KITCHEN RESET | the one I do when I’m overstimulated

The kitchen is always the first place that tells on me. I can be holding it together everywhere else, and then I walk in and see the sink, the counters, the random cups, and the “I’ll deal with it later” pile that has somehow multiplied, and my brain goes, yep, we’re overwhelmed.

It’s not even about the mess, not really. It’s the noise that comes with it. The visual clutter, the feeling that the day is still unfinished, the low-level pressure that I should be doing more when I already feel like I’ve done enough. If I’m overstimulated, the kitchen makes it obvious because it’s the busiest room in the house, and it’s also the easiest one to spiral in.

This is why I started doing a kitchen reset that is small on purpose. I’m not trying to deep clean. I’m not reorganizing cabinets. I’m not pulling out a toothbrush to scrub grout like I’m auditioning for a cleaning show. I’m trying to make the room feel calmer, and I’m trying to do it in a way that doesn’t require me to become a brand-new person with unlimited energy.

The first rule is that I pick one starting point and I stay there. For me, it’s always the sink. The sink is the emotional center of the kitchen. If the sink is full, the whole room feels heavier. If the sink is clear, everything else suddenly feels more manageable, even if it isn’t perfect.

So I start with dishes, and I do not multitask. I don’t wipe counters while the water runs. I don’t start a load of laundry while I’m waiting. I don’t get distracted by a random stack of mail and decide I’m also going to overhaul my entire life. I do the dishes until the sink is empty, and I treat that as the win.

Sometimes that means loading the dishwasher. Sometimes it means hand-washing because the dishwasher is already full and I’m not in the mood to play dish Tetris. Either way, I keep it simple. If I’m really overstimulated, I put on something in the background that’s familiar, not something I have to pay attention to. The goal is to lower the volume in my head, not add to it.

Once the sink is clear, I reset the counters, but I don’t do the thing where I try to make the kitchen look like nobody lives here. I just clear the obvious clutter. Cups go to the sink. Trash gets tossed. Food gets put away. The things that don’t belong get moved to a “later” spot, and I don’t guilt myself about it. Sometimes I literally make a small pile and tell myself, I’m not dealing with you tonight, but you’re not running my life either.

Then I wipe the counters slowly, and I mean slowly on purpose. Not frantic. Not angry-cleaning. Just wiping the surface so the room feels fresh again. I think this part matters more than people realize because it changes the feel of the space immediately, even if the rest of the house is still chaotic.

If I have it in me, I do a quick sweep, especially if the floor is crunchy, but I don’t force it. If I’m at my limit, I stop at the counters, and I let that be enough. I used to think stopping early meant I failed, but now I see it as pacing. Finishing the reset means I can repeat it tomorrow without resentment.

My favorite part is the last step, which sounds silly, but it works. I stand in the kitchen for ten seconds and I look at it. I let my brain actually register the difference. Before, it felt loud. Now it feels quieter. That moment matters because it’s proof that small effort creates relief. It reminds me that I’m not stuck, I’m just tired.

And that’s the whole point of this reset. It’s not about a spotless kitchen, it’s about giving myself a calmer landing spot in my own house. When the kitchen feels manageable, the rest of the night feels more manageable too. I can make food without feeling irritated. I can fill my water without moving piles around. I can exist in the room without my brain scanning for everything I’m “supposed” to do.

If you’re overwhelmed right now and your kitchen is making you feel worse, start with the sink. Just the sink. Let that be the win, and then see how the rest feels after.

What’s the one spot in your house that instantly tells you you’re overstimulated, the kitchen, the living room, the laundry pile, or something else?