Keep calm and carry on

Not many of us really enjoy housework. I love being in my home but if I look at housework as one big thing - washing, cleaning, cooking, baking, gardening, maintenance, mending etc. - it can be overwhelming and I don't know where to start. My best advice is to organise yourself and do things ahead of time. Most of us don't do all our housework in one day. We organise smaller chunks of work and spread it out over a week, or a weekend with small chores morning and evening. When you organise your work into chunks and do it at the same time each week or day, that's a routine and it usually makes it easier.

Here is our tea and coffee station.  It's right next to the electric kettle, with cups and mugs in a cupboard above. If you have hot drinks fairly frequently, it sensible to keep all your things together.

The Keep Calm and Carry On idea came from Britain before and during WW2 and it's helpful to remember it now too. Relaxed order in my home makes me calmer and happier. My routines are weekly - which change with the times - and if I stick to those changeable routines, I get through my work without rushing and usually get it all done. If I don't, I don't care. The chance to do it all again will present itself a second time tomorrow or the next day. Living in a clean and tidy home gives all of us the opportunity to start each day rested, well-fed and with the knowledge that we'll be returning to a calm home after work or school. It also gives structure and stability to those of us who work at home.  

Hanno and I bought this pine dresser about 40 years ago to store some of our crockery. 

If you're struggling with housework, don't think of your work as drudgery or a waste of time. You'll develop a mindset of productivity and progress at home if you think of it as fluffing your nest and making your home feel comfortable. You might find housework easier if you develop a routine. To do that, make up a realistic list of the work you have to do in a week, divide it up into days, giving every person in the house responsibility for certain tasks, then decide when the work will be done.  You might have a couple of big days when you do the laundry and the shopping and you might get someone to help you with cleaning and batch cooking. The work is not all yours and your partner's. Show all the kids how to make their beds, organise their clothes, both dirty and clean, and then expect their beds and clothes to be taken care of without too much input from you. Although you'll have to supervise this when they start. No matter how you divide the chores, it's only your job alone if you live alone. If you have a family, they should do their fair share. Start them young and they'll grow up being able to look after themselves, a definite bonus.

This sofa is so comfortable. Often when Kerry or Jamie come over, they'll have a quick nap here.

If you're struggling to start, set a timer and work on something for 15 minutes. Then sit down and have a tea or coffee or walk around the garden.  Even an untidy kitchen with dirty pots and pans could be cleaned up in two 15 minute sessions. When you clean up the whole house, and that might take a couple of days, keep on top of it with a routine that works for you. I promise you, when you have a clean and organised home, it will support you and your family in all the fun and interesting things you want to do.

Here I have things we need when we go out - Gracie's harness and leads, bags, hats and keys. Organise yourself and everyone else so you're not constantly looking for what you need.

Our lives are a continuing process of reorganisation. There are many ways of living simply and sustainably but if you work calmly and don't let the house become chaotic, you'll benefit from it. It's up to each of us to choose how we work in our homes, create routines that work, and change them when we need to.  We put time and effort into housework, but it will give back more than it takes.