How can I make myself a priority.

[Whatsrightnow]

Everything comes before me. The kids obviously which is fine. My partner and the bloody housework. The housework I put before myself having a nice shower etc. Reading a book...I rarely ever make time for myself but there's just always so much to do. My skin is a mess and I just look a mess pretty much daily as I don't make the time to take care of myself. I always end up cleaning. I'm on fluoxetine for pmdd and OCD but it's not really doing much just yet.

Do you work op?

Can I ask if your OCD is hygeine/housework/tidiness related?

There is a lot to do with a family, of course, but if your OCD is related to that it will be harder to manage because the lines get blurred between what is actually necessary and what is 'demanded' by the bully in your brain.

Yes organisation is a big part of it. And keeping things orderly. I work part time in answer to the previous post.

There’s always stuff to do around the house. What are your really absolutely essential things though? For me it’s - daily - do a laundry load and put the dishwasher on, otherwise the dishes and laundry accumulate to unmanageable levels. The rest really can wait.

The other thing to think about is what is it that stops you sitting still? What’s going on in your mind/feelings when you reach for distraction or get up to just do that one extra thing that must be done? Bringing some awareness to what your mind is doing and practicing just feeling the feelings without acting on them or distracting yourself from the. can really help you deepen your ability to relax.

How old are your kids @op?

4 and 17 months old.
I do sit down and instantly I can see things that need doing around me. And instead of thinking I'll do that later after I've done my makeup etc or any form of self care. I'll end up just doing it then I've got no time to do the self care I'd had planned.

At the age your kids are, the housework is much MUCH more never ending than it will be later. It is genuinely hard to switch off from it because it is a visual to do list that is just never seems done.

Asking yourself, 'What if I just sat here for five minutes and THEN did that job?' might help to start to break the need to respond immediately.

Or think, 'I'm going to put a face mask on and then tidy up while it dries and THEN have a shower' might help to break the cycle of feeling like you cant fit in other things.

Do you have the possibility of getting a cleaner? Partly because I found that it gave more structure to the sense of endless jobs.

Following as I'm in the same position op

I'd like to learn how to make myself a priority too