Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hello @NatureLover sad to hear about your S.A.D. I hope the light box is giving some relief and not making your hands flare up.

My family situation blew up again today. I tried to help but got yelled at for being logical. I apologised and said maybe I'm autistic, as I could only presume they meant I wasn't responding appropriately.. Quicksand again. Any effort I make, makes things worse.

I spent all afternoon trying to calm people down and find a family therapist. There are so many crises in my life at the moment.

I didn't get to housework or gardening. I hope I can tomorrow.

How are you getting on? It's quite a while since your inspection blitz.

I had to edit this a couple of times for typos.

Hi @Dimity , thanks. My hands do get itchy and then I have to cut back on the light box.

Inspired by you, I managed 3 hours of tidying yesterday! Plus 2 laundry washes. Today I have errands, and hopefully a bit more tidying.

I'm sorry to hear your family situation blew up yesterday and rebounded on you 😣

I hope things calm down for you today.

Well done on yesterday's efforts @NatureLover !

Thanks, the morning was upsetting but this afternoon I shopped and did a little in house and garden which cheered me.

Do you find that you have to plan the tidying in your mind before you actually do it? @NatureLover @Dimity ?

My brain stares and stairs until it can 'tidy' everything in my brain, and only then can I do it... otherwise I go round and round in circles.

@tyme I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one. If I'm in a cheerful and relaxed frame of mind (which I haven't been for quite a while) I can happily "potter" in an unstructured way to tidy and declutter . But mostly I need to plan where to start and what to do. I've never had much visual imagination and since losing an eye it's worse. I can't visualise what I'd like to achieve. Sometimes I take a photo so I can sort of work backwards towards an uncluttered area.

Hey @NatureLover ,

I'm sorry to hear you S.A.D is not great at the moment. We are sitting with you and thinking of you. I hope things improve soon.

@Dimity , glad I'm not alone too! Without a clear goal and the steps to get there, I really struggle to get things done. Hence my sticky notes!

Thanks @tyme for your good wishes about my S.A.D.

I like pottering in an unstructured non-urgent way, but mostly I have to tackle something to find something or to get laundry done or something. So yes, I have to plan what I need to find, write lists of tasks, etc.

Do you write lists?

Oh dear, it sounds like your family situation is still very upsetting @Dimity 😣

Well done on achieving some house and garden work, despite the upset.

I didn't achieve much yesterday but did finish all the library books due back this week. Now the pressure's off.

Today is work at home. The gloss has gone off the new job, and I need to remind myself that I'm doing something useful and purposeful. But I would prefer to be going out to an office and seeing people. My old job really was ideal, until it all turned toxic. I miss it, and the people who were there. Most have left now.

I'm also struggling to shower as I'm at home more now. I usually don't shower if I'm just at home for the day, but those days run together now so I'm showering less. I wait till I'm next going out somewhere. And then I shower and wash hair before I go out and again as soon as I come home, because I've been exposed to germs etc. Which doesn't endear me to more showering!

My psychologist wants me to shower and dress professionally on my work at home days, as if I'm going in to the office. But it seems ridiculous to me and I haven't managed it yet.

How is your relationship to showering?

Yes @NatureLover , I'm BIG on lists or I don't get things done. By writing lists on sticky notes, I tackle them note by note. I procrastinate for a long time, but if i see the sitcky note has only one last thing to tick off, then I usually get it done.

I'm down to one sticky note as of today.

Who knows? That number may increase tomorrow.

Also, @NatureLover , I read back about you seeing your abusive father. Is this a bi annual thing? I was a little confused because it seemed like you HAD to see them every 6 months or something.

I envy your reading @NatureLover . I think I have a mental block. Maybe it's *because* I depended on it for so long. Or my anxiety and short attention span. Yet I'm sure it would help.

I shower daily. I've been discombobulated by stress lately so get to it and breakfast late after dealing with more immediate worries. My routines are out of whack re other meals and bedtime too. I need to be more careful with my bipolar.

Do you do zoom meetings? They might be an incentive re dressing up. I retired before covid so didn't use them much. I occasionally watch zoom seminars on my tablet but haven't used the camera or microphone. So I'm not sure if I could d o the guided recovery program.

It will be very cold overnight. Zero if you're doing a dawn walk.