In this post, we’re going to look at 18 simple tips for finding joy in homemaking tasks! These really are simple, and they are guaranteed to help make many of the sometimes mundane chores of homemaking, feel much more meaningful and enjoyable!
18 Simple Tips For Finding Joy In Homemaking Tasks
1. Write your to-do list on actual Paper:
Even though we live in an age of technology, there’s a simple satisfaction to writing your to-do list on a piece of paper, and being able to actually scratch it off with a REAL pen when you’re done!
Maybe this feels good to me because I’m a very tactile person, but regardless, this simple little thing can bring so much joy to your daily tasks!
I love using those magnetic notepads that come with cute pens I can stick on my fridge. This way, as I walk past my fridge, I can cross, or check off what I’ve accomplished, and then continue on my way!
Try it – it’s way better than a digital list!
2. Create a cleaning schedule:
Life can be very hectic, and we know that unexpected messes are part of life – especially with kids. So making a cleaning schedule can sometimes feel like a pointless waste of time.
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However, if you create your cleaning schedule with a realistic mindset, knowing full well that you will need to do a few extra wipe downs here and there, it really does take some stress off of your shoulders.
I find, one common complaint I hear often about house cleaning, is the feeling of never having TIME to get it all done. So if you make a loose schedule, you will KNOW that things will, in fact, get done.
By creating a simple cleaning schedule, it means you don’t have to spend any more mental energy wondering when, or how, you’re going to accomplish your cleaning goals.
But remember, staying flexible, calm, and realistic about little messes on a daily basis is key, because living in a home means there WILL be messes. However, creating a schedule that works for you, will make handling it all SO much more manageable.
3. Develop daily routines for household tasks:
Aside from large cleaning jobs like bathrooms and floors, there are smaller household tasks that are done on a daily basis. For these, it’s helpful to create daily routines so that you stay organized throughout the day and accomplish what you need to do.
Here is an example from my own homemaking routine:
Morning:
- Empty dishwasher
- Wipe down kitchen countertops and table
- Straighten up living room
Midday:
- Wash any dishes in the sink
- Straighten up mud room
- Quick vacuum in high traffic areas
- Pick up any bits of mess from the morning (we homeschool, so there’s always messes!)
Afternoon:
- Run errands
- Fold laundry
- Prepare supper
Evening:
- Wash dishes or load dishwasher
- Tidy any little messes
- Bedtime routines with the kids
Notice that my daily routines are not scheduled time slots, but general times of day. They also aren’t inclusive of large tasks. Daily routines are reserved for the household tasks that you will be doing every single day.
Placing these tasks into different “zones” of your day, really helps with keeping your brain organized, and your spirits lifted!
There are also many known health benefits of setting regular routines. You can more about them here.
4. Try out new recipes
As a homemaker, cooking is something you are likely VERY familiar with – I know I sure am! Cooking is one of those household chores that can frustrate a lot of homemakers, because it can often feel boring and repetitive.
A simple way of finding joy in homemaking tasks such as cooking, is by making a plan to try a new recipe every so often!
In your down time, browse through different recipes, and save them. Then, perhaps 2-3 times per month, pull from that list and give them a try! Sometimes trying new things and spicing it up a bit…(did you get that pun?), will be just what you need to find more joy in something that is so routine.
There’s one caveat to this however, and that is – don’t try out a recipe that is destined for failure! What I mean by this is, if your family hates spicy food, don’t make something spicy. And if you’ve never tried French cooking, don’t attempt a complicated French recipe you saw on TV and expect to nail it! The best way to discourage yourself, is by putting all kinds of effort into a meal, only to have it not turn out, or to have your family hate it!
Be creative, but realistic, and enjoy the art, and heart, behind cooking for your family.
5. Have a Morning Routine
Although it may sound silly, one very important way for you to find joy in homemaking tasks, is to make time for yourself. If you pour into yourself what YOU need in order to feel rested, (both mentally and physically), your homemaking journey will feel much more positive, than negative to you.
A great way to do this, is by creating a morning routine for YOU, and you alone. If you are a Mom, you know that once the kids wake up, it’s always go time! Therefore, plan to take a bit of alone time, every morning, before the kids wake up.
This time could be used to exercise, enjoy a cup of hot coffee, organize your brain for the coming day, or all of the above.
