I was getting ready to leave for a week-long trip—literally waiting to be picked up—when I made a last-minute decision to clean out the fridge. In my haste, I threw a lot of baby carrots down the garbage disposal. Bad idea. The garbage disposal exploded, spewing bits of carrot and water all over the cabinet under the sink.
Desperation had me pulling everything out of the cabinet and scattering it on the counters. I called my poor nephew and pleaded for help because I couldn’t get down to properly clean it myself. Bless his heart, he came over and saved the day, tackling all of the mess under the sink. I then headed off to Philadelphia, hoping everything would magically fall into place while I was away.
Fast-forward a week, and I returned home to find my counters still cluttered with cleaning supplies, dish racks, sponges, empty jars, and various kitchen odds and ends. I’d completely forgotten about this chaotic scene.
I quickly called a local handyman, who fortunately came out the next day and fixed the garbage disposal. The sink was functional again, but my counters were far from cleared. It took me a good couple of weeks to fully declutter them.
In the meantime, I resorted to easy meals—microwaved frozen dinners, takeouts, and sandwiches. As you can guess, not a single salad made its way into my meals. Even under normal circumstances, eating healthy is a challenge, but having no space on my counters made it nearly impossible.
This episode opened my eyes to a crucial realization: my willingness to meal prep and make healthy choices is directly related to the condition of my kitchen.
I’ve always known that a messy house has a significant impact on my mental state. For example, a made bed sets the tone for a good day, whereas an unmade bed often coincides with a bad day. In fact, I started a blog once called, “Just Make Your Bed.” Somehow, though, I failed to connect the dots between kitchen chaos and poor eating habits—until now.
I’m currently working on a new freebie called “Chaos to Calm.” I’d love to hear your stories! How does clutter affect your mood, your eating habits, and your overall health? Share in the comments!
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