Get Motivated to Clean a Messy House
We won’t try to persuade you that cleaning a messy house is enjoyable. Unless you’re a hyper-organized person who enjoys alphabetizing your bookshelves, a tedious to-do list is the polar opposite of a good time. Unfortunately, we are all responsible for cleaning up after ourselves. To make it less painful, professional cleaners compiled a list of methods that will almost certainly fool you into cleaning your house. From “lifehacks” that allow you to bypass the portion of your brain that likes to delay to time-saving strategies, these shortcuts are what some of us need to maintain our houses in a semi-livable state.
Divide it into smaller jobs.
According to 2015 research, breaking down a large activity into smaller sections is one method to overcome procrastination. This is because merely finishing a task, no matter how small, may be psychologically satisfying.
So, break down the Wellington cleaners process task into easy steps: One day, buy cleaning materials; the following day, sweep the living room floor; the next day, clean the kitchen countertops; and so on. You’ll be more likely to complete the project this way than if you plan to do it in a single afternoon.
Remove the impediments to remaining clean.
Sometimes you’ll be excited to clean; other times, you won’t. It’s how humans are motivated.
In a 2012 lecture, psychologist BJ Fogg emphasized that while you are driven to clean, you should do everything possible to simplify cleaning when you are not motivated.
For example, if you are motivated, buy cleaning tools, unpack them, and place the broom and dustpan beside your bed. That way, when you get home from work, you must take the Wellington Cleaners products before you start.
Set a 10-minute timer.
Redditors support this tip. One person said this: “I set a 10-minute timer and see how much I can get done in that period. It usually motivates me to keep going after the timer goes off, but even if it doesn’t, at least I accomplished something.”
According to procrastination specialist Timothy A. Pychyl, “make a bargain with yourself” that even if you don’t like performing the work, you’ll do it for 10 minutes regardless. It will be less tempting to leave if you’ve made some progress.
So clean half the room or sort through one stack of papers to discover what’s garbage. You could feel so good about yourself that you keep going for another hour.
Remember that you don’t have to clean if you don’t want to
In a 2014 Harvard Business Review article, psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson quotes Oliver Burkeman’s book “The Antidote” for advice.
“Who says you have to wait till you’re ‘feeling like’ doing something before you start doing it?” Burkeman wonders.
In other words, Halvorson adds, you don’t need to be motivated or devoted to Wellington cleaners — though it would be good if you were. You must do the task.
Recognize that it is OK to delegate your duties.
You may believe hiring Wellington cleaners for you is inconvenient or ineffective. Try it once and see how you like it.
Jacqui Kenyon of Business Insider talked about sending her laundry to a wash-and-fold service in 2015 since it’s not much more expensive than doing it oneself and saves time and energy.
Finally, if you want a clean flat and know you’ll never prioritize cleaning overworking or socializing, this could be the best solution.
Make use of if-then planning.
Halvorson discusses “if-then planning” and why it works in the same Harvard Business Review piece. Instead of attempting to muster the resolve to sweep twice a week, you give yourself explicit instructions on where and when you will sweep.
“If it’s noon on Sunday, I’ll bring out the broom and sweep the living room,” for example.
Consider if you need to clean right now.
For all of the advantages of keeping your home neat, there are more effective ways to spend your time and energy.
According to behavioral scientist and “Happiness by Design” author Paul Dolan, examining whether a clean environment makes you happier is vital.
