Post #4099369

2026-07-25 22:16 UTC

RE: https://kind.social/@azteclady/116982463867822908 On the wisdom of "RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE" (shared in the quote toot, but it first made the rounds years ago): I'm curious if anyone has examples of things they changed in their life, or home, that seemed to be against the rules, or frivolous, but really helped when they were depressed or unwell or overwhelmed. I have a few: 1. Lukewarm showers. For decades I took the hottest showers, and I suffered post-shower exhaustion for months until it occurred to me I could just lower the temperature. 2. Switching from a queen duvet to two twins. I got them to be easier to clean, but I now have more control over the warmth of my bedding (one is warmer than the other), the covers don't get as shredded by the cats' antics, and they don't put pressure on my bad ankle when I'm trying to sleep. 3. Single-purpose kitchen devices, which go against the wisdom to never "clutter" your space with these things. 3-in-1 egg cooker, waffle maker, rice cooker, hot water dispenser. Anything to make it easier, physically or mentally, to feed myself. 4. Buying duplicates. If I have one of something and it's a lot of effort to change rooms to use it, or I have to wait for it to be charged or cleaned, I get a second one. It's already "normal" to have pens or Kleenex boxes in multiple rooms, so I do the same with snacks, hand lotion, reading glasses, chargers... I also have multiple earbuds for listening to music or audiobooks so that I don't have to stop listening when one runs out of battery. None of these are profound, but with each I had to give myself permission to do it. Anyone else?

Replies (4)

@Ashmire@pagan.plus 2026-07-26 05:17

@giflian@techhub.social Both 3 & 4 have been good for me, also. And using dry shampoo + sponge bath or even baby wipes when properly bathing is just too damn much. Always have a large wastebasket in every room. And, though it's more about AuDHD tendency to visually skip over plain-colored things without seeing them, rather than depression, finding and always using a glittery or neon-colored version of things I need to find quickly such as shoes, keys, phone case, glasses, etc. I was able to save about 15-20 minutes off my "getting ready to leave the house" routine by doing that. Also I apparently don't have object permanence so all containers and doors need to be clearly labeled or see-through, lest they subconsciously become just a permanent part of the wall to my brain.

Open ##4104677
@aspeed@lgbtqia.space 2026-07-26 06:32

@giflian@techhub.social And I hate to be one of those people, but a rice cooker is not a unitasker.It's great for cooking soups and casseroles in. Signed, a person who had a broken oven for a while.

Open ##4105687
@StaceyCornelius@zeroes.ca 2026-07-25 22:27

@giflian@techhub.social Back before the cost of living crisis hit and prices spiked, I bought a countertop dishwasher and a(on older model) robot vac. Saves my sanity at times.

Open ##4136592
@piersb@wandering.shop 2026-07-26 09:19

@giflian@techhub.social Hire a cleaner. My bedlinen gets changed every week, the floors are vacuumed, the surfaces are wiped, and what I get back in my time and mental health are more than worth the money. Not to mention if you live in a shared house: no more rotas for whose turn it is to vacuum or clean. The cleaning fairy does it all.

Open ##4157872