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a4mula t1_j3l24qe wrote

Stop thinking of them as chores to start with. Those are opportunities to ensure you're prepared for whatever life throws at you.

Doesn't matter what it is. Laundry? Mowing a lawn? Picking up a bosses dry cleaning (is that a thing still?).

It sounds petty. Like some shit your grandpa would say in order to get a free chore out of you.

But it's also true. Every task you complete from getting out of bed in the morning to making it back to bed at night is in service to your life.

Some are positive, some are negative. But they all count.

Even if it's just the discipline you're instilling in yourself when you complete tasks that are less than enjoyable. Its value added.

And learn to smile. Even when you don't feel like it. The science on this is as clear as it can be. This one simple act, holding a smile for just a few seconds can trick you into thinking you should be happy. Even when life or your job or your chore sucks.

Stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.

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WSEatPopCorn t1_j3l1ukk wrote

  1. Don't think too much about it
  2. Turn on some music, get it done
  3. Give yourself a small treat after you're done (optional)
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Scuka1 t1_j3l4xzj wrote

Do you need to enjoy them?

Lots of people suggest music or podcasts. IMO chores are a good way to give some free (non-stimulated) time to your brain so you can process whatever needs to be processed, which is necessary for mental health.

You don't need to be entertained 24/7.

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909hat t1_j3l34rh wrote

Get a podcast app.

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ABena2t t1_j3l3kok wrote

Ear buds are your friend. Whenever I'm doing some crappy chore - mowing the grass or raking leaves or cleaning the house I turn on music or a radio show I listen to. It's the only way I can get thru it. If my headphones run out of battery I literally cannot do it. lol. That's it for me. I'll take a break, maybe get something to eat while my ear buds charge back up. and then ill go back to it later. It's not even optional at this point.

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OhMyHippo t1_j3l49ce wrote

Do chores in small doses. I do 20-25 minutes of chores everyday. I turn on a podcast, set a timer, and once the timer goes off I stop. The only exception is I finish the chore I'm on when the timer goes off (e.g. if I'm folding laundry, finish that chore instead of leaving the other half for the next day).

At first it won't feel like you accomplished a whole lot, but once you get into the routine of doing it everyday, it all adds up and you'll notice everything is much more manageable rather than becoming large projects that have piled up over time. It really helps to keep my anxiety about chores to a minimum, I feel like I accomplished something, and it doesn't feel like a total drain spending hours cleaning. Just remember it requires getting into a routine and you may need to set reminders to hold yourself accountable.

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JKdriver t1_j3pr3n8 wrote

Yesss the timer! It makes chores fun af for me.

Here’s what I use: https://youtu.be/fmocj0Btgo4

I’ll put that on, and see how much I can get done in that 10 minutes. It counts off each minute, so it becomes a sort of challenge.

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FoldingFan1 t1_j3l75jh wrote

Think about the result. The reason to do chores is not because they are fun itself but because the result is something you want.

It can also help to imagine what it would be like if you did not do them. Like for ages. What would your home look like of you stop cleaning it? What would it be like after a week, month, year, decade? What would it be like if you stopped washing your clothes that long? (Uuurgh that would be so gross!)

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Cuemaster t1_j3l834f wrote

Yes, every chore is making you home nicer, cleaning and putting away just just part of life. Don't complicate cleaning with to many expensive products. A damp cloth for cleaning dust off surfaces, a cloth with warm soapy water for kitchen area, bathroom etc. Clean up spills before they dry, or after a meal. This is 90% of work done...

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mrgoyette t1_j3lafju wrote

Check out the book 'A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind' by Shoukei Matsumoto. Gives loads of tips. I gained a new perspective on chores after reading it.

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Zaitor t1_j3lbnmt wrote

I've found a trick to deal with my chores: I choose a podcast that I will listen to only during chores. It makes starting chores much more interesting.

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Far-Two8659 t1_j3ltaif wrote

Instead of tricking yourself into enjoying everything, learn to value work that isn't enjoyable.

You don't enjoy doing dishes, but you can understand the value of doing them and know the work required is worth the payoff.

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keepthetips t1_j3l1eo7 wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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the_original_Retro t1_j3l3all wrote

Consider reactive or proactive journals.

A proactive journal is when you make a physical list of the chores you're going to do today, such as on a whiteboard, and you check off each one as it's done. There's a little dopamine in drawing a line through or removing something you accomplished.

A reactive journal is when you have a diary or similar book next to your bed. Each night, you write out what you accomplished. Again, a little hit of dopamine for completing some.

I used the former until chores simply became a habit. Now I don''t consider them "work".

