Have you ever tried to clean your home without being in the mood for it? It probably didn’t work out too well, as you got more annoyed at the activity and as a result, the final outcome suffered. According to many specialists, home cleaning should only be attempted if you are in the right headspace.
It is easier said than done, as the empowering gift of motivation rarely flows smoothly. Yet, there are various ways to motivate yourself to do some cleaning. It is up to you to employ as many of them to get things done, without feeling like what you are doing is such a drag.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Start in the morning – this may seem like a difficult thing to do since mornings are meant to be lazy. You want to start your day gradually, slowly gaining momentum, and cleaning doesn’t quite fit in that routine. Yet, there is one obvious benefit to getting your chores in the morning: you get a sense of utter satisfaction that you have done something important and reduce the stress of it big time. Getting it out of the way quick is a great thing. - Establish a cleaning schedule – if you clean in a rather hectic manner, i.e. you do half a chore whenever you can, it is likely that you will not get much done. Establishing a cleaning schedule is good because it allows you to plan ahead and determine the best time for cleaning. It could be on the weekend, or perhaps even after coming back from work.
- Remove distractions – how can you possibly clean when you keep checking that phone of yours, chatting to friends and watching funny videos on the Internet? Even if a distraction lasts merely 10 seconds, it is more than enough to take the edge off your focus. Turn off all devices when you are cleaning, and you will be able to finish the job faster.
Forget about perfection – you are not getting your home ready for a visit by some superstar, so why are you putting all this effort into cleaning? That is not to say you should let the place become a mess, but you should not waste a lot of time on minor details either. If you are focusing too much on everything, you will lose interest in the activity. - Get a reward for your efforts – perhaps too often you invest too much into cleaning only to get no reward (other than a clean home that is). Who is to say you cannot give yourself a pat on the back after a good clean? Buy yourself a sweet treat or something else that you will get to right after cleaning. An instant motivation for your cleaning efforts!
- Get help – perhaps cleaning wouldn’t be such an issue if you had some help? Get your significant other, children or other people you share the place with to clean alongside you. You will surely feel more motivated then.
Start in the morning – this may seem like a difficult thing to do since mornings are meant to be lazy. You want to start your day gradually, slowly gaining momentum, and cleaning doesn’t quite fit in that routine. Yet, there is one obvious benefit to getting your chores in the morning: you get a sense of utter satisfaction that you have done something important and reduce the stress of it big time. Getting it out of the way quick is a great thing. 
Forget about perfection – you are not getting your home ready for a visit by some superstar, so why are you putting all this effort into cleaning? That is not to say you should let the place become a mess, but you should not waste a lot of time on minor details either. If you are focusing too much on everything, you will lose interest in the activity. These are just a few of the ways you can motivate yourself to clean. It is up to you to implement as many of them as you wish to speed up cleaning.