Where to Start When You Don’t Know Where to Start: Cleaning Edition

Do you ever gaze upon a cluttered living room or a sink overflowing with dishes and think, “Oh, come on, I JUST cleaned this!” You’re not alone. Many people experience that feeling of being overwhelmed when faced with a messy home, that sense of paralysis when staring at what seems like an insurmountable mountain of clutter and dirt.

This article is your guide to breaking through that overwhelming feeling. We’ll provide you with practical, actionable strategies that will help you take those first, crucial steps toward a cleaner, more organized living space – from understanding the overwhelm to knowing when to call on maid services in Roslyn for a bit of expert help.

What to do when you don’t know where to start cleaning?

The most important thing is to just start. It doesn’t even matter where or what you start with; what does matter is that overcoming the initial paralysis is key to making progress. Want more detailed strategies and tips to help you get started and stay motivated? Well, let’s dive in, then!

Understanding the Overwhelm

It’s easy to feel guilty or ashamed when your home is messy, but it’s important to understand the reasons why it’s so hard to start cleaning when you’re overwhelmed. Newsflash: It’s not simply a matter of laziness or lack of willpower. Rather, it’s a combination of several psychological and external factors that can contribute to this paralysis.

Psychological Factors:

• Decision fatigue: Cleaning and organizing involve countless decisions: what to keep, what to toss, where to put things. This constant decision-making can lead to mental exhaustion, making it difficult to make any decisions at all.
• Perfectionism: The desire to achieve a perfectly clean and organized home can be paralyzing. The fear of not being able to do everything “right” can prevent you from starting. As some have said, “If I am going to do it, I have to do it right!”. No, you don’t. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, completion beats perfection – and that’s the mindset you need to adopt.
• Mental health: Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADHD can significantly impact your motivation, focus, and executive function. These challenges can make it even harder to initiate and sustain cleaning efforts. But, here’s the real kicker: A tidy home can also help mitigate those conditions!

External Factors:

• Busy schedules & lack of time: Many people have demanding jobs, family responsibilities, and other commitments that leave them feeling like they don’t have enough time or energy for cleaning. If you can only spare 15 minutes a day, that’s ok! Just start.
• Life events & transitions: Major life changes, such as moving, starting a new job, having a baby, or experiencing a loss, can disrupt routines and lead to a build-up of mess and clutter.
• Family members & shared spaces: Cleaning and organizing can be especially challenging when living with others, especially if they have different standards of cleanliness or contribute to the clutter. Some people suggest focusing on maintaining a clean space for yourself, such as your bedroom or a designated area.

By acknowledging these underlying factors, you can validate your experience and understand that your struggle is not simply a matter of laziness or lack of willpower. This understanding can create a sense of empathy for yourself and give you the strength necessary to keep pushing.

Strategies for Getting Started

Overcoming the initial hurdle of starting to clean requires a variety of practical strategies. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so experiment to find what works best for you.

The “Do Something” Approach

The power of simply taking action, even if it seems insignificant, cannot be overstated. Any progress, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. In other words, it doesn’t matter where you start, so long as you start. Even just moving a dish closer to the sink counts as progress. This approach helps break the cycle of paralysis by focusing on immediate action rather than long-term goals.

Quick Wins: Focus on the Easiest Tasks First

Start with tasks that are quick, simple, and visually rewarding, for example:

• Take out the trash.
• Do a load of laundry.
• Wash the dishes.
• Make the bed.
• Toss, shred, or recycle any old receipts you no longer need.

Completing these easy tasks can provide a sense of accomplishment and momentum, making it easier to tackle more challenging tasks.

Breaking It Down: Small Steps & Time Management

Break large cleaning projects into smaller, more manageable steps. Try out these time management techniques to make the process less overwhelming:

• The 20/10 method: Work for 20 minutes, break for 10.
• Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and do nothing but clean in that time.
• Divide the room into zones or quadrants, and focus on one corner.
• Tackle one surface, drawer, or shelf at a time.
• Create a “nanolist” of every single little thing you want to accomplish.
• Commit to getting rid of one thing each day of the month.
• “I can do anything for 15 minutes!”

