Reorganizing My Kitchen For Easier Access

ONE WAY TO SAVE ENERGY AND MITIGATE SYMPTOMS BY REORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN

It's already January 5th of 2020 and I'm not starting the new year quite in the way that I'd like: my house is a mess. It really, really is (and I'm someone who cares a lot about being in a clean space, especially with having a hyper-sensitized central nervous system that experiences sensory overload easily). That's usually the case when my husband leaves to head back to Vancouver after visiting me here in Port Alberni, for a number of reasons, but largely because he has to use the rare times that he's here to work on home projects.

From December 30th to January 1st, our house was quite the construction zone while my husband and his dad worked on installing insulation in our crawlspace (which has serious moisture, humidity, and mould issues). And as much as my husband helps with house cleaning before leaving, there just isn't enough time to get everything done while also fitting in the down time that we both want to have with each other. We're in a long distance marriage so sometimes you just want to curl up on the sofa with your husband instead of doing the damn dishes!

Today is my first full day back to solitary living after one month of being around various family members and I am exhausted. This is the "come down" phase for me, where the adrenaline of having visitors wears off and I start feeling more symptomatic. Though I'm listening to my body and allowing it now go slow, I REALLY want to get my house back to a less filthy and cluttered state because it's a lot more taxing on my system as someone who has Central Sensitivity Syndromes to be in a congested environment.

I decided to use this as an opportunity to start reorganizing my kitchen in an attempt to optimize it for the special needs of my body. It isn't energy efficient for me to open cupboards and drawers all the time, especially for frequently used items. As my fellow spoonies know all too well, not only does it drain energy, but reaching up to high cupboard shelves or bending down to low drawers can trigger symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, etc. For me, dealing with certain kinds of packaging is also energy draining and symptom inducing - like fiddling around with resealable bags if the "ziplock" tracks don't line up easily.

So here's my idea for energy conservation and symptom mitigation in this regard: repackage some of your frequently used items into containers that are easier for you to deal with and that you feel good about keeping on your kitchen counters for easy access.

I have quite a few mason jars at home and an extra one of these OXO Pop containers so I decided to transfer my jasmine rice, quinoa, raisins, and gluten-free oats to them. I also decided to bring down the heavy container of rock salt that used to be pretty high up in the cupboard (and there wasn't space to put it on a lower shelf) because whenever I wanted to use it, I'd either have to stretch my arms too much or drag a chair over to get it.

It's a small start but I'm going to consider this a spoonie victory. I'm happy with how it looks (doesn't cause a drain from having to process what I'm looking at) and I know it's a great step towards optimizing this space for me. Wherever I can save energy and minimize the symptoms that get triggered simply from doing everyday activities, hopefully the more I'll be able to expand my energy envelope and regain functional capacity.

My other victory of the day was tidying my living room so now, at the very least, I have one clean space to rest in and one small corner of my kitchen that sparks some joy!

And because I never want to portray a false sense of reality and potentially make another spoonie feel less than because I've somehow managed to attain this perfectly clean home, here's what the rest of my kitchen currently looks like:

Yep, those are dirty pots and pans filled with dirty water on the stove that have been there for multiple days. The dishwasher is full and needs unloading. The drying rack and drying mat on the counter (not pictured) is also packed full with kitchenware that needs to be put away. One sink has dirty dishes, the other is full of recycling. The counter that isn't pictured is totally covered in a variety of stuff like garbage, dishes, receipts, and so on. And you should see the rest of the house.

I mean...it's pretty bad. Could be worse, could definitely be better. Do I want it cleaned RIGHT NOW? Yep. Will it happen in one day? Nope. And that's okay. I am learning to let go, listen to my body, and pace myself. I hope you are too <3