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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Mental Health Tip #99


Fire your therapist and hire a housecleaner.

This is a serious mental-health tip. After putting all my quarters, dimes, and nickels together, I had visits with two personages Wednesday. One was my therapist, who I see once a month or in an emergency. The other was a professional housecleaner.


They cost about the same, but the housecleaner worked far longer for her share of the pot. Therapist: 55 minutes. Cleaner: 8 hours


I got more bliss out of knowing my poor house was going to sparkle than I got out of discussing my issues with my dear T. And the bliss has lasted into the night and the next day. Every time I use the loo or pour a cup of coffee, I smile.


Yes. A good housecleaner is better for one's state of mind than a good therapist. My mind is a mess, but my house was messier. My head only contains some dangerous thoughts, but the house was full of dust and dog hair. Guess which one was harder on my mental health.
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(Update: all right, I confess. As one of the commentators commented, I did clean up for the housecleaner. I took care of three, no, four things I could not bear ANYONE to know about, and I will not tell you what they were, just that one involved two new files, one marked MOM and one marked US. All the paperwork spread out everywhere was quickly whisked into the appropriate file. Thank you to my AA sponsor for this practical method of organizing paper crap that was multiplying like rabbits all over the table and counter. I didn't have to pay her for the advice. Like Scarlet in Gone with the Window, I shall deal with it tomorrow.)
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Can I get an amen, someone?
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27 comments:

Marcia said...

amen!

Birdie said...

LOL Chris!! Very very funny!!! Thanks and enjoy your clean house!! :-) hugs

Brian Miller said...

smiles.
you trying to put me out of business?

Syd said...

We hired a housekeeper over 20 years ago. She was like a mother to us in many ways. Miss Margaret became ill a few years ago so we hired another. It's a life saver so that we can do other things that we enjoy.

the walking man said...

I don't mind a disorganized mind or the same quality in the house. But then I gave up on most organizational attitudes decades ago. Amen!

Yvonne Osborne said...

Ha! My problem? I would feel like I needed to clean before the housekeeper came!

C.M. Jackson said...

Amen and Hallejah too! I must convince Mr. Jackson of this!! Thanks! Glad to hear that you are smiling!

Mrsupole said...

I am giving you about 365 amens. One for everyday of the year that a housekeeper has to work somewhere.

Oh how it would be so nice to have a housekeeper again. But not working seems to put a damper on that one. Actually my attitude is, who gives a crap if the house is clean, and I am sticking to it and this and that and the things on the floor. Oh my, maybe I need to change my attitude. LOL

God bless.

Sherry said...

I guess it depends on which is more cluttered: your house or your mind and how much time you have to do it yourself! I've never had a housecleaner...I'll have to try it!

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Oh my god, yes! I see a good, but expensive therapist and told her this week, that once I get my basement "put back in order"...I will cut back my visits to her because that in itself is therapeutic! I have a friend coming over Friday to help me start!

Anonymous said...

Oh Geez, Chris, you're brilliant. I would also add:

"sit down and color with a 5 year old."

One's perspective on life is altered when laying on the floor with a youngin' playing with a box of crayons.

Great post today.

Unknown said...

Have I told you lately that I think you are a friggen' genius? Amen, sister, amen! I'm enjoying a cup of coffee with ya this morning!
♥namaste♥

Dianne said...

Amen and Halleulia, mine is coming an extra day this week in an emergency.

Although this brings it's own kind of stress.

Good to see you smiling.

Shadow said...

you get a choir of amen's outta me! you had me giggling, but this has more than a grain of truth to it.

Nana Jo said...

Amen, Amen and again I say, Amen!

(This reminds me of the best baby gift ever given to me: three months paid professional house cleaner. Twenty-five years later, I still worship the ground the giver walks on!)

Magpie said...

Amen, Sister!!! :)

One Prayer Girl said...

I've never hired a house cleaner, but today I would say, "AMEN"!

PG

Anonymous said...

It's funny, we clean for our housekeeper as well! When I first saw the headline, I thought you were going to suggest exchanging your therapist for a dog. That's one I've thought about a few times!

CiCi said...

This little hipppie house doesn't get overused or very dirty with just the two of us and not pets. It is older and we take care of it but it is a rental and we don't do major work on it. I would like to paint inside some day and in a couple weeks we are going to scrape all the paint off the windows and spackle and paint them just because they are so bad. You are sounding stronger, like you are smiling and able to laugh some.

Garnet said...

Yep!

InteriorCastleDweller said...

SO the truth of spirituality really is Trust God, Clean House, Help Others?? ROFLMAO!!!!

AMEN!

I know this feeling of which you speak. I've been kinda using some instructions from this professional organizer (flylady.com) who said that a clean kitchen sink in the morning does wonders for serenity and focus, and I'll be darned if she's not right!

The satisfaction of a clean and organized space, a space where there is no fear of visitors or surprise guests, a place that is appointed to serve as a comfortable resting place for me and others, well... what could be better than that?! :)

Wonderful!

Garnet said...

By the way, do you have an archive for mental health tips # 1-98?
I feel like I could use me some. :)

Anonymous said...

I would take the clean house ANY day over any number of hours with a therapist.

Oh yeah.

(Counting my pocket change, right now.)

Catherine said...

Good for you Chris!

I didn't have a chance to clean up before getting an appraisal for house cleaning, I was too sick and couldn't get out of bed. She was rude about it so I have stuck to cleaning myself. You'd think they would be used to seeing mess but we live in a really ritzy area where I think people are more judgmental. :)

Unknown said...

I never had the money to hire a therapist - probably why I write so much, :-) but it would be heavenly to hire a house cleaner!

moondustwriter said...

I agree 100%

forget therapy when a clean house is therapy

Her Big Sad said...

We had a housekeeper for a bit while the girls were in school and I was working full time and being super-driver-chef-team mom-etc...

Our economy turned (before the whole country's economy also turned) and the housekeeper is no more. But she's the FIRST thing on my list to get when things start to improve! Worth Every Penny!!