I know this may sound unimportant, but I can tell you from experience that prioritizing some personal time for yourself will always result in a more joyful homemaking mindset!
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6. Open Your Windows For Some Fresh Air
Here is another simple, yet amazingly effective way to find joy in homemaking!
There’s nothing like opening a window while you clean, and allowing the fresh air to pour into your home! Not only does the gentle breeze feel good on your skin as you walk past the window, it also freshens up the scent of your home, and invites the sounds of nature into your household.
Having the windows open while taking care of your home can help to motivate you to get more done, or perhaps take your homemaking outside to get some gardening done, or hang your clean laundry on the clothesline if you have one.
7. Wear Actual Clothes
I realize this sounds a bit silly, but hear me out!
Remember the 1950’s housewife, with the dresses, high heels, and pearls? Well, although I think there’s a unique charm to that, I personally would never want to be cleaning toilets with high heels on!
So while that’s not exactly what I’m referring to, I do however believe that as a homemaker, what we wear feels like our uniform (in a sense).
When I have my pyjamas on, all I want to do is lay on the couch and scroll social media – not exactly the recipe for joyful, productive homemaking. On the flip side, when I get myself dressed in the morning, I immediately feel a sense of “readiness” for my day!
Now, I’m not dressing myself like a 1950’s housewife, not even close! I usually opt for a nice pair of yoga pants, a clean breathable shirt that won’t make me too warm while I work around the house, and some slippers with comfortable soles.
Getting your physical self ready for the day, absolutely has an impact on how you feel about the tasks ahead. Brush your hair, wash your face, put on a touch of make up if that makes you feel good, and start your day! I guarantee that this will give you a more positive attitude, and a sense of joy that perhaps you didn’t expect.
8. Meal Planning
This tip here is all about minimizing your stress load! Whether you’re a part-time or full-time homemaker, meal planning is a simple task that can be done in 30 minutes each week, and will definitely help you out!
This is also something you can get your family members involved in as well, by asking them for ideas, or have them tell you their favourite meals so you can slot those into the weekly plan.
Meal planning also makes grocery shopping easier and more affordable. This is because you will only be buying the items needed for the week, rather than randomly purchasing a bunch of food, only to throw half of it away when it doesn’t get eaten.
9. “Sandwich” Each Daunting Task
Many people feel it’s better to tackle a more daunting task first, so that you can get it over with. And although that can certainly be true, it can be hard sometimes to get the motivation right up front, to handle one of your much larger household tasks.
My advice is to sandwich the daunting task between two easy tasks! By accomplishing something easy first, it will help motivate you to keep going, and scratch that daunting task off your to-do list! Then, end with another easy task and call it day!
10. Adopt A New Perspective
In the pursuit of finding joy in homemaking tasks, taking a look at your perspective of what you’re doing is really important. I’ve heard many people ranting about homemaking as if it’s a burden, or even some sort of “prison” – but that is absolutely not true!
As homemakers, the care of our home is in our hands! It’s hard work, but GOOD work, and there’s a lot of people depending on us to get our job done each and every day. Having the right perspective, and realizing how important you are to your home, will make you a better homemaker, and make your job more enjoyable.
11. Look to older women for advice
Not only will this improve your ability to find joy in homemaking tasks, it will also cultivate relationships.
Whether you’re a new homemaker trying to gain your footing, or if your idea of homemaking just isn’t matching your reality – this is for you. Even if you’re a seasoned homemaker but you find yourself feeling discouraged or even resentful about your homemaking responsibilities, this can be really helpful.
Find an older woman in your life who you trust, and who has lived a life similar to yours. Allow her to pour her wisdom and experiences into you, not only for guidance but to remind you that the work you’re doing inside your home is not in vain.
Older women, who have lived through all the stages of life, have a perspective that younger homemakers, like myself, haven’t yet discovered. Lean into this, and let it be nourishment to your mind and heart. It will encourage you in the work that you’re doing, and will most definitely recapture the joy of homemaking for you.
12. Learn Some New Skills
Taking your homemaking journey seriously, is a full-time job – and it’s amazing how many skills we acquire, in our daily “on the job training.” I’ve learned so many wonderful life skills as a homemaker, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.
