Book
Tidying the abyss : a practical guide to cleaning and organizing while exhausted and overwhelmed / Amanda Stuckey Dodson.
"When we see people in desperate situations, we are quick to sympathize but also quick to explain to ourselves why that couldn't be us. We could never live in squalor -- we're just too responsible! We could never get a disabling illness that prevents us from easily enacting life skills-we're always so good about exercising and taking our supplements! And we certainly couldn't spend our lives in endless, menial suffering -- we plan to be blessed! But the truth is, desperation and chaos are just a few unfortunate events away for any of us. Keeping your life clean, orderly, and peaceful involves skill, but it also involves privilege, luck, and having access to a responsible adult with the bandwidth to teach you. Even then, responsibility does not save us from chaos. And when our lives are upended, our dishes, our laundry, and our bills mercilessly persist, piling around us, an oppressive burden. In Tidying the Abyss one-time clinical social worker and current professional organizer Amanda Dodson provides a gentle, step-by-step guide to keeping house even when one's life is turned upside-down by an unexpected and permanent change to their, or a loved-one's, ability. Dodson advocates for the abandoning of perfection to make room for creative, livable solutions, no matter where one falls on the spectrum of being chronically ill, neurodivergent, or hopeless at home maintenance"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781538770467 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: viii, 307 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Balance, 2025.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | House cleaning. Housekeeping. Orderliness. |
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 648.5 Dod | 31681010444347 | NONFIC | In process | - |
- Grand Central Pub
A gentle, hands-on resource offering mental health-sensitive, disability-informed advice for those who do not have the privilege, bandwidth, or access to keep their homeâand lifeâin a perfectly-ordered state.
Amanda Stuckey Dodson prided herself on her ability to maintain a peaceful, clean home: there wasnât any mess that couldnât be fixed by plastic organizing bins, spreadsheets, and a can-do attitude. When her life was upended by chronic illness, leaving her unable to maintain her elaborate cleaning systems, she learned that the hardest part wasnât becoming organized, it was staying organized. Facing an unusually messy home, she knew she needed a different approach.
   Tidying the Abyss is a gentle, step-by-step guide to keeping house when everything around you is falling apart. Dodson, a clinical social worker turned professional organizer, advocates for the abandoning of perfection to make room for creative, livable solutions. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of being chronically ill, neurodivergent, or hopeless at home maintenance, you need more than just organizational tips- you need a practice. Within these pages youâll find guidance for:- Managing motivation and overwhelm;
- Addressing your basic needs with systems for trash, kitchen & dishes, and laundry;
- Creating order in your most-used spaces (think bedroom and bathroom); and
- Common life complications like pet-related chaos or managing housework as a caregiver or as a parent
