Tips for moms who feel overwhelmed with housework
Are you a mom who is overwhelmed with housework? Do you feel like no matter what you do or how hard you try you just can’t stay on top of the housework? Mom, you are not alone!
Lots of moms (whether working or not) struggle with this problem, however, things don’t have to remain this way. It’s possible to stop feeling overwhelmed with housework. Learn how not to be overwhelmed by housework.
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1. IDENTIFY THE REASON OR REASONS YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED
Yes, I know this one sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? You are overwhelmed because you have too much to do and not enough time to do it.
In lots of ways, this is true. But in most cases, there are some underlying reasons that you need to identify. So, I want you to really dig in and assess your housekeeping problem. See if you can pinpoint the things that make housework overwhelming for you.
If you are a working mom overwhelmed by housework, a good place to start is to look at how you manage your time. I guess this applies to all moms too. Once you can identify why housework is overwhelming, then you can come up with a plan to tackle things.
To get things moving, here are some common reasons many moms are feeling overwhelmed by housework.
- Some moms don’t enjoy housework, so that makes it overwhelming for them.
- Letting things pile up until it becomes overwhelming.
- Poor time management leaving you with too many things to do at the same time.
- Lack of support or domestic help.
- Unrealistic expectations or a too-high standard.
- Disorganization. Too disorganized to create a plan or stick with a cleaning schedule.
- Juggling too many responsibilities at the same time.
- Not asking for help.
There are plenty of other reasons why someone can become overwhelmed with housework, but in my experience, the reasons I listed above are the most common. For instance, whenever I feel overwhelmed, it’s usually because of one or more of these reasons.
So, take an honest look at yourself and your situation and see if you can identify what makes housework so stressful for you.
2. COME UP WITH SOME PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
Before I share some tips to help you deal with the problem, I want to give you a chance to come up with some of your own solutions.
Based on the reason or reasons you identified, what do you think will make housework less stressful or overwhelming for you?
Since I don’t know the real or main reason why you are overwhelmed by housework, I can only offer general tips. However, from my experience, I find that most people do better with personalized tips or advice that’s tailored to their circumstances.
So, before we move on, try to come up with some solutions of your own. For example, if you are a working mom overwhelmed by housework, will you feel less overwhelmed if you had more help or outsourced a few things?
Will you feel less overwhelmed if you became more organized? Will a cleaning or housework schedule help? Or, do you need to lower your expectations?
As you can see, these are all practical solutions to the problem. So, grab a piece of paper and a pen, write down some practical things you can do to make housework less demanding or overwhelming for you.
3. OVERWHELMED WITH HOUSEWORK- PLAN YOUR DAY AND HOUSEWORK IN A SMARTER WAY
One of the most common reasons many moms feel overwhelmed with housework is that they allow things to pile up before they try to tackle them.
Now, I get it. As a busy mom, there are times when you don’t have time for housework because there are more important or urgent things that need your attention. However, sooner or later, the housework is going to need your attention, and if you have allowed things to pile up, it can become overwhelming.
So, one way to prevent this is to plan your day and housework in a smarter way. Below are some strategies you can use to make your day and housework better.
- Change some habits that are affecting your productivity. For example, procrastination.
- Use your time wisely. Learn to prioritize your tasks.
- Become more efficient. Get better at multitasking.
- Plan each day or week ahead of time.
Yes, these are all things you have heard multiple times. That’s because they work if you do them. So, think of how you can plan your housework in a smarter way, so you can stop feeling overwhelmed by housework.
4. BREAK UP YOUR TASKS
Is housework overwhelming because of how much work you have to do? If you answered yes, then the solution is to break them down into manageable chunks.
The best way to do that is to use some kind of schedule. For example, a housework/chores schedule or a cleaning schedule. Here is an example of how this might look.
Mondays: Vacuum the bedrooms, pick up and tidy rooms.
Tuesdays: Do two loads of laundry.
Wednesdays: Vacuum and tidy up the living room.
Thursday: Clean the bathrooms, mop floors.
Friday: Meal prep, do one or two loads of laundry.
Now, if you look at this list or schedule, it doesn’t look too overwhelming, does it?
Breaking up your tasks is an easy way to stop feeling overwhelmed with housework. Now, your turn. Make a list of all the housework you need to do, then break them down just like I did.
5. DO SOME HOUSEWORK OR LIGHT CLEANING EVERY DAY
Along the same lines as above, you can stay on top of housework if you get into the habit of doing some housework or light cleaning every day.
No matter how busy you are, you can find 10 or 20 minutes each day you can spend on some light cleaning. Don’t underestimate how much daily cleaning can improve your circumstances.
Instead of feeling like you are under so much pressure, a little light cleaning a day will make you feel like you have got everything under control. Below are some easy tasks or housework you can do every day without too much thought.
