Cleaning your place can feel a lot like going to the gym.
How are we supposed to find cleaning motivation after a 12-hour workday or when trying to binge a 10-season series on Netflix?
Studies show that the brain can see too many visual stimulants as too many distractions. The brain has a harder time finding a place to start, making us an easy target for the monster we know as procrastination.
Looking at one big cluttered space can be overwhelming and leave you exhausted before even grabbing the cleaning supplies from the cabinet, so we’ve helped you out.
Here are 5 tips for motivating yourself to clean up.
1. Tackle One Task
Instead of deciding to clean the entire house, choose one room to work on or one task to complete for the day.
Deep cleaning your bathroom is hard enough without tackling the kids’ rooms.
Try doing laundry one day, cleaning the kitchen the next, then finally tackling the bedroom and living room another day.
If consistent, motivation to clean should increase as you see progress.
2. Pencil It In
Schedule a time or day to clean your space. Block out time and commit to cleaning without the distraction of friends or phones or whichever movie you’ve already seen 14 times. This can also aid in combating procrastination.
When looking at your calendar throughout the week and Saturday has “clean that house” on the agenda, it’s easier to decline other activities and stick to the plan. When I can’t get motivated to clean my house, this helps to create a healthy sense of urgency.
3. Headphones In, Distractions Out
Listening to music, an audiobook or podcast can provide an entertaining element while cleaning so it doesn’t seem so treacherous. You can focus on the music or topic that holds your interest and by the time the podcast is over, your bathroom is spotless and you’ve moved on to the next task.
4. Reward Yourself
Create a reward for yourself. Make plans to go somewhere or do something to celebrate yourself when you’ve accomplished a task that you normally dread.
When you don’t know how to motivate yourself to clean those dusty window tracks, tell yourself that you are only allowed to go to lunch with friends if that room is clean.
Positive reinforcement can be a great motivator.
5. Visualize Your Clean Space
Create a mental picture of your clutter-free space.
Lighting that favorite candle or plopping on the couch after a long day in your tidy living room is beyond satisfying. There’s a sense of accomplishment attached to it.
Imagine yourself enjoying the results.
Let Us Help You Find Your Cleaning Motivation
The truth is that cleaning motivation just isn’t as common as we’d like it to be, but a clean space has more benefits than we give credit for. A clutter-free space makes it easier to make decisions, reduces stress and allows the mind to focus during other activities that might take place.
Contact us today for help on keeping your space clean.
