Hi struggling - what an interesting question, thank you!
First I have to say that fibrowise Iāve become a radical splitter: baby steps of 1-5 mins. and task-switching between various kinds of cleaning and lying down (exercising, posting, working).
By nature I am/was somewhat hyperactive, chaotic, a collector, an eco and praps not to forget male,
by learning from friends and āsimplify your lifeā I have become an energy-effectivizer, a simplifier and minimalist,
and to be sure I have a backup by well-worked out lots of electronic reminders in my laptop and pda, which go from really important things to as far as to remind me to drink and eat up to a certain time, and tend
to help.
āAre there certain things you like to do each day?ā
Hmm, is that like or do each day? I like and also feel I have to pre-wash dishes/cutlery and plastic-trash using the water from cleaning my raw veg as soon as possible. I like to hoover, which I do pretty fast, and sweeping, for which Iāve bought/got as a present! various good small and big (natural) brooms, but I donāt feel I have to do that each day. My wife cares for her guinea pigs and their pen, but Iām the one who cleans up after them, when we allow them to run around for 1-2 hours every evening, at least every few days. That used to take me up to an hour a day, but I now put out and renew newspapers where they linger the most (some edges of the 3 rooms, fairly hidden), which has taken that time down to 10 minutes a day. When I see things (e.g. for trash, cellar) that have to be taken somewhere else indoors I take them with me whenever and as far as I go in that direction. But since learning to pace Iām not combining outdoor things like table tennis and stores as much any more, taking breaks at home in between when necessary (all close distances).
āCleaningā: catch-as-catch-can! When I see something dirty or messy I think about cleaning it, usually do it immediately or put it on my inner list. And when my wife asks me I do it. Iāve always hated scrubbing, because itās so tough on my arms, wrists and hands, especially cleaning the mop or whatever after that, so I clean regularly in baby steps, with a small cloth. My wife thinks scrubbing needs to be done sometimes, but then thatās hers. I also find pegging out the washing very painful, always have, my wife usually does that, but we both do most of it on several laundry racks without pegs, 2 machines once a week.
I actually would quite like to clean windows occasionally, but my arms hate it, and I have to divide it up into 1 minute stints. My wife would like it done 100% clean, but never does it anyway, and I think Iāve got her down to 95% clean, but the arm-painās been postponing it for months. We donāt know anyone who thinks itās important to do, ever (but I used to know someone who did all windows every day, OCD I assumeā¦). Iāve also always found kneading dough very painful, but we never bake. I sometimes wonder whether these arm problems were precursors of fibro.
āHow do you deal with the more seasonal cleaning or household tasks?ā
Iām (still) a wizard needing 1-2 hours to tidy the main part of an untidy room, cellar or loft up completely, cleaning, re-arranging everything, so it looks as if there was only 25% in it, and everything can be found quickly. Altho I only threw 10% away, if allowed. I love doing that and I love throwing things away tho. But I respect (almost) everything someone feels they need. And only do it, if something has gone really wrong (insects, mice or water damage) or am asked, directly or indirectly. I often go into a room (or part of it) like this and just sit down and let it sink in first, for 5 mins, which may inspire me directly or later or at night, how to quickly and effectively turn the chaos into beauty (itās not just order to me, itās the beauty of simplicity and an art).
āMealsā: I donāt cook that much, due partly to my diets (nuts, soy, raw veg, no meat, yoghurt, wholemeal muesli & bread), my mouth, stomach and gut not liking hot food, and partly because my wifeās hypersensitivity doesnāt like the smells. When I do itās spontaneous, in normal pots (donāt like the microwave), and it lasts for a few days in fridge or balcony. I prepare the veg from scratch, keep it extremely simple. My last cooked meals were boiled potatoes in skin plus sweetheart and then white cabbage (braise-steamed), with a raw apple, a bit of salt with ProvenƧal herbs. I love the natural tastes without much seasoning. (In restaurants etc. I only ask for a big simple salad, with salt, oil and vinegar extra, because cooks seldom manage to cater for my IBSD).