I have two kids, two cats, and a husband, and we both have full-time jobs. My house has gone from lived in, to complete chaos and clutter. I try to remind myself that one day I’ll miss the mess and embrace it, but managing the chaos at home is also important.
Right now, I work from home most of the week, and I’m so tired of looking at the mess. But I’m also too exhausted to spend every night cleaning. I’m trying to work on staying on top of the clutter and cleaning. Here are some things I do to tackle household chores.
Never leave a room empty-handed
I feel like I clean off the dining room just to pile stuff up on my desk. Then I have to move that same stuff later. Instead, I now try to always pick up a few things when I leave a room and put them away immediately. If you’re leaving the living room to go to the kitchen, look around you and bring any kitchen items with you. This simple change has helped in managing the chaos in our house.
20-minute rule to managing the chaos
I set a timer a few times a day to do a 15 or 20-minute reset. I use this time to tackle little things throughout the day so my end-of-the-night routine doesn’t become too much of an undertaking. Use 20 minutes each day instead of scrolling on your phone, to tidy up and declutter the house and it will make a world of difference.
What will your future self thank you for?
What can you do now so that future you will be happy? Will I be happy in the morning now that I packed the daycare bags the night before? Yes. Will post-bedtime struggles me be pleased that I already changed over the laundry before dinner? Yes. It’s like finding money in an old purse, you’ll forget you did it, but you are much happier when you find it already taken care of.
