Spotlight/Review: How to Keep House While Drowning

How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis, LPC

Expected publication date: April 26, 2022 – Simon Element

Book courtesy of the publisher

My take:

I have a sister who seems to love to clean her house. I, on the other hand, do not. I’m more an as-needed cleaner. There are times I wish I was more like my sis but I’ve managed to live this long being her almost polar opposite (where cleaning is concerned).

So, I was intrigued when the publicist reached out about K.C. Davis’s book. Davis writes with compassion as she describes her reasons for sharing her thoughts and philosophy of keeping house, how she and her husband divide or share tasks, and ultimately she conveys the message of treating yourself with kindness. I found a lot of her tips to be common sense but many people (not raised by my wonderful mother who loved to have a tidy home) will find kernels of wisdom and encouragement. 😊

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About the book:

This revolutionary approach to cleaning and organizing helps free you from feeling ashamed or overwhelmed by a messy home.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of your to-do list, you probably have a good reason: anxiety, fatigue, depression, ADHD, or lack of support. For therapist KC Davis, the birth of her second child triggered a stress-mess cycle. The more behind she felt, the less motivated she was to start. She didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months. One life-changing realization restored her sanity—and the functionality of her home: You don’t work for your home; your home works for you.

In other words, messiness is not a moral failing. A new sense of calm washed over her as she let go of the shame-based messaging that interpreted a pile of dirty laundry as “I can never keep up” and a chaotic kitchen as “I’m a bad mother.” Instead, she looked at unwashed clothes and thought, “I am alive,” and at stacks of dishes and thought, “I cooked my family dinner three nights in a row.”

Building on this foundation of self-compassion, KC devised the powerful practical approach that has exploded in popularity through her TikTok account, @domesticblisters. The secret is to simplify your to-do list and to find creative workarounds that accommodate your limited time and energy. In this book, you’ll learn exactly how to customize your cleaning strategy and rebuild your relationship with your home, including:

-How to see chores as kindnesses to your future self, not as a reflection of your worth
-How to start by setting priorities
-How to stagger tasks so you won’t procrastinate
-How to clean in quick bursts within your existing daily routine
-How to use creative shortcuts to transform a room from messy to functional

With KC’s help, your home will feel like a sanctuary again. It will become a place to rest, even when things aren’t finished. You will move with ease, and peace and calm will edge out guilt, self-criticism, and endless checklists. They have no place here. (publisher)

Photograph by Julie Soefer

KC Davis

KC Davis is a licensed professional therapist, author, and speaker. She is the creator of the mental health platform Struggle Care, where she shares a revolutionary approach to self and home care for those dealing with mental health, physical illness, and hard seasons of life. KC began her mental health journey at sixteen, when she entered treatment for drug addiction and mental health issues. After getting sober, she became a speaker and advocate for mental health and recovery. She lives in Houston with her husband and two daughters.

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