- Wash dishes or load the dishwasher
- Clean the countertops
- Pick up after you
- Rinse/wash the bath after use
- Load the washing machine or put clothes in the dryer
- Order grocery online
- Assign chores to kids
- Light decluttering. Think papers and junk mails
- Fold clothes while doing something else
- Wipe the microwave or stove
- Clear or clean out the refrigerator
- Mop or clean kitchen floor
I always have a pack of cleaning wipes handy. So, wiping down countertops, cupboards, etc, is always a breeze and doesn’t take me any time at all. The same goes for the kitchen floor. Even if I can’t mop the floor, I use floor cleaning wipes to get rid of messes or visible stains. It takes me less than 5 minutes to get the floor cleaned. However, I try to sweep and mop the kitchen floor at least twice a week.
Of course, I still have to schedule a time to do some proper or deep cleaning, but this way, I hardly ever feel overwhelmed or feel like my home is a wreck.
So, what light cleaning can you do every day?
6. GET SOME HELP
If you are truly swamped and there’s no way for you to get or stay on top of housework, the next logical thing to do is to get or ask for help.
I know there are lots of moms who feel like they need to do everything themselves. I used to be that way, but I learned the hard way that it only leads to burnout. So, now I try to get as much help as I can.
As a single mom, that means assigning chores to my kids and getting the occasional help from professional cleaners.
How much help you need depends on how much work you have to do and how busy you are. If you really don’t have the time for housework, then you are going to need a lot of help.
Start by tapping into the support or help that’s available in your home. For example, can you assign chores or more chores to your kids? If you are married, can your spouse take on more responsibility?
If after all this, you still feel overwhelmed, then it might be time to get some outside help.
Perhaps, you can get someone to clean and organize your home biweekly or whatever works for you and your family. If you struggle with cooking or coming up with dinner ideas, you can use a meal planning service to make things easy. Check out the post below for some ideas.
Best Meal Planning Service: Our Top 10 Recommended Picks
As you can see, asking and getting help is a good way to stop feeling overwhelmed. If you think that’s an ideal solution for you, you should definitely look into it.
When you delegate or outsource some tasks, it frees you to do other things, and that takes away some of the stress of being a busy mom.
7. GETTING ORGANIZED CAN HELP WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED BY HOUSEWORK
Yes, it is true. Getting organized can make life a lot easier and less overwhelming.
Housework won’t feel so daunting if your home is reasonably organized, and you know you don’t have to spend the whole day putting your home in order.
If your home is very messy and the thought of cleaning or organizing makes you want to run for the hills, you can call in a professional organizer or cleaner to help you out. If you can’t afford professional help or you want to take up the challenge yourself, check out How to Start Cleaning a Messy House.
Getting organized is one of the best things I have done for myself. Now, let me say that the process takes time but it’s worth it once it’s done. It begins with your mindset and how much you want your life under control.
If you decide getting organized is the way to go, here are a few things you can do to begin the process.
- Start with easy stuff to gain some momentum.
- Begin with decluttering the things you can see. For example, junk mails and other papers, empty boxes or containers, stuff on the counter, table, desk, or nightstand.
- Get rid of broken items or things that can’t be fixed.
- Stop bringing more stuff home.
- Don’t replace stuff you got rid off (at least not immediately)
Decluttering is hands down the best way to get organized and to stop feeling overwhelmed by housework. You may not realize it, but having too much stuff is overwhelming. While you don’t have to go crazy or be a minimalist (nothing wrong with that), you can drastically reduce how much stuff you own.
Yes, that includes, clothes, toys, shoes, bags, and even books. Get into the habit of purging every once in a while, having a home or place for everything, and putting things back where they belong. These are all easy and simple things, but they can make a lot of difference to your health and total wellbeing.
8. INVEST IN SOME TIME-SAVING GADGETS AND AUTOMATE WHATEVER YOU CAN
Want to stop feeling overwhelmed with housework? Invest in some time-saving gadgets or utensils, and automate as many tasks as you can.
Yes, some of this is going to cost you some extra money, but focus on the benefits and not the cost. It sucks to feel overwhelmed or out of control, so anything you can do to stay on top of housework is fair game.
Thanks to technology, it’s easy to manage life and free up some time for rest and leisure.
Below are a few household tasks you can automate:
- Bill paying
- Grocery shopping or use Amazon Subscribe and Save to shop and schedule regular deliveries.
- Schedule appointments and set up remiders with Google calendar
And here are some time-saving gadgets you could invest in.
- For cooking, instant pot, slow cooker or a rice cooker
- Self-cleaning humidifiers
- Robot vacuum
- Self-cleaning ovens
And lots more! There are lots of time-saving gadgets out there. It all depends on what you are willing to invest in.
Final thoughts on how to stop feeling overwhelmed by housework
Whether you are a working mom or stay at home mom, you never seem to have enough time to get things done. If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed with housework, I believe the tips in this post will come in handy.
Choose whichever one is relevant to you and apply it. Remember, to be patient. It takes a while to make changes or get into a groove. But, as long as you are consistent and determined, in no time, you will be on top of housework.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with housework? What do you think you can do to change that?
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