Scrub Hard, Stress Less: Welcome to the Dishwashing Club

The older you get, the more you realize that anxiety and stress aren’t just occasional visitors, they’ve practically signed a long-term lease in your brain. Those panic attacks you can’t seem to shake? Well, might as well make them worthwhile! And let’s face it, even if you’re the most cautious person on the planet, there’s always going to be that nagging voice in your head whispering, “did you triple-check whatever needed checking before you left?” In my case, it’s always those bloody gas stove knobs. Are they on? Are they off? On again? Off again? Sometimes I even walk out the door, convince myself everything’s fine… and then turn right back around just to touch them for oneeee laaaast time!

So before you roll your eyes and assume this is just me offloading my emotional baggage (relax, it’s carry-on size), I’m just here to keep it real; with a healthy dose of humor of course! Because let’s face it, anxiety is basically life’s unwanted subscription service. Yep, it’s free, all-inclusive, and impossible to cancel! And since there’s no unsubscribe button (tragic, I know), we all come up with our own creative ways to dodge total meltdowns, which, if you think about it, is just survival instinct 2.0, now optimized for the modern Homo sapiens’ daily chaos.

Some people take up cold plunges at sunrise and call it “therapy” (meanwhile, I call it a voluntary near-death experience). Others swear by meditation, which is really just an elaborate way of pretending their to-do list doesn’t exist (sorry, but let’s be real, yoga peeps). Then there are those who find comfort in retail therapy; because nothing screams “responsible adulting” like bulk-buying matcha powder from Japan, a frother, and yet another aesthetically pleasing planner that will inevitably remain blank (guilty as charged!).

And me? Well, aside from the endless list of extracurriculars I take on to manage stress (and totally not to distract myself from the slow march of time—cue Pink Floyd’s Time playing in my head), there’s one thing that never fails to keep my OCD and anxiety in check. And as saaaad as it may sound, my happy place is—wait for it—keeping my kitchen spotless. My ultimate stress relief? Scrubbing plates like I’m competing for the dishwashing Olympics. And honestly? It works. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and staring at a sink full of dishes… brace yourself, you’re about to receive some life-changing wisdom.

Washing Dishes = Therapy in Disguise

Think about it for a second, washing dishes is basically therapy disguised as chores. You start with a chaotic mess, bits of food clinging on for dear life, plates stacked like the overwhelming thoughts in your brain. But with every scrub, rinse, and wipe, things get clearer, lighter, and somehow… more manageable.

So, (drumroll please) welcome to the Dishwashing Club; where we’re not just scrubbing plates, we’re scrubbing away stress, one dish at a time, because apparently, aggressively scrubbing a pan is cheaper than actual therapy.

But believe it or not, washing dishes and managing stress have way more in common than you’d think. And lucky for you (try to contain your excitement please), if life’s been feeling like an overflowing sink lately, step up, because we’re about to turn dishwashing into the ultimate stress relief ritual.

Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight—the first rule of Dishwashing Club is: No dish gets left behind.

Dishwashing Rule # 2

The Mess (or stress) Isn’t Going Anywhere, So Face It Like a Champ

You walk into the kitchen, and there it is; a battlefield of dirty dishes, a crime scene of past meals, and a haunting reminder of questionable life choices. Much like stress, mental clutter, and that one embarrassing thing you said in 2017 that still keeps you up at night. First things first: acknowledge the mess. Pretending it’s not there won’t make it disappear (if only). You don’t have to love it, but you do have to face it.

Dishwashing Rule # 3 Some Things Need to Soak (Including Your Problems)

Not all messes are created equal. That coffee mug? Quick rinse. That Mloukhiyeh dish from three nights ago that you swore you’d clean later? Yeah, that one’s gonna need some soaking. Stress works the same way. Some problems can be wiped away with a deep breath and a well-timed meme scroll. Others need a little space, so let them soak, step away, let things settle, and come back when they’re easier to handle. 

Dishwashing Rule # 4 One Dish, One Thought, One Task at a Time

When the sink is overflowing, you don’t tackle it all at once. You wash one dish at a time. Same rule applies to stress; stop trying to solve everything at the same time (spoiler: you’ll crash, burn and break your China!). Instead, pace yourself: a) deal with what’s urgent first, b) accept that some things are out of your control, (c) take your time, there’s no world record for fastest existential crisis recovery! (Note to self).

Dishwashing Rule # 5 Overthinking is Like Over-Scrubbing; Both Leave You High and Dry

Some stains need a little extra scrubbing, just like some thoughts refuse to leave your brain without a fight. But here’s the deal: you don’t scrub forever. You do what you can, rinse, and let it go.

Next time you find yourself replaying that awkward moment from five years ago, treat it like dish soap bubbles; useful for a moment, but meant to be rinsed away.

Dishwashing Rule # 6 Admire Your Work Because You Freakin' Did That!

That moment when all the dishes are clean, the sink is empty, and your kitchen no longer looks like a disaster zone? That’s pure satisfaction right there! The same kind you get when you finally stop stressing over something that’s been weighing you down. Tomorrow will bring new dishes (and new stress), but for now, enjoy the reset.

If You Can Wash Dishes, You Can Handle Life Life is always messy, but you don’t have to drown in it. Stress, like dirty dishes, is just a part of the cycle, you just have to tackle it, one plate, one mug, one fork at a time.

So next time you’re overwhelmed, grab a sponge, take a deep breath, and start scrubbing. And who knows? By the time you’re done, you might just feel a little lighter… or at the very least, enjoy the fact that your kitchen is spotless. Total win-win don't you think?

And finally… the last rule of Dishwashing Club? We don’t talk about Dishwashing Club. We just scrub.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to put my own advice to work. Over, out, and off to clean the dishes!