can really get some serious cleaning done, but the original Flylady has been a god send! I really really can't stress how good it is!

I started in January, and anyone who has known me all my life is amazed.

Google it for other recommendations.

I am not on commission! but at 34 I thought that i was a lost cause, and just plain lazy, but it took just 3 months to get me [STRIKE] brain washed [/STRIKE] up to speed and I finally love my home!:T Even Mr Winky has got in to the habits now which I could have swore that hell would freeze over before that happened!

Get yourself a timer, do a task for only 15 mins then have 15 min break (Yes time yourself on the internet, having a coffee etc) the do 15 mins more, You will shock yourself with how much you get done in 15 mins focused clearind/cleaning. That really motivated me to see the difference it made.


I am not perfect now by any means, but when I fall apart, I know that I can cope and where to start again.

I searched for it when stumbling across the thread here, and I truely thank MSE every day as it has changed my life! Seriously!!!

Good luck

Winky X X X

LoopyLinz

Foreversomeday, first off Im sending you a big big hug. I know exactly how you are feeling. I was off work for 7 months following surgery and what you have described............well was me exacly! Somedays I wasnt showered or dressed when DH came home from work and that used to make me feel even worse.

Number one...........dont be too hard on yourself!! Im kind of in a position like you, just been married for 10 months and previous to this we both lived at home. What I found really helped was instead of writing a big long list that stressed me out I would writed a new list. On a new page for each room. I would do just one list a day (well ok maybe not a whole list, sometimes only one or two things from it) but gradually I got there and it gave me such pleasure to mark the things off as I did them. Another bit motivator for me was music. I turned the TV off, put on some tunes and sang my way around the house!!!

Have you looked at the flylady thread on here? Obviously as you are due your new addition very soon (big congrats by the way) there may be some things you cant do. Generally I gave myself a big pat on the back for level 1!!! HeHe!!! Also maybe spliting your day into time slots, like say............by 12 o'clock you could aim to have dusted and hoovered the living room. Then have a break but know that by 2 o'clock you should have also cleaned the kitchen surfaces or something.

Like I said Im new to all this being domesticated stuff myself but if I can help at all please dont hesitate to pm me.

Linz xoxoxox

mum2many

I long to be a domestic goddess, i know thats old fashioned but i'd love to make and bake everything, have dinner on the table for 6 everynight when DH gets home, have a spotless home but like you i have good intentions but the evil O/S forum calls and hours go by.

my house is a tip and i hate anyone just popping round, they often have no where to sit and i'm all embaressed. But I am trying.

Make the most of being just you, your babe will take up all your time and it should be spent with babe not on housework. Speak to your midwife, you do sound very low at a time you should be enjoying. I've had PND and know how low it can be on your own at home.

Big Hugs

Love em xxx

skintscotslass

Winky,_The_House_Elf wrote: »

The Flylady thread here scares me! Those gals (and guys!) can really get some serious cleaning done, but the original Flylady has been a god send! I really really can't stress how good it is!

We're not that scary, honest!! Pop over and have a look at the posts. We're a friendly bunch and you'll be made very welcome.

I also think it'd be an idea to get checked out by your GP. You could be suffering from prenatal depression xx

newlywed

yeah but when you look at the flylady lists of everything everyone is doing, it really does scare you.

I like the flylady book though with one new habit a month and just do that and hotspots

ubamother

lovely advice above - can i just add that when I've got myself all behindhand and can't do a single job (because to do that one little job means doing three other ones to get to that job, and those three other jobs need three jobs each to get to them, to get to the one job so I give up all together!) I find doing one tiny thing helps kickstart a little control - so I put the kettle on, and in the few moments it takes to boil I clear/tidy/clean one little bit of the kitchen or move something from the wrong room to the right room AND NO MORE. I have my cuppa and do one more tiny little job. Having achieved something tiny really helps. Don't forget that in 2 months bending to pick something up will be an easily-achievable activity again! It's hot, you are heavily pregnant, tired and can't do your own shoelaces up easily - being a bit ** off (pick your own word to put in front of 'off') is allowed - go easy on yourself - no guilt allowed.

ubamother

"I want to be a stay at home mum who looks after the baby and keeps the house clean in miraculous ways with a lemon and vinegar and cooks a lovely meal every night. And OH earns more money than I could at the moment anyway."

Also - there was a wonderful thread on here where people listed how they failed their OS intentions miserably - which made me laugh and laugh. Somebody much cleverer than me will be able to find it I'm sure. Made me feel so much better!

DianaMattos

Good for you ForeverSomeday - an action plan is the best place to start! A little at a time.
As my Dad used to say to me (and now my husband says it too)

"How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time"