S&S/Simon Element How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

Absolutely loved this book. As an adult woman with ADHD who has never felt like a proper functioning adult and had a constantly messy house, this book was a revelation.It felt like she had seen into my soul and had written it directly for me. The words felt so loving, kind and caring. Would recommend to anybody who feels they struggle with household tasks

First off, I almost never write reviews. I don't even answer people's texts, when am I gonna be sitting around writing reviews? But I am doing it for this book in the hope that someone in a situation like mine sees it and is convinced to give this book a try. It's that important.About me: chronic depression, anxiety, single parent. Recently diagnosed with ADHD and trying to sort that out, while still never having found an arrangement of therapies that gets me to mostly functional. If anything, as I get older I'm getting less able to cope with simple daily routines and every new thing lands like a sack of bricks that is too overwhelming to contemplate. I have read dozens of books, blogs, tried apps, made lists, anything to help me handle the basics in a way approximating something like a healthy neurotypical.This book blew me away. It's short - almost a pamphlet. You won't get bogged down in the first chapter and leave it somewhere "meaning to get back to it." It's simple. You don't have to remember multiple acronyms or have lists and sublists and timers. It's exceptionally compassionate and inclusive - I loved the acknowledgement that "drowning" could be: life changes, overwork, new babies, mental illness, physical restrictions, neurodivergence, anything that affects your resources and functionality. There is a repetition of non-judgment that is soothing if you've spent a lifetime beating yourself up.But most importantly: it was advice I've never seen before. How rare is that? Everyone has heard "start with one area" or "only touch something once" or any of the other tips that seem to help a lot of folks. This gave me a strategy I had not already thought of that helped me FOCUS and take care of progressive layers that would make me feel more comfortable and safe in my space at each step.I am at risk of writing something longer than the book itself, so I'll stop.TL;DR : If you've ever stared at the chaos and mess around you and just curled up and faced the wall for a cry, buy this book.

I want to thank the author, KC, from the bottom of my heart for sharing her kindness and wisdom with the world. I've received more kindness from this book than I ever have from my loved ones when it comes to keeping up with care tasks. Being bombarded with judgement and hate simply for not being able to keep your house clean on daily basis is soul destroying, this book helped me change my own perspective and finally to be able to see care tasks as simply that, not moral obligation or something that defines me. Like the author, I'm a stay-at-home mom and often felt like it's my moral obligation to keep the house spotless, often doing too much in the span of 1-2 days, only wondering why I end up sitting there paralyzed and overwhelmed by the mess for the rest of the week, struggling to perform even the simplest duties. Whatever phase of your life you're in, whether you're a parent or not, if you've ever been called lazy for not keeping up with your chores or loudly judged for the state of your house, if you struggle with mental health and performing simple everyday tasks can feel like climbing a mountain to you - this book is for you. It won't take you long to finish it, but the impact will be profound and this book will save you.

I bought this book after seeing someone else mention it in one of my Facebook groups.I have read it from cover to cover and loved it so much that I bought another copy to give someone younger in my family because I know how much a book like this would have helped me in my younger days and I wanted to give the gift of this knowledge the way I would have loved to receive it.I have mostly figured out a lot of what is in the book already but it still gave me a few more ideas to help me have a more streamlined life.I am autistic and I enjoyed the clear language and logical approach and the way it seeks to remove the emotional conflict that so often puts obstacles in our way.I hoped that by gifting it I would be able to give my friend a comforting voice with wise information whenever they needed it.

Now that I’ve finished it, I can safely say that I highly recommend this book, “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis. This review is long, but tl;dr: you should get it if you struggle with executive functioning and chores. Here’s what I love about it:1. The reframing of care tasks (chores and hygiene) as morally neutral and solely functional is so, so important if you’re someone who feels guilt or shame over not completing those tasks. I’m not going to pretend I’ve 100% internalized those messages after one read, but I’m trying, and I know this is on the right track. You’re not a bad person/parent/partner if you don’t do all the dishes today.2. Self-compassion isn’t a new concept, but weaving it into this book is helping me apply it to other things like school.3. It is targeted toward people with ADHD or other difficulties that may cause executive dysfunction or chronic pain or fatigue. But you don’t have to have one of these things to benefit.4. The format of the book as 31 “days” made it super easy for me to get through even with limited focus/time. Each section is maybe a page long (some shorter, a few a tiny bit longer), so I read one a day for the month of March. But hey, read it all at once if you want!5. Peppered throughout the book are “gentle skill-building” suggestions that provide strategies for getting done the things you need to get done in a way that’s friendly to various struggles.I know I’m raving a little but I can’t emphasize enough how helpful I’ve found this book and I want it to help anyone else who feels like they need it. It felt like it was speaking directly to my problems.