does the state of the HOUSE = how you feel - Page 2

[it's just apples]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Other, both choices 2 and 3. If I let the house get below a certain minimal level of clean I get freaked out and if I'm stressed for some other reason I have a tendency to let the house go.

Me too. Unfortunately it can become a vicious cycle- The house gets messy so I feel bad, I feel bad so I don't want to clean, the house gets worse and I feel worse, I feel worse and I don't want to clean....:

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Goal for winterbreak: getting the house to a point where school stress doesn't cause the house to fall apart.

I'm with ya.

Mine's a chicken-or-the-egg scenerio too. I know that state of my brain and the state of my houe are definitely connected. Although, I'm pretty happy in general right now and my house is in shambles, which is my only real source of stress. I'm going batty.

[CaliMommie]

Originally Posted by mikaela

The state of the house and my mood are definitely connected, though I don't know which one comes first. I think it's one of those "the chicken or the egg" things

: I know that when I am overwhelmed or stressed my house seems to be messier, but I also know that when my house is messy it makes me stressed and anxious. So I'm not always sure which happens first.

[rmzbm]

Having the house messy or cluttered FOR SURE makes me edgy & miserable.

[AidynElyMama]

I think mine is house before mood. When I'm in a bad mood, I will still clean and normally that makes me feel better, and when the house is in a mess and for some reason I can't get it clean (cranky kids, errands, etc), I tend to be much more harried as I go about things knowing that there is a messy house waiting for me.

[CurlyTop]

I feel awfully anxious when my house is a mess. I hate clutter. Unlike those who can't rest when it's a mess, though, I get almost paralyzed that it will Never Be Tidy and just go to bed miserable.

[UUMom]

I would say other.

I like things reasonably tidy, but I want the kids to play and be comfortable in their own home. So certain things don't bother me, and I find it feels more like a home.

Papers on every surface is a bother to me. A block stable with little horses in the living room, even if I have to step oer it, makes me feel warm. Unfolded clothing on the sofa for too long is a problem. lol

I don't like dirty floors and dirty toilets. Those get vaccumed and cleaned. Dust bothers me.

But I try not to let normal stuff get to me. It's better for my kids to have a mother who can sit down and play Boggle even if the house isn't perfect, than to have me fussing at them to keep the house from looking like 6 people live and work here.

[AutumnMelody]

Originally Posted by it's just apples

Me too. Unfortunately it can become a vicious cycle- The house gets messy so I feel bad, I feel bad so I don't want to clean, the house gets worse and I feel worse, I feel worse and I don't want to clean....:

That's exactly what happens to me. Pretty much constantly.

[3rosebuds]

Originally Posted by it's just apples

Unfortunately it can become a vicious cycle- The house gets messy so I feel bad, I feel bad so I don't want to clean, the house gets worse and I feel worse, I feel worse and I don't want to clean....:

This is how I am, too. I am a much more pleasant person to be around when my house is clean.

[BinahYeteirah]

I definitely find that the cleanliness of the house affects my mood. I work at home as well, so it is even more important for my house to be organized and looking good. If I don't start the morning with clean spaces, then I fee like I am catching up all day; my regular tasks are so much harder to do!

[sweetcheeks]

Oh, definitely! If the house is messy, it tends to make me a little crabby. But then I'm crabby, so I don't feel like cleaning. And, like so many other PPs have said, then the house gets worse and then I feel worse. It's a vicious cycle that I try really hard not to fall into. Fortunately, the kids are pretty good about helping clean up when I ask them so it doesn't fall entirely on my shoulders to keep the house nice.

[~Nikki~]

It absolutely dictates my mood. If the house is trashed, I'm a total UA Violation. If it's clean, I'm in a zen-like state. Calm as a cucumber. Happy as a clam. DH is starting to learn this. So are the kids. At age 2 and 4, they banded together and cleaned their room, completely spotless, as a surprise for me. They wouldn't let me into the room until they were done. Cuties.

