There are few things that can thrill and terrify you both at the same time like people coming over to your house. Even if you’re someone who loves to host (*waves hand*), knowing that people are going to be at your house within 24 hours can truly cure your house blindness, and suddenly you’re scrubbing the front of your filthy dishwasher.

House blindness isn’t exactly a diagnosis, but it’s something all of us suffer from — and in different ways, depending on the situation.

House Blindness When It Comes To Cleanliness

House blindness isn’t exactly what it sounds like, but it’s close. It’s an internet-coined term that references the feeling of not noticing things about your house until something shines a light on it, like people coming over. Scuff marks on your door, smudges on the windows, stray socks under the ottoman — these are all small parts of your house that you can get used to over time and suddenly become “blind” to. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with those things (houses are meant to be lived in), but there are a lot of TikToks and Instagram reels on the chaotic feeling of having your house blindness “lifted” and seeing your home as if you’re a stranger walking in through the door.

For me, this is when I suddenly see the half-finished painting I did in the upstairs hall roughly… four years ago. It feels baffling to say out loud, but it’s one of those unfinished projects that I’ve become completely blind to until it’s time to have people over, and then I’m in a full-blown panic trying to paint within 12 hours.

But this kind of house blindness is also popular in circles where conversations about ADHD take place. It may not be that you’re OK with a mess in your home, but much like time blindness, it’s something your brain has not quite figured out how to deal with or pick up on. So, in an effort to save energy, your brain is basically rewired not to notice the teetering pile of trash on an already full can. Your house blindness gives you the ability to live without anxiety or overwhelm, but it can also make things harder to function with as it takes something happening — like a holiday gathering or deciding to go on a cleaning spree — before you notice.

House Blindness When It Comes To Decorating

House blindness can also be used to reference home decor and design. All over TikTok, there are videos of people asking commenters to weigh in on what their “house blindness” is as they try to portray a certain vibe or trend in their home. Like if they want a traditional home or a coastal grandma vibe, but something seems off with it. What’s their house blindness? What are they not seeing because they live with it and are in it every single day? What could they add or take away from their home that would give them the vibe they want?

No matter what kind of house blindness you have (or are suddenly realizing you have), it’s completely normal. Living in your surroundings and working, cooking, sleeping, and playing in them daily makes it easy to become blind to everything around you. Stains can build up slowly over time. Or maybe you never got around to hanging curtains, and even though it felt like something you needed ASAP when you first moved in, you’re now totally used to not having them up.

The trick is to figure out how your house blindness affects you, if at all. And then start from there. Best case scenario: invite friends over. Tell them to come tomorrow afternoon, and then watch how quickly your house blindness fades. Nothing like a “company is coming” clean to really reset your brain.