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I've been taking stock of what my daily tasks are and how I can best prioritize them so that I don't overdo it so badly anymore. This has come about because I'm committed to doing daily 1 1/2 hr power walks with a friend to keep in shape. It's a great thing to do and I love the leg strength it's allowing me. But it sure wipes me right out for the rest of the day! (I'm looking into switching to some kind of weight-based routine as I'd benefit much more from that than cardio anyway, but that's a financial issue as well).

So one thing I tend to put off too long is cleaning the bathtub. That tends to suck the energy right out of me. Others include vacuuming, and cooking prep work. (There's lots more, but those are high on the list). Any tips or tricks for accomplishing these things without expending so much energy? And no, getting a maid is not an option! lol

I'm the same way with housework! I find that doing things in small doses while resting in-between seems to help with the fatigue level. As far as cooking, getting some things like veggies pre-chopped can be a huge energy-saver. A friend introduced me to sliced mushrooms, which is great. I also use frozen stir-fry veggies. I find that doing the bulk of the prep work in the morning and storing things in the fridge for later seems to work well.

One thing that may help is to have an occupational therapist come and look at your space. I had one come through the local MS Society. They can observe you and how your getting around, how things are stored, etc. For example, I get very winded bending over to do things and the therapist suggested keeping items that I use frequently more at the level of between my hips and chest. I also have my husband grab heavy things (we have limited storage space!) like our dutch oven rather than me doing it.

I hope this helps!

It's going to be different for everyone. I have an adderall perscription and had a much harder time when I was not taking it (I don't love adderall.... I like being ADD)

Thanks guys. Yeah, I'm not sure if an occupational therapist would be a great help at this point with the kitchen. It's small and awkwardly built, so I'm already aware of how limited it is for me and we've worked pretty hard at getting it functional already. DH decided this weekend to make some new shelves and organizers to help, so that's a plus too. Still don't know what to do about the tub though!
Ah, if only I could drink coffee! lol.

I struggle with keeping my house too, and have really tried to identify the things that wear me out the most and ways to make things easier on myself. A housekeeper isn't an option for me either unfortunately!

For me, vacuuming was my nemesis- I'd haul the heavy beast from the closet, unwind the cord and get it plugged in, vacuum one area and I'd need to rest. Then I'd forget and do laundry or something instead of finishing, then chastise myself for forgetting while resting from the laundry. Next thing I know the vacuum has been sitting out for a week and is starting to get dusty, but I can't put it away because it was such a pain in the ass to get out I'll be damned if I won't finish.

Fast forward to the day I got a Dyson cordless vacuum... Hallelujah! It's super lightweight and powerful, no heavy cord to deal with, easy to grab for quick jobs and doesn't tire me out to do the whole house. This probably has made biggest difference for the cleanliness of my house.

For the bathtub, I got a Clorox toilet wand just for the tub - the pads have bleach and work great on the porcelain and the handle makes for less bending.

Happy cleaning!

Wow... I just replied to a super old post. I'm new, disregard!

Welcome to TIMS. The age of the thread is irrelevant. It is the topic that counts. There are many excellent older threads here and I often read them.

Finding creative ways to do everyday tasks and cope with other day to day activities is of extreme importance for us. I have had reactions to the smell of chemical cleaners my wife used to use. Even the smell of Windex annoys me. We got a high power steam cleaner for use in the kitchen and bathroom. It is a canister type (like a canister vacuum) so the handle is very light in weight. The 'engine' that creates the steam is on wheels so it is easy to pull around. It cleans and disinfect better than chemical cleansers without any odors. The model I got is a commercial model and provides up to 1/2 hour of high power, high volume steam. The model is the Steamfast Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner SF-370. It costs more than the typical hand held models, about $100 when on sale, compared to $30-$50 for the typical steam cleaners but it is light weight and because of its much higher volume of steam and extended run time, is an exceptional value and I highly recommend it.

I used bleach tablets in the toilets so I don't have to scrub them. They last for about 2 months at a time and thus, I am able to justify the expenu.

I made a little "pact" with myself regarding cleaning...on days that I am tired I decide to order food in and in that time that takes them to deliver it (app. 45 minutes) I clean. Maybe this is an idea for others too, it helps me because I get demotivated if I think about hoe I have too cook first than clean etc. so I do this.