Breaking down tasks and using time management techniques make the cleaning process seem less daunting and more achievable.

Themed Cleaning: Categorizing & Containing

Focus on one category of items at a time rather than trying to clean an entire room at once. For instance, focus on trash first, then dirty clothes and dishes, and then laundry. This approach helps simplify the decision-making process and prevent distractions.

Prioritization: Focus on High-Impact Areas

Focus cleaning efforts on areas that will have the biggest impact on the overall feeling of the home, such as the tops of counters, tables, nightstands, chairs, etc. Cleaning these high-impact areas can provide a sense of immediate gratification and motivate further cleaning efforts.

The “Move-Out Technique”

The move-out technique is a decluttering method that involves imagining you’re moving out of your current space and asking yourself what you would take with you. This method can help you identify what to keep, donate, or throw away.

Make it a Game

Introduce gamification to make cleaning more engaging. For instance, you can play the “I know where this goes” game: You see something and if you know where it goes, you put it there, and award yourself with a point or a small reward. Gamification can trick your mind into getting started and provide a dopamine boost.

Find a Cleaning System

Ultimately, you should experiment with how you clean, and develop the strategy that fits you the best. Having a cleaning system can make it easier to track your progress which, in turn, can help to reduce the overwhelm and give you a motivation boost.

Maintaining Motivation

Sustaining motivation and preventing future overwhelm requires a proactive approach and a shift in mindset.

Mindset & Perspective

Emphasize the importance of self-compassion and realistic expectations, as cultivating a positive mindset can help reduce stress and make the cleaning process more enjoyable. Acknowledge that you’re not superhuman and don’t feel like you have to do it all in one day. 

More importantly, allow yourself to feel proud of any accomplishments – no matter how small you think they are. Most importantly, do not compare yourself to other people, as every person’s cleaning capabilities are different, and doing so can only make you demoralized.

Make it Enjoyable

Find ways to make cleaning more fun and engaging. Blast your favorite tunes, listen to an intriguing podcast, or play an inspirational audiobook. Of course, don’t forget to reward yourself after completing a task. It doesn’t have to be a big reward – a cold beverage, some sweets, or a nice walk through Gerry Park is more than enough to get your enthusiasm going.

Seek Support

You don’t have to do it alone. In fact, if you’re consistently finding yourself overwhelmed at the very thought of cleaning, you shouldn’t do it alone. The mere presence of someone you know and love can provide much-needed encouragement and motivation, as well as practical assistance, of course. Therefore, don’t be afraid to enlist help from family members or friends – you’d be surprised at how willing they may be to assist!

Long-Term Strategies

Finally, once you’ve found your rhythm and started cleaning, it is important to devise strategies for preventing future overwhelm and maintaining a clean and organized home in the long term. Here are some tips to make it easier:

• Make sure to find a home for each item.
• Implement basic daily/weekly tasks for each member of the family.
• Develop a tidying routine, spending a few minutes each day putting things back in their place.
• Avoid letting clutter accumulate by addressing it as soon as it appears.

Implementing these strategies can help create a more sustainable cleaning routine and prevent the build-up of clutter and mess.

When to call in the professionals

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, it may be necessary to seek professional help – and you should! After all, no one said it’s YOU who has to do it all. Therefore, don’t hesitate to delegate cleaning tasks, especially when dealing with chronic overwhelm, physical limitations, or other significant challenges.

Which maid services near me in Roslyn, NY, are the top choice?

Whether you’re looking for an easy way to maintain a healthy home for your kids, want to make housekeeping easier for your elderly loved ones, or simply desire to be free of menial chores, you’re in the right place!

Maid Brigade can help you with all of the above – and so much more! From regular refreshes to periodic deep cleans, our experienced maids make sure that your home reflects the highest cleanliness standards. Reach out to us today!