Ever feel like your emotions are dustier than your baseboards? You’re not alone.

In I Was Going to Clean, But Then I Had Feelings, author Annie Rowen offers a hilarious and heartfelt permission slip to put down the mop and pick up some grace. Part cozy confessional, part self-help pep talk, this book is for anyone who’s ever cried into a roll of toilet paper, felt overwhelmed by expectations, or simply chosen rest over a perfectly folded towel.

With chapter titles like The Dust Bunnies Understand Me, Mood-Swing Mopping and Other Lies, and Febreze Doesn’t Fix Feelings (But It Tries), Annie walks readers through the emotional clutter we carry—and how to lovingly declutter the lies that say we have to “hold it all together.”

Through vulnerable stories, soulful reflections, and laugh-out-loud metaphors, you’ll learn to:

• Declutter your expectations (not just your closet)

• Stop apologizing for the mess—inside and out

• Choose peace over polish

• Rest like it’s your job (because it is)

Whether you’re knee-deep in laundry or just emotionally exhausted, this book is a cozy companion for anyone who wants to live fully in their very real, very lived-in life.

• You crave humor with your healing

• You’re tired of hustle culture and glittery perfection

• You’ve ever cried in your bathroom and needed someone to say, “Same”

• You want light-hearted self-help that feels like a best friend in fuzzy socks

So take a breath, skip the vacuuming, and settle in—because sometimes the bravest thing you can do… is feel.