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Post by UdderChaos on Oct 18, 2008 20:17:43 GMT -5
No, it's not some kind of weird virus. I had a sudden realization. Let me tell you the story. I went to my friend's house on Friday night for some drinkies. Got slightly drunk.  Came home just after midnight, and looked at the house. Through beer goggles, I don't know what happened. It was like, this is easy! Started cleaning. Didn't even think about it (not the way I usually do... oh, WHY do I have to, this is hard, can't be bothered, blah blah blah...) and just started... and kept going. Until 3 am. I don't get it, it was so EASY! Just picked something up as I walked past, oh, I know where this goes, and put it away. Just kept walking around and putting stuff away. Like it was natural. Did two loads of washing, the dishes, cleaned up 90% of the loungeroom, mopped the laundry and the toilet floors (though when I woke up, realized you can't do a great job mopping when inebriated  ) straightened the lounge covers (which never gets done) cleaned the TV (top, sides, speakers, cabinet, everything) polished the baby's piano and our coffee table. POLISHED, I tell you. With wood polish. WOW. Everything just kept happening, and once again, it was so easy! So I started thinking, it's must be a state of mind. And my mind must be in a different state to me 99% of the time. So if anyone sees it wandering around, please post it to me.  Either something chemical changes in my mind when I've been drinking to allow me to just...simply...and easily...clean..... Or... I don't know. I'll be looking into this further. Maybe, my mind was like "whatever, I don't care what you think about this, or the repercussions of cleaning, or how long you think this will take, and what it may or may not make you feel, we're just doing it." Not that I'm saying alcohol is neccessarily a good or bad thing, but boy, I'll be drinking a lot more from now on. Only kidding. BUt does anyone have any kind of insight to what this means? I'm going to talk to a psychologist friend of mine and see what they've got to say. It must be something.  Okay, thanks for listening to my dribble, I promise, I'm not drunk now, I just had to get it all out.  |
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Post by Script on Oct 18, 2008 21:03:34 GMT -5
It is my understanding that The Drink does various specific things to our minds, notably in deadening inhibitions and shining a postive light on normal reality. This is how and why people get picked up in bars etc etc etc.
You describe your usual self-talk about housework in these negative words:
"oh, WHY do I have to, this is hard, can't be bothered, blah blah blah"
It strikes me that The Drink took those negative words and thoughts and put a positive spin on a normal activity. "Oh, why not just do this, it's not really hard, I feel so great anyway, too happy and relaxed to sleep, blah blah blah"
Furthermore, if you have any kind of Perfectionism that inhibits you from starting an unpleasant job (swiping bathroom floor, for example), The Drink was able to deaden your inhibitions and let you just putter around l*zily. You didn't set unrealistically HIGH standards: with the rosy glow of your drinkies, your work seemed just fine.
Various members at various times have described a laid-back puttering method of cleaning: BDG gave the perfect example at the old Board: talking about wandering around, picking up and thing or two, here and there, tiny moments of housework sandwiched between large chunks of leisure time: somehow the whole house gets cleaned up without our really trying or even noticing the effort.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Oct 18, 2008 21:10:46 GMT -5
Udderchaos,
Who'd have thunk it? Throw out all those books on decluttering and buy a six-pack of Bud! 
Getting intoxicated does lower your inhabitions and change your brain chemistry. Maybe whatever was stopping you from cleaning before disappeared after you've consumed a few drinkie-poos. Not that I recommend it as a daily tool to help you clean house. 
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Post by UdderChaos on Oct 18, 2008 21:12:57 GMT -5
Thanks Script  I never would have thought about the inhibition thing. I just thought that was my "oh, of COURSE I can sing karaoke" filter when I was drunk.... But it makes sense, that the alcomohol shut down the perfectionism genie.. er.. gene....  |
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Post by UdderChaos on Oct 18, 2008 21:14:59 GMT -5
Udderchaos,
Who'd have thunk it? Throw out all those books on decluttering and buy a six-pack of Bud!