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ABena2t t1_j3l3s97 wrote

This is why it's important to me kids do chores at a young age.

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TinPotSoldier t1_j3l3mkk wrote

Music.

Consider it exercise. Be physically creative to get the most out of it.

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Evening-Chance7906 t1_j3l6h19 wrote

Do it first before any recreational activity.

Play some music while you do them or an audio book.

Buy something to make the chore easier. Something more convenient for you the chore master.

If you enjoy one chore more than another make sure you do the less desirable chore first.

Chores suck (the bad ones anyway) but you feel better when they are done. Remember that. Otherwise you sit in guilt about not doing something you feel should have been done.

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amberwench t1_j3p9dez wrote

>Buy something to make the chore easier. Something more convenient for you the chore master.

I've seen the timer dice- it looks like a 6 sided die where each side has a different preset time limit- and want one so bad. I can just... roll it... and whatever time limit it gives me will be how long I work on that chore. And if I feel up to more when the timer is up I can always *roll it again*. It makes the D&D geek in me happy.

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Late-Jicama5012 t1_j3l6pbe wrote

I enjoy doing chores. Because they are therapeutic.

I can wash dishes, clean a bathroom for hours. Because my mind is clear and I have zero negative thoughts. Instead, my mind consecrates on the task it self.

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mistrp t1_j3lmlkx wrote

i just turn on music and dance the hole time

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MoistPhilosophera t1_j3lndvf wrote

  1. Earn money doing what you enjoy.

  2. Give money to person doing chores for you.

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SecretSpyStuffs t1_j3lsecv wrote

Gonna sound over the top but get a buttplug or vibrating wearable, intersperse masturbation with productivity. Chores might take longer than usual but will be hella more fun.

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Funny_Carob281 t1_j3m1ecm wrote

I don’t know if if this tip actually makes me enjoy the chore, it certainly helps me enjoy the fact that I got it done. I break up the chores into smaller bits and reward my self with a game of what ever it is I am playing on my phone at the time. I don’t play the game unless I’ve completed a piece of the chore. Similarly, I don’t scroll on my phone unless I am riding my stationary bike.

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FuzzyLogicCube t1_j3m362y wrote

I use talking books. Only listen to them when doing chores. If it is a good book I will do extra chores to hear more of the story.

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lauragay2 t1_j3m419s wrote

I say that I am going to be kind to my future self and get stuff done.
Dishes? Be kind to my future self and will have a clean plate for dinner.
Laundry? Be kind to my future self so I can wear my favorite Tshirt the next day...

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Aquamarinade t1_j3mar7w wrote

I made a YouTube playlist of videos I want to watch that I watch exclusively when I do chores. So there’s always the excitement about getting to watch stuff I’m interested in that really helps with getting motivated. (This obviously also works with podcasts.)

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sleeplessjade t1_j3mfocj wrote

If you have chores or a task that you’ve been putting off, even though you know it will take a small amount of time and little effort, but still can’t force yourself to do it…and this is something you consistently do, you might have ADHD.

Executive Dysfunction is a symptom, which is basically that your brain doesn’t give you dopamine for completely tasks, like a neurotypical brain does. For everyone else, they complete a task, they get a dopamine hit that gives them a sense of accomplishment. ADHD brains don’t get that, without a reward for doing a task our brains just say, “I’m not doing it.” And don’t give you the motivation to complete it.

If that sounds like you, do a little research on ADHD and see if anything else fits and talk to your doctor about getting tested and treatment options.

If it’s not you, any of these other suggestions can help.

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Impressive_Pear_748 t1_j3mq7kp wrote

Drink while working, and put on some jammy jams. You will suddenly find yourself in a one man party instead of doing work

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MJohnVan t1_j3mt1fo wrote

Pay yourself. $100/h . Then put it back into savings account

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amberwench t1_j3p8swm wrote

You don't have to enjoy them, but you don't have to hate them either. Think of doing them as being nice to your future self. When you've finished one- even if it's just one small part of a larger task- tell yourself you've done good. You'd reward a kid who's new at learning chores, yes? Even if they kinda do it poorly, because they tried? So praise yourself too!

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Lorendel t1_j3pmk2m wrote

Pretend the love of your life is watching

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staymedicateddd t1_j3ppcgy wrote

Do them while high. Def gotta keep your living space tight and neat.

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KeyBlogger t1_j3ptjlz wrote

Listen to interesting Podcast and music you would otherwise dont listen because youd body dies not habe something to do

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Bunnyeatsdesign t1_j3q68ws wrote

Procrasticleaning. I clean when I'm trying to get out of doing something else.

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