There are three things I do every single day – even when it’s absolutely insane. I called these my homemaking anchor tasks. These are things I do so that whenever it’s crazy, I don’t feel overwhelmed and I don’t feel like I’m behind. And once things slow down, I’m able to pick back up the pieces and continue on with life.
These three homemaking “anchor tasks” are certainly not rocket science. Some of you might even think it’s a waste of a post to write about this. But I feel like its worth sharing because on busy days, these tasks keep me afloat, y’all.
In no particular order, here are my homemaking anchor tasks:
- I always, always make the beds. I know some people think making the bed is unnecessary – but your home feels somewhat put together when the beds are made. Unmade beds just frazzle me! They feel unkept and like I don’t have my act together. Making the beds each morning helps me not lose my sanity. I feel an instant calm knowing that task is done. Even if your room is messy – a completely made bed completely changes the feeling of the room. Not to mention making your bed sets the tone for your day!
- I always do (at least) one load of laundry a day. When you have a full schedule and lots going on, you say, “Oh, I’ll just do a load when I’m not busy.” Then somehow while you’re not looking, the laundry just multiples. And before you know it you’ve got Mount Laundry-more. If you do one load a day – you’ll never get overwhelmed with! Usually what happens is that after I put the kids to sleep, I go and start a load of laundry. In the morning when I wake up I will put it in the dryer to fold later that afternoon. People ask if it gets stinky – NEVER. If it does, maybe you need to deep clean your washing machine.
- Do a load of dishes. Don’t leave your dirty dishes in the sink! The principle here is the same as making your bed and doing a load of laundry. If you come into a kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes you will instantly feel behind! And like the laundry, it multiplies if you leave it – and before you know it, you have a volcano of dishes erupting in your sink. Always take care of your dirty dishes right away, while they are still manageable! Put them in the dishwasher right away. Don’t let things pile up – it leads to a feeling of defeat in the home!
Like I said, these three homemaking anchor tasks are very simple.
And I know that some of y’all might be rolling your eyes at my list. But don’t belittle these tasks! They could be just the anchors you need in your homemaking routine! No, it’s not rocket science. But SPOILER ALERT: I am NOT a rocket scientist. I like to make things easier for myself, not harder.
Maybe these are the three anchor tasks you need in your homemaking routine – but maybe they are not. For some of you, it might something else like sweeping the floor or picking up the living room. Just give it some thought and figure what homemaking tasks can help anchor your day so you’ll avoid overwhelm, remove some chaos, and bring back some peace and calm in your day. No one should be overwhelmed in their own home, y’all!
What are your homemaking anchor tasks?
Make the bed…even in a messy room if the bed is made it doesn’t look as messy. I clean up my dishes as I go, at the end of my time in the kitchen, the rest of the clean up doesn’t take long. Since my children are grown I only have to do laundry once a week…thank God. I did have years of Mount St. Laundry where I did 2-3 loads everyday.
Great article Stacy, thanks for sharing this.
This is by far some of the very best homemaking advice I have read for quite some time.
My thing is to clean my bathroom every day after my shower. I’ve heard that if you can clean your bathroom every morning, you can do anything (and have the whole rest of the day to do it). There’s just something about having a clean bathroom that makes me feel good. Great tips, keep em coming!
Took me a while lotta years to learn but having a few things that you do every single day does indeed make your house appear to be cleaner than it actually is sometimes, lol! And it contributes to a better emotional state for me (I battle with depression). So, I make the bed every morning, clean the tub, toilet and sink after bathing in the evening, make refrigerator oatmeal for the next morning, set up the coffee maker for the next morning, wash any dishes left in the kitchen so the sink is empty and clean and tidy up the living room. I’m so very, very NOT a morning person so having breakfast and coffee set up the night before helps. Walking out into a reasonably neat environment helps and I’m more inclined to tackle other projects when I don’t have the detritus from the previous day starting me in the face first thing in the morning.
Thanks, this is just what I needed to read today. We moved this summer and I am feeling very overwhelmed. I still have a garage full of packed boxes! So much to do that I can’t focus on anything, so nothing gets done. I do think I will add to your list:
4. Unpack one box. And 5. Sweep. We have ceramic tile floors and four dogs. If we don’t sweep every day the dog hair multiplies in the corners even faster than laundry and dishes!
I do those 3 things too. My mother always said” Do the dishes and make your bed. It will look like you cleaned all day!” I also do a load of laundry because if I don’t, it will “breed” into 5 loads. Love your blog.
Yes, I completely agree! I start my laundry load first thing in the morning, & not every day (same days each week, though, because it fits my schedule well, but same idea. I feel (& know) I’ve accomplished something for the day if I do these things. About making the beds, McRaven has a bestselling book called Make Your Bed! I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard good things about it. & with a title like that, he’s a wise man 😉
Stacy I love your top 3! No eye rolling going on here! There have been whole sermons preached on the virtues of bed making in the morning.
Thank you for sharing this. We’ve been doing this for a while so that I feel like something is getting done even when everything is amok. Our 3 tasks: make the bed, do the dishes, and wipe down the bathroom counter & mirror. Sometimes its the little things that make us feel like we can handle our day.
I set up a load in the washer each night; detergent, dirty clothes, close the lid and walk away. When I get up in the morning, I just pull the dial to start it and my first task is already under way.
By the one my boys are up and have finished breakfast, the load is done and I have one of them move it to the dryer and start it.
Such a small, simple thing to do but it really starts my day off well.
I never really thought about it before but you are so right, I also never roll my eyes at you because your wisdom and opinion matter. I don’t do a load of laundry everyday if there are only 3 of us so not as much clothes. But I do make my bed, it just looks so good, not cluttered and inviting when it’s time to climb in!! I also don’t leave dishes, I hate to reach into pots or pans with cold greasy water ~ yuck!! For myself I exercise everyday, I started this year and it’s been amazing and I am 45 pounds lighter which makes everything better. Also I must shower, I am energized and ready for my day. Without it I feel like I am always dragging behind. Thanks for your blog today, helped me realize my basics, my foundation helps me everyday!! Enjoy your weekend!!
Congratulations for embracing a very fruitful good habit -45 lb! Well done Carolyn!