6 Surprising Tips That Will Make You Love Housework

Housework is tedious work. It's boring and can drag on for what feels like an eternity. Sometimes, you even begin stressing out. But there's no avoiding your chores, so the only thing you can change instead, is your approach towards it. And these tiny tips can help make the daily housework routine a happier experience, in different tiny ways.

1. Break It Down

When we have a never-ending list of chores ahead of us, we groan at the thought of a long and tiring day. But that's already an incorrect approach from the start, and will do nothing but overwhelm you.

Instead, start by breaking down your tasks and prioritizing. You should split them into two components: untidy and dirty. Messes all feel the same at first glance, but when you actually take the time to break them down, you'll realize some are unhygienic and need to be cleared immediately, while other areas of the house are just plain untidy and can actually wait a little longer.

Once they're clearly separated, you'll feel less pressured to try and finish everything all at once. Because in reality, you only have to get rid of the dirty messes as soon as possible. The untidy messes can wait, and the mere thought of that will take some stress off your back.

2. Start Small

Once you've got the dirty messes out of the way, we move on to the untidy ones. Again, lumping all chores together isn't the smartest way of viewing things, so just pick one spot. Choose a room you feel the most urgency to work on, and then forget about the rest. And by that we mean don't even think or worry about them.

Just focus on that one area you've picked, and get to work. You might even become faster and more productive once you've blocked out stressful thoughts about the other rooms. And once you're done with your first room, we assure you you'll feel a strong sense of accomplishment.

Then, repeat this process if you still have time, slowly eliminating messes in each room one at a time!

3. Abandon Perfection

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You know what slows you down and adds to stress levels? Constantly setting the bar too high. We know it's hard to lower expectations when you're picturing a sparkling home at the end, but in order to feel happier about cleaning you have to let it go.

It fine to set high expectations, but try to accept results which fall a little short. As long as your home is in an acceptable state, you should give yourself a little pat on the back. Pulling away from perfection saves you from the pressure you're unknowingly putting on yourself.

4. The Reality Of Time

Firstly, from the start, make sure your cleaning schedule is realistic. We tend to underestimate how much time certain tasks really take, and then end up panicking midway when we're taking much longer than planned.

Don't do this to yourself. Set a little extra time for each task. For example, if you're clearing out an old cupboard, you never know what you might find. Old memorabilia perhaps? It'll be a fun afternoon sorting these out and reminiscing, but that definitely requires more time. But at the end of the day, you would have enjoyed the process a lot more, as compared to rushing through it.

5. Everyone Needs Breaks

We know, willing yourself to take a break amidst cleaning is tough. In your mind there's no time for rest when the clock keeps ticking. But without one your frustration is only going to grow throughout the day, and you'll find yourself easily irritated in no time.

Taking a breather every couple of hours allows you to refresh your mind, and might even increase motivation. Imagine flipping through a decor magazine during a short break, only to be inspired by it. It'll push you to barrel through the rest of your chores, this time feeling much better than before.

6. It's Meant To Be A Home

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Remember, your house is essentially a home. It's not meant to looking impressively neat all the time, especially if you've got children to pick up after. Traces of tiny messes make it look warm and lived in, which is more beautiful than a perfectly clean house.

We know it's not the easiest theory to accept, especially if you've got people coming over from time to time. But don't over obsess, and learn to love the little imperfections created by your family instead. Once you've accepted them, no comment from any guest can knock you down.