We have all experienced it, especially this past year or two, that sense of being overwhelmed. There are too many things to do and not enough time, and let’s be honest, most of us need more energy to meet the demands of our real life. When it comes to cleaning while you are overwhelmed, the physical activity of cleaning and the sight of a clean house can help you feel better, while having a messy house can worsen your mood.
However, when you aren’t sleeping well, being pulled in so many directions, and ongoing uncertainty, mustering the energy to clean can feel almost impossible. Here are a few strategies that can help you clean when you are overwhelmed.
Focus on one area of your home:
When you’re overwhelmed, trying to clean your entire home can feel impossible. Instead, start small:
- Target Your Bedroom: Begin with the room that offers the most restoration. Clear a path from your bed to the door, change your sheets, and let fresh linens give you an immediate boost. If your energy is low, leave the detailed vacuuming for later or when our trained team arrives for a deep cleaning.
- Tackle the Bathroom: After a restful night, the bathroom is often the next stop. Cleaning sinks, counters, the tub, and the toilet can feel like a barrier to getting up—but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re feeling stuck, remember that professional help is just a call away.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and stay in one area of the house:
It happens; you walk into a room on a mission and then wonder what brought you there, so you start something else, and then it goes on. Twelve tasks later, you don’t have any of them completed. Staying in one area and cleaning is not as easy as it sounds. So set a timer and focus.
- Use a Timer: Set it for 10 or 15 minutes and commit to cleaning one area without interruption. This focused burst can help you accomplish more than you think.
- Limit Decisions: Staying in one area reduces the number of decisions you have to make, so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Whether it’s decluttering the kitchen counter, folding laundry, or putting away dishes, a short, focused session can make a big difference.
Store your cleaning supplies where you use them:
A smooth cleaning process starts with having your tools at hand:
- Keep Supplies Handy: Store cleaning products where you use them most often. For instance, keep a set of cleaning supplies in each bathroom, the kitchen, or under sinks, and have antibacterial wipes available near countertops. This saves time and energy, letting you clean more efficiently.
- Minimize Setup Time: The less you have to search for supplies, the quicker you can focus on cleaning. Prepare in advance so you’re ready to go when the mood strikes.
Don’t clean alone
Friends don’t let friends clean alone. We have been living in isolation and loneliness for so long, and it is difficult to reach out to a friend if you are struggling. This is the time to do it anyway. Invite someone over, put on some music, and offer to help them clean and organize. If you are struggling, chances are you are not alone. Our cleaning teams rely on each other to help; sharing in the cleaning makes it go quicker and builds relationships. We all have our favorite things that we like to do to clean our house. They are not the same, if you love to clean the fridge, your friend would appreciate that as a quality time gift.
If you have limited energy, go to the most used part of the house:
For most of us, we know where our home’s most traffic and highest use area are, the entryway with the shoes, the kitchen, the family room, or a home office. So target that area. Spending the smallest amount of energy there can yield the highest impact because it is seen and used most often.
Putting away all the shoes will give you the feeling of accomplishment. If you schedule your house for a deep fall cleaning, we will clean from top to bottom, ceiling fan blades to every nook, and cranny of every floor. If you have never had your entire house cleaned at the same time, it is well worth it!
Take a laundry basket to one room of the house and place all the items that don’t belong in the room in the basket:
Then take those items to the next room, put away the items that belong there and repeat. Does that one make sense? Instead of addressing one item at a time, this leads to increased distraction and loss of focus; you have only the items in the basket. You can minimize your time putting things away and cover a greater amount of areas in your home. This one takes some practice, but we promise it works.
By now, you might realize that this is really not about cleaning; it is about energy management. Here at Carpe Diem Cleaning, we know residential house cleaning. We understand that living in Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina; there are far too many fun things to do than being inside cleaning the bathroom or vacuuming your carpet. Our mission is for you to seize the day!
Bonus Tips For A Stress-Free Clean
Make cleaning more enjoyable by adding in some things that you love and getting your mindset right.
- Water the Plants: If cleaning feels overwhelming, doing something small like watering your plants can boost your mood. Plants naturally purify the air and brighten up your space.
- Add Essential Oils to Your Vacuum: A few drops of lavender or citrus in your vacuum can leave a pleasant scent behind, making cleaning a little more enjoyable.
- Remember the Big Picture: This isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about reclaiming your time and energy. There are so many fun things to do in Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Let our team help you seize the day!
We hope this is helpful. We want you to enjoy the time you have and do the things you love and want to do. As always, we appreciate you and are here to clean your entire house for you.
Carpe Diem Cleaning's Cleaning Services
Let us help you keep up with keeping your home clean. We offer weekly and monthly cleanings, deep cleanings, move-in cleaning services, and pop-in cleanings to help you keep your home clean year-round.
We proudly offer services to Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill, Brier Creek, and the surrounding area. We’re reliable, responsive, and we do things right. Trust Carpe Diem Cleaning to clean your home.
We’re reliable, responsive, and we do things right.
