Do your chores tend to pile up? Do you frequently feel overwhelmed by housework? How can you view your chores differently?
In an episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel Robbins and KC Davis discuss the peaceful feeling we get when our houses are clean. However, they know that the to-do list can be daunting so they provide some mental reframing techniques.
Here’s an overview of Mel Robbins and KC Davis’ advice on changing your perspective of housework.
How to Ease the Chore Burden
In the podcast episode “What to Do When Your House Is a Mess (And You Can’t Function),” Mel Robbins and KC Davis discuss what to do when you’re overwhelmed by housework. In shifting the perception of chores, Davis proposes innovative strategies. She suggests introspection to understand why a peaceful, clutter-free environment is relaxing.
She further discusses the emotional dichotomy of tranquil public spaces in the house and anxiety-inducing private spaces like the laundry room and closet.
This dialectic approach to task management outlines new strategies for navigating household chores.
Viewing Chores as Continuous Cycles
Davis shares personal experiences to elucidate how she manages chores. For her, the aim isn’t to entirely eliminate dirty clothes but to ensure there are always clean clothes available—an innovative way to adapt to traditionally repetitive drumbeats of daily life.
Moreover, Davis introduces the concept of viewing chores as ongoing cycles rather than strictly ‘done’ or ‘not done’, implying that every state of these cycles is morally neutral. This reshaped view holds an inherent potential to ease the emotional burden of chores.
Key Strategies for Smoother Task Completion
Digging deeper into strategies that ease the burden of household chores, Davis shares the principle of ‘momentum surpasses motivation’.
This concept plays a key role in how ‘executive functions’ manage chores. Davis further provides the nuanced example of task prioritization, time management, and focus-shifting needed for something as simple as taking a shower.
A Simplified Approach to Cleanliness—The Five-Step Regimen to Tidying Spaces
Mel Robbins echoes an introduced five-step regimen for managing clutter. This regimen aims to create consistency in cleanliness habits and minimize feeling overwhelmed. The regimen revolves around five main tasks: collecting trash, gathering dishes, collecting laundry, reordering items, and grouping items without a specific location.
She asserts that sticking to these steps can encourage a consistent cleaning routine. Thus, reducing the chances of becoming overwhelmed.
Davis’ perspective adds a more nuanced understanding to the conversation. Her differentiation between deriving enjoyment from a functional space and being obsessed with perfection provides a thought-provoking point. Davis asserts that the latter might lead to unnecessary stress. She argues that being overly obsessed with perfection is not as advantageous as it might seem.
