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There are always times when you know that you need to clean the mess around you, but you choose not to because you are not feeling motivated enough. And instead, you choose to do things that provide instant gratification.
If that sounds like you, then you’re not the only one, nor is there anything wrong with you because, as humans, that’s how our brain works. It always chooses to do things that provide instant gratification and avoid things that are not-so-pleasant.
In today’s post, we’ll talk about how to get motivated to clean when overwhelmed by mess.
1) Start Small.
First thing first, when you are already feeling like doing nothing, it’s important not to overwhelm yourself with unlimited tasks all at the same time. Rather you can try to start small and with a place that doesn’t need much work.
This way, you will finish cleaning sooner and get some motivation to keep going.
2) Make a list to declutter
Before you start cleaning, you may want to create a list to get some clarity in mind and make the process easier for you.
For example, if you have guests coming over, you may want to start cleaning with entryways and choose areas that are important from the guest perspective (such as the hall, lounge, and kitchen), and then IF you think you have more time, you can clean the rest of the house.
3) Take outside help
Asking for outside help is not a bad idea at all. If you think your house needs cleaning that is overwhelming for you and will take a lot of time, you can always call one of your friends to ask if she has free time & would love to help you out.
Bonus points- cleaning won’t feel lonely anymore.
4) Make Cleaning Interesting
Do you know the most common reason that leads to putting off tasks? It’s that you find it boring and whenever you think about it you don’t get any excitement about it (we will talk about how to get excited about a task if you don’t find the process interesting in a moment) But here are some ways that can help you make cleaning more interesting so you can stop procrastinating and get motivated to work.
Here are a few ways to help you make cleaning interesting:
- Find inspiration (on TikTok, youtube)
- Order new supplies if you need them.
- Play music to freshen up your mood.
- Take help so you won’t feel lonely.
- Put your headphones on, tune in to your favorite motivational podcast.
5) How to get motivated to clean by focusing on one thing at a time
This one especially needs to be considered if you are a multitasker. I found that I almost always tend to work better when I focus on only one task at a time.
If you are cleaning your rooms, you want to avoid cleaning the wardrobe and drawers and only consider cleaning them once you’re done with the rooms.
6) Reward Yourself
Wondering how to get motivated to clean? Try treating yourself when you completed a job. If not, it’s important to celebrate your little accomplishments. It sends positive signals to the brain, and when you start to do it more often, it also helps with positivity.
And we often never get excited about such tasks because deep inside, we know that we won’t get anything in return no matter how hard we work, and one of the best ways to get excited about something is by rewarding yourself the right way.
However, you don’t want to do something that doesn’t align with your goals. If you are trying to save funds, you don’t want to buy an expensive vacuum cleaner right away.
Check out how you can reward yourself the right way (with examples).
How to create a schedule to prevent becoming overwhelmed again?
We all get overwhelmed by the mess at times, but isn’t it a better idea to prevent this overwhelm by creating a schedule, so you don’t have to work like crazy in order to clean that mess again?
It’s easier to do a few small tasks in a day than bombard yourself with a ton of tasks at once.
You can always create your own cleaning routine that will be specific to you.
Here are some ideas that you might find useful.
- If you are living with your partner and/or kids, you can ask them to do simple cleaning on their own, like putting their stuff in their place, so you don’t have to roam around the house and perform tasks all day long.
- If you live alone, you can do small cleaning/decluttering every week or every other week (again, it highly depends on what your schedule looks like).
- Keep a decluttering list handy so you can do cleaning step by step and won’t forget any area.
Looking for other cleaning and organization tips? Check out these organization and housekeeping posts.
About the author – Disha is a personal development enthusiast and creator of stunning new life blog where she shares all her life experiences and provides ideas and helpful info on mindset and lifestyle-related topics so you can live your life to the fullest.
