How to Clean When You Really Just Don’t Feel Like It

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Cleaning on the best days isn’t a party, but when you don’t feel well, it can be totally overwhelming. In this article you will find down to earth, useable tips and tricks to help you tidy up when you really just don’t feel like it!

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I have to be honest. The past couple of years have been really hard when it comes to keeping my home really clean.  I just haven’t felt good at all and it’s been really trying.  So I’ve tried to really figure out how to clean when you are tired.  It’s frustrating.

But there is hope.  I mean, you may not have a pottery barn level looking home and that is OK.  Because when you don’t feel good, getting to the place where you do feel good is priority number 1.

How to Clean When You are Tired

1. The first step is to give yourself a lot of compassion when you don’t feel well.

I think, as women and mothers and wives, we rarely treat ourselves with the compassion we would give those we love the most.  I know that internally, I can be a terrible bully to myself at times, saying the meanest things to myself because I think I’m not doing what I need to or should be doing.  I’ve worked really hard over the past few years to recover from that terrible habit and retrain my brain to be kind and loving towards myself.

We tell ourselves we’re lazy or stupid or say things like, “I just don’t know what’s wrong with me”, or “Why can’t I be more like [insert name here]”.

We feel like we are not enough and we beat ourselves up about it.

So when that internal meanie rears her ugly head, stop for a minute and tell yourself that it’s ok.  That you are enough. That you’re smart and kind and capable. Tell yourself that you are lovely and unique and a messy house doesn’t define who you are.

We often judge ourselves and others by how clean or messy their homes are.  I’ve come to realize that it’s important to look beyond the mess and realize that it is quite possibly a reflection of what is going on inside.  I know that when my house is crazy messy and getting really gross, that there is something deeper going on in my heart and mind and I need to check on it.

Love yourself. Everyday.

2. Chase the feeling rather than the list.

This is a big, new discovery for me!  I’m not a list maker… never have been.  In fact, if I make a list, I only see what hasn’t been done.  I can never seem to find joy in checking things off.  If you are a list lover, I envy you!

But this year, I’ve found that by chasing the good feeling of having done a task is my joy.  So now, when I think about what I need to do, rather than focusing on how long it will take, or how “hard” it’s going to be, or how much I hate doing said chore, I stop for just a moment and picture what it will feel like when I’m done.  I can immediately feel the tension release in my body, particularly my chest are. It is really all the cleaning motivation that I need.

It is really quite amazing.

3. Make a mental shift from “doing chores” to “blessing our homes”.

Cleaning is often a chore in our minds.  It’s a big, long list of tasks that we have to do. I grew up knowing that on most Saturday mornings, I would have a list of chores on the refrigerator that I had to do before I could go outside and play. The good thing was that we all did our chores together, but they were still chores and I dreaded that list!

As an adult, I like to see it as a way to bless my home, myself and my family. It’s a great way to look at the tedious tasks of mopping and dusting and cleaning toilets. If our guests are worth a clean bathroom, then surely we are too, right?

4. Just pick one thing and do it.

Now that we’re overcoming some of the mental blocks, we can take action! Start with one thing. One tiny, simple task that you can manage. Whether you are physically injured or having trouble sleeping or suffering from chronic fatigue or dealing with depression, no matter why you are dealing with this lack of motivation, you can choose something simple, first focusing on the feeling of getting it done and DO ONE THING.

Just one. Just one little thing.

  • Make your bed – Nothing calms me like walking into my room and the bed is made!  There can be clothes strewn around, books piled on the desk and laundry baskets stacked high, but if my bed is made, a sense of calm rests on my heart. If you have to lie down again, have a soft, fluffy blanket nearby and just plop down on top of your made bed. It’s OK.
  • Clean the Kitchen Sink – There is nothing like waking up in the morning to a clean, shiny sink.  Just having the dished done can really lift my mood and makes me feel like I can tackle more that day.
  • Find the nearest stack of paper and deal with it – Shred what needs to be shredded. File what needs to be filed. Trash what needs to be trashed.  Mail and circulars can pile up and create unwanted stacks of clutter on an otherwise clean surface.
  • Take a shower, fix your hair and face. I find that just taking care of myself really helps with my energy and outlook.

These are some of my “one things”.  You might have others.  Things that really, if they are done, make it easier to just live life.  Often, just getting started is the only motivation we need to keep going!

When I look around and see how much I need to do, it can be overwhelming.  I get it.  Yesterday, all I could mentally manage was cleaning my shower.  But I followed my own advice and got it done.  It wasn’t super grody, but it was time and when I was done, I felt like a million dollars.  I was proud of myself. Which leads me to my last tip =>

5. Allow yourself to celebrate the little wins!

That feeling you get when you visualize a clean house is even bigger when you actually get it done.  Take a minute to really appreciate yourself and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.  Breathe it in and dance around if you can.

It’s not only Ok, it’s important to be proud of yourself.

Because you are enough and you can do it, even if it’s just one little thing everyday.  Who knows but that one little thing might be the step that really encourages you to get the next thing done… and the next thing… and the next.

I hope these 4 cleaning tips have inspired you and helped give you some motivation to clean.

Do you have any more tips? Pop over and let’s chat in the comments of this FB post!

xoxo

Gwen

pink couch with black and white rug

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