Chores and errands can often feel draining, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, they can actually be something you look forward to with the right change of perspective. Here are three ways you can make everyday tasks less daunting and more enjoyable.
1. Update Your Task Tech
Technology has infused every aspect of modern life, and chores are no exception. Myriad technologies have been developed to make doing chores simpler, easier, and more enjoyable than ever before.
Cooking, for example, is something you likely need to do multiple times every day. From grocery shopping to preparing ingredients to the actual cooking itself, it can take hours just to make a meal. And if you’ve never made a certain dish before, then it can take even longer. That’s a lot of time spent on just one activity.
Now there are services that supply you with the ingredients and instructions for entire meals, delivered right to your door. Everything is simplified to the point it’s actually fun! Meal prep has also been improved with tools like complex multislicers. They allow you to slice, dice, cut, and spiral ingredients into whatever shapes or sizes suit your fancy.
Laundry is another chore that demands a lot of time. It can take hours to wash, fold, and put away everything. But there’s tech nowadays even for laundry, from small timesavers to crazy contraptions. Toss laundry pods into the wash instead of having to measure out detergent from drippy jugs. Or you can go big and even get a machine that actually folds your laundry for you!
Almost every major chore has had some new technology created for it. With a little research, you’re sure to find something that will suit your needs and lifestyle.
2. Level Up Your Experience
A great way to generate personal excitement from doing chores is to reinforce the satisfying feeling of accomplishing them. You can do this by “gamifying” your tasks.
Gamification is the process of creating and adding game mechanics to a non-game environment, thereby generating rewarding feedback loops. The human brain loves to be rewarded for a job well done, so gamification can be relatively simple to implement. Start by identifying discrete tasks and then attributing checkpoints and rewards to the completion of those tasks.
First identify a chore you want to gamify — like doing the dishes, for example. Second, break the chore up into constituent parts: washing, drying, and putting away. Finally, identify the kind of rewards you want to implement and when.
You could reward yourself with a small treat for each action you complete. Alternatively, you could watch an episode of your favorite show once you’re all done. Just remember it’s important to hold out for the reward until you’ve actually completed your objective.
Some chores have a natural sequence, as in the dishes example. Others, like cleaning up your room, may seem more daunting if you don’t know where to start. No matter what chore you want to gamify, begin by breaking it into parts. Eventually, you’ll train your brain to actually look forward to doing chores because of the expected reward at the end. Imagine getting excited about cleaning your room!
3. Seize the Opportunity to Socialize
People are busier than ever before, and it can be hard to find time to connect with family and friends. Although it might not seem like it at first, chores can actually be a great time to connect. This is because chores often consist of fairly repetitive actions that don’t need a great deal of attention to complete. So why not call and catch up with your friend while you’re just folding clothes anyway?
Better yet, why not invite a friend or family member over to do chores together? Like the barn-raisings and quilting bees of yesteryear, completing tasks together can actually be a great way to bond. You might each fold a load of laundry while watching an episode of that binge-worthy new series. Or your friend can bring over their computer and you can both get some work done while sharing time together.
Don’t live near your friends or family? Set up a Zoom call and place your camera in a central area of the room you’re in. This might not work for every chore — they’re unlikely to want to watch your backside as you scrub the tub, after all. But you can certainly have a nice chat as you organize your linen closet.
If your schedules don’t overlap and you can’t reach someone live, you can still leave audio penpal messages. Many connection platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger let you record audio files and send them for later. This is especially great for people who may have friends around the world.
Turning chores into a social activity can make them feel much more enjoyable. So plug in your headphones and say hello to those you love.
Change Your Perspective to Change Your Life
Chores and errands can often be irritating and even frustrating realities of daily life. But thankfully, they don’t have to be.
Tons of new technologies have been and are still being developed to increase the ease and enjoyment of regular tasks. Gamification can make doing chores so fun that you may even start looking forward to them! And by reaching out to friends and family, you can create new windows of time to connect. By changing your perspective on chores, they can actually become an enjoyable part of your life.