Learning new skills is actually a really great way to recapture your joy in homemaking, because not only does it feel good to learn something new, it means you have a whole new skill set that can serve your home, and family.
These could be anything from learning to garden, preserving food, sewing, or painting! You could learn photography, bookkeeping, woodworking – the list goes on! Any new skill you learn can be used for your enjoyment, and for the benefit of your family.
13. Listen To Music or Podcasts
I have made it a habit to listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I’m cooking supper, or doing various other chores around the house. This is simple, easy, and just makes the homemaking task on hand feel a little more fun!
It can easily turn mundane tasks, into something a little more exciting! I like to view it as “me time“, because when I listen to something I enjoy, I am either expanding my mind or pouring into my spirit.
14. Cultivate Cozy
This is less about finding joy in homemaking tasks, and more about finding joy in creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere within your home.
As a homemaker, you are quite literally “making a home“. And there’s far more to a home than just clean toilets and floors. A home is a place where your family should feel comfortable, welcomed, and loved. Home should be our sanctuary where we can rest and recharge, and that includes you as the homemaker. A good homemaker has the privilege of being able to set the tone in her home.
A few simple ways to do this are:
- Light a few candles or diffuse some essential oils.
- Use lamps to create cozy lighting in the evenings.
- Have a few throw blankets within reach in the living room.
- Have some soft music playing while you and your family are home together.
All of these small efforts contribute to the creation of a warm, homey environment for you and your family to enjoy.
15. Rearrange Things
This little tip is something fun, and I do this in our home a lot! My kids have come to know it as “normal”, and will often ask me to rearrange their rooms next!
This is so simple, but rearranging rooms of your home is an easy way to change things up, and make that room feel new again! Plus, doing this costs absolutely nothing, which is like redecorating for free!
I feel so much joy when I rearrange a room. It freshens everything up, and brings a sense of newness to the space. Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a big difference, and this is one of those things!
16. Occasionally Surprise Your Family
Aside from the job of maintaining your home, as a homemaker, it’s fun to do things to surprise our family every now and then.
Sometimes that means baking a batch of cookies while they’re out, so they smell them as soon as they walk in the front door! Or perhaps when someone in your home accomplishes a goal they’ve been working towards, you can surprise them by cooking their favourite meal for supper.
These little gestures have a major ripple effect – you feel joy in doing something nice for your family, they feel loved by your actions, and that returns even more joy and contentment into your own heart.
Homemakers have the ability to make their families feel loved and cherished in the simplest of ways, and that is what making a home is all about.
17. Remember Who You’re Doing This For
Whether you realize this or not, everything you are doing as a homemaker, you are doing for the Lord.
The Word of God says in Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”.
Whether putting in a load of laundry, going to the grocery store, cooking dinner, changing beds, or making dentist appointments for your kids – ALL of this is good work. And when you have the awareness that you are doing this for God, and for the good of His Kingdom, it shines a whole new light on your homemaking.
Honestly, this is the probably the largest contributor to finding joy in homemaking tasks. The knowledge that everything you do is being done for God, is a powerful motivator, and encourager.
18. Create A Home Environment For Hospitality
Creating a home that is open for hospitality goes far beyond having a guest bedroom. A large part of finding joy in homemaking tasks, is knowing that what you’re doing can serve others.
Preparing your home for hospitality will also mean less stress for you, when someone stops by unannounced. Here are a few easy ways to create a hospitable home environment, in your everyday homemaking routine:
- Give everything a place, making it easier to maintain a tidy home. Your home does NOT have to be spotless to be hospitable, and nobody expects, or even cares about that. But when everything has a place, it makes the process of tidying up, quick and easy, which in turn, makes it much less daunting!
- Take some time to cook up a few simple meals and stick them in the freezer. This way, when you have last minute company for dinner, all you need to do is pull the meal out of freezer, and pop it in the oven!
- Keep a few extra sets of sheets and pillows in your linen closet in case someone needs to spend the night.
- Always have tea and coffee on hand, so you can offer your guests a warm drink. There is something magical about sitting down with a warm drink, that can instantly make someone feel welcomed into your home.
Also, not only does hospitality bless those coming into your home, it blesses you as the homemaker as well. Remember this, and take joy in the art of creating a hospitable home.
Blessings!
Maryann
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