You Can Learn to Love It

I love to clean.  I know.  I know.  I'm crazy, right?  Many people have told me that.  But let me explain myself.  The same reasons I love to clean are the same reasons people love to exercise, read or craft.

Why do people exercise?  To burn calories, tone muscle, improve their health, clear their head, relax and unwind.  I get these same benefits from cleaning everyday.

Why do people read?  To clear their head, relax, escape reality, exercise their mind.  Yup, cleaning does all of this for me.

Why do people craft?  To see a completed project, feel accomplished, relax, clear their head, express themselves.  Yeah, cleaning has these benefits too.

I believe that, with the right spin, we can begin to enjoy every activity.  I'm sure you've all heard the story about a poor student who is punished by staying after school to lick envelopes and the teacher tells him to make it a game.  "See how many you can lick in an hour, then try to beat that record."  It's all a matter of changing our mindset  Giving ourselves something to strive for and seeing positive results in the end will motivate a person to do anything.

Next time you have a cleaning chore that really needs to be accomplished but you just hate doing it, ponder:

• How many calories are you burning?  Vacuuming burns 238 calories per hour.  Making the bed burns 136 calories per hour.  Cleaning the toilet and bathroom sink burns 170 calories per hour.  Compare it to how many calories are in that delicious chocolate cupcake you are dying to have but feel guilty about consuming.  Then you'll want to tackle that chore enough times to eat that cupcake guilt-free!

• What can I do to turn it into an intense muscle routine?  When you are dusting, tighten your abs.  When you are vacuuming, hold your baby (or some heavy books) in your free arm.  When you are doing the dishes, do some Kegels (yes, they burn calories too!).

• How can I relax and escape the chaos of the day?  There is always the advice of seven wise little men:  "Whistle while you work."  Not enough for you?  Try turning each chore into something you look forward to.  Only light your favorite scented candles when you have to fold laundry.  Only play your favorite CD when you are sweeping.  Only sip your favorite tea when you are ironing.

• How can I use my mind instead of turning into a mopping-drone?  Get creative!  Especially if you really hate to clean.  Constantly think of ways to work smarter, not harder.  Hate walking all the way to the laundry room to get the supplies you need?  Try to figure out a creative way to stash the supplies in the most convenient places (hooks inside cupboards, secret compartments inside baseboards, bins under couches).  Hate spending money on the easy cleaning products?  Try to find a way to make cheap products easier (pre-making homemade products, pre-measuring bulk items, adding baking soda to vinegar to cut out serious elbow grease).  Everything in life can be improved, you just need to exercise your mind!

• How can I feel accomplished when cleaning can seem so daunting?  Set a timer for five or ten minutes.  This has a two-fold effect.  First, you know you only have to clean for a few minutes a day and yet you still see a dent in your work (whether a load of laundry is put away or a ceiling fan is dust-free).  Think task-oriented, not big picture.  The big picture will come together later.  Also, you will start to realize that the tasks you hate the most only really take a couple of minutes.  When you know something will only take you three minutes, it suddenly seems silly to put it off.

Everything in life becomes fun if you want it to be.  I think the happiest people in the world are the ones who take anything they are given and learn to love it, rather than the ones who seek to obtain only what they love.  We all have to clean at some point and in some capacity, so why not learn to love it?  It will make you happier in the end, and you'll have a comfortable, cozy home that you will be proud to inhabit.  It's a win-win!