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Post by BC on Oct 18, 2008 21:17:04 GMT -5
Well done! You did loads of work, you must be very happy! I've done this before... Then looked around the next day and thought "what the?!?!"... Sometimes, when i've had a bit to drink, I just get the whole "I don't care!" attitude and things don't bother me when i'm like it - So I attack everything! I fly around just throwing things where they should be, with seemingly endless energy... I don't always get this feeling though and I did think it might just be one kind of alcoholic beverage that has the effect... Which gives me the excuse to have a few... errr... 'experimental' drinks to discover which one it is! For purely scientific purposes, of course! (no really... I must behave!!) ...hic! |
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Post by zinnia on Oct 19, 2008 0:42:39 GMT -5
Throw out all those books on decluttering and buy a six-pack of Bud!  |
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clutterpea
New Member
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 12
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Post by clutterpea on Oct 19, 2008 3:07:08 GMT -5
Rofl, I was just discussing this with a co- orker today and was going to post it here. Wondering if a few drinks might make the cleaning a little easier, and a little happier.. When I have a day off, which is only once a week usually, I like to have a couple the night before, I'm thinking this may be prime cleaning time!  |
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Post by Platypus on Oct 19, 2008 5:37:58 GMT -5
Works for me. But not done often. So when the landlord, rellies, etc come to the house and complain about the mess, can we just explain that we were 'on the wagon" this week? |
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Post by ramatama on Oct 19, 2008 9:31:38 GMT -5
On the old Squalor Survivors site there was a thread called "cleaning on a higher level" that got many hits and contributions. But that high was attributed to another substance.   I too think it has to do with just being a lot more relaxed about the whole issue, letting go of perfectionism and maybe also a bit of the fun factor of just "doing" for the sake of doing= going with the flow. Try some kind of calming tea and see if that relaxes you as much. Try putting on some really cool fun music and see if that also gets you in the "mood". |
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Post by mouse on Oct 20, 2008 17:42:44 GMT -5
My landlady and landlord, back when they still lived here, would always have a couple of beers on hand while they cleaned. I think alcohol, when not abused, can definitely take the edge off of any unpleasant chore. I can't think why I never thought of this before! Next time I have a big job to do that doesn't take a lot of skill or dexterity, I will crack open a beer and see if that helps. ~Mouse  |
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Post by notsomessyshell on Oct 20, 2008 21:00:14 GMT -5
Dang! I shouldn't have given up drinking. I think you are onto something there. I agree it seemed to help a bit. I find that music helps me to get into the cleaning mode. Oldest and I have a few that we call our cleaning tunes. I know if I put on my earbuds and some good music on my I-pod I can clean a lot longer. It is usually how I do the dishes. I have been doing the 3 things rule. Every room I go into I must remove 3 things either trash or things that don't belong. They must be put away properly. Slowly but surely the house is showing a positive change. Not lightening fast, but steady. I think it is easier for me to maintain and clean this way. To my sick brain it is not "cleaning"! Sheesh the extent I must go to get stuff done. If I could put as much effort into cleaning as I do the mind games to do the cleaning I would have a spotless house! |
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Post by UdderChaos on Oct 21, 2008 1:34:26 GMT -5
Oh dear, now I've turned everyone from Clutterers Anonymous to Alcoholics Anonymous...... Meh, when in Rome... Cheers. 
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Post by limegreen on Oct 21, 2008 2:52:46 GMT -5
I have some quite dreadful tasting schnapps left over from the holidays, maybe I should take a swig! Trouble is, mixed with my meds, it'd just send me to sleep after an hour, but think what I might achieve in that hour.
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Post by UdderChaos on Oct 21, 2008 9:33:24 GMT -5
Okay, so tonight we went to a going away "gathering"  for one of our friends who is off to work in Ghana. *hic* So I walked  in the door, and thought... see... it mustn't have been the alcohol, because I have no inclination WHAT SO EVER to clean. None. But... I may as well just pick up that toy.. ooh... and that one... and pick that up, and I'll just sort this for a second, and those clothes need to be put in the laundry room, and I'll just.....and that and this and put that there and....... It happened again.. though not so much this time, in case hubby was like "what are you DOING?!" Didn't want to scare him.... I don't know what the point of this post was.... |
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