It's the inefficiency of a messy house that infuriates me. There's nothing that I hate worse than walking through the house and knocking stuff off tables and chairs and benches and counters as I pass by just because there's too much stuff piled there! I need an open hallway, because if I trip or stumble, it just drives me mad.

My bedroom was completely horrible until yesterday. The grumpiness is linked directly to the useability of a space. Walking into my room, I'd trip on clothes, a laundry basket, a stack of christmas gifts, just random crap....it made my blood boil. So I took an hour last night and cleaned. I still have to work on my sewing area, so it's useable, but other than that the room is a happy place.

And if the entire house is trashed, the best thing for my soul is to choose one room to clean, make it my oasis, and keep walking back and visiting it to calm down and get encouraged to tackle the rest of the house.

[maisiedotes]

This hit the nail on the head for me. I definitely feel bad when the house is a disaster. Yesterday we had the dreaded "drop in"- some friends of ours who had never been here before. We are currently living in our downstairs because of the cost of heating the whole house, so we have baskets of clothes, bedding, etc all over the place, not to mention the baby stuff everywhere, and as soon as they left I had a little meltdown and the rest of my day went to crap because I felt so bad about the state of the house! My house is never in any condition for "drop-ins".

[simonboy'smommy]

Originally Posted by Squirrelly80

I can't even go to sleep knowing that there is a mess...I just can't relax and get comfortable! I guess that is because its on my mind of things that need to be done.

You wouldn't sleep for weeks at my house then because it will take that long to clean it up *sigh*

Can you tell it affects my mood? Well, sometimes it ends up being a mess because I'm down so it was hard to pick out what to answer. But when I had decluttered space I feel energized and motivated.

[Best Feeling]

It's sort of a circle or a cycle or a something for me. When I'm down, I find it difficult to muster up the energy to clean. And when the house gets really messy, I tend to feel overwhelmed and put it off more.

I do feel better once I get out of that funk and clean up and organize. Not sure which affects which more though, if that makes sense. Like, am I happy because I have energy (and, subsequently, have a tidy house). Or am I happy because I have a tidy house. Meh, I think it's a bit of both

[ShareBear]

If I'm having a good day, a messy house won't necessarily get me down. But a clean house will always make my day better.

[cmoma]

I am coming to realize that the state of my house and my moods, me emotions are directly related. When my house is in shambles and out of sorts, when things are strewn all over I am anxious and irritable. It makes doing the little things that much more stressful. I hate it!! Truly, truly.

But at the same time I have a high tolerance for things. So the dishes sitting in the sink for a day or two won't bother me but at the same time it can also set off a spark and all of a sudden trigger a major meltdown in my head. It all represents my mind too. My head is also a cluttered mess. It certaintly comes and goes, but I also know that I am just like my mother I grew up in a very "lived in" house. Everyone always commented on how "homey" it was as in comfortable and relaxed.

I always feel like I am playing catch up with the clutter. Sooooo...... over the next week and a half ( since my husband will be home) I plan on attacking the house. Thankfully it is small! I want to tackle each room and just start clearing them out.

In closing on this very long post My new mantra is "LESS IS MORE" and also QUALITY instead of QUANTITY"

Thanks for reading it was good to get this out

[mamasgroovin]

Wow. I guess I am in the majority. I ALWAYS feel better if my house is clean. Weird. I wonder when THAT happened?

[graceomalley]

Definitely. It affects the kids too.

[velochic]

Sure... the home is a place of security for a family. I am not clinical OCD, but my house is never messy because it's my refuge from the rest of the world that often seems chaotic. The last place I need chaos is where I feel most safe. There is one room that I allow to get messy on weekends when dd is home from school and that's her playroom. But during the week, she plays with something, then it is put away before the next item is brought out. Everything has a place. We don't have clutter (I'm not the kind of person who cares about acquiring "things" to put on display in my house). Organization is also important to us because when things are organized, you waste less effort getting things done. The more effort something takes, the more overwhelming it seems. It's a lot less stress to vacuum a floor that doesn't have to be cleaned up first!