Making Chores Take Less Effort

6. Could You Sit Down for Part of It?

We tend to think chores are supposed to be done standing up. They're not.

Could you sit at the kitchen table while folding laundry? Sit while sorting papers? Pull up a chair while organizing a lower cupboard? Sit while preparing something that needs cleaning or polishing?

Saving your energy for the parts that actually require standing can make the whole job feel easier.

7. Is the Tool Making the Job Harder?

Sometimes the chore isn't the problem. The tool is.

Maybe the vacuum is heavy. The mop is awkward. The spray bottle is difficult to squeeze. The broom handle is too short.

The next time a chore feels like more work than it should, take a look at what you're using.

A lighter or easier-to-use tool might make a bigger difference than you'd expect.

8. Are You Taking Advantage of the Trip You're Already Making?

Suppose you're heading from the bedroom to the kitchen. Is there something nearby that belongs in that direction?

Taking one or two things along on trips you're already making can gradually put the house back in order without creating a separate chore later.

No need to carry an armful. Just make the trip count.

9. Does It Really Need to Be Done Today?

Some chores need attention right away. Others don't.

Before starting something simply because it's the day you usually do it, take another look.

Does the floor actually need vacuuming? Do those few clothes need washing today? Could that project wait until tomorrow when you have more energy?

You're allowed to decide. The calendar isn't in charge of your house—you are.

10. Which Chore Takes More Out of You Than It Should?

Think about the chores you normally do.

Which one makes you sigh a little when you know it's time to do it?

Changing the sheets? Vacuuming? Carrying laundry? Cleaning the bathtub? Taking out the garbage?

Instead of assuming that's simply the price of getting it done, ask: "What part of this is actually making it difficult?"

Maybe it's the lifting. Maybe it's the bending. Maybe it's carrying everything at once. Maybe it's trying to finish the entire job before taking a break.

Change just that one part and see what happens.

If it makes the chore easier, keep doing it. If it doesn't, try something else—or change it back.

The goal isn't to do less. It's to spend a little less effort doing the things you still want to do.

Laundry, vacuuming, changing the sheets, taking out the garbage, cleaning the bathroom—most of us have our own way of doing these things, and we've probably been doing them that way for years.

We don't think much about it. We just get them done.

But every once in a while, it's worth asking a different question: "Does this really need to take this much effort?"

Maybe you carry the whole laundry basket at once because you always have. Perhaps you drag the vacuum from one end of the house to the other, make several trips to gather cleaning supplies, or spend half the morning finishing a chore that leaves you tired afterward.

That doesn't necessarily mean you should stop doing it. There may simply be an easier way.

Over the next week, pay attention while you're doing your normal chores. Notice which ones require the most lifting, carrying, reaching, bending, walking back and forth, or simply leave you feeling more tired than you'd like.

Then experiment.

Carry half a basket of laundry instead of a full one. Keep a few cleaning supplies closer to where you actually use them. Sit down for part of a chore. Break one big job into two smaller ones. Try a lighter tool.

You don't have to do everything the way you've always done it just because you've always done it that way.

Try one small change and see what happens.

If the chore becomes a little easier, wonderful. If your old way works better, change it back.

The goal isn't to do less. It's to spend a little less effort doing the things you still want to do.

10 Little Ways to Make Chores Take Less Effort
Most chores aren't particularly difficult by themselves. It's all the lifting, carrying, bending, reaching, walking back and forth, and trying to finish everything at once that can make them tiring.

Over the next week, notice how you do your usual chores.

You may discover you've been following a few rules that don't actually exist.

1. Does the Laundry Basket Have to Be Full?

Somewhere along the way, many of us decided that if we're going to carry a laundry basket, we should fill it.

But who says?

Try carrying half a basket instead. It may mean making another trip, but each trip might be much easier. Or try a smaller, lighter basket that's easier to carry.

The laundry won't know the difference.

2. Does the Whole Chore Have to Be Done at Once?

If you've always cleaned the whole house on Saturday morning, it can feel strange to stop halfway through.

But there's no rule saying everything has to be finished on the same day.

Try vacuuming a couple of rooms today and the others tomorrow. Clean the bathroom sink now and the shower another time.

Breaking one big job into several little ones still gets the job done.

3. How Many Trips Are You Making?

The next time you clean, pay attention to how often you walk back and forth looking for supplies.

Glass cleaner in one cupboard. Cleaning cloths somewhere else. Bathroom cleaner under another sink.

Would keeping a small set of supplies near where you actually use them save some trips?

Try it for a while and see.

4. Are You Carrying Something That Could Roll?

Laundry, groceries, cleaning supplies, garbage, or other household items can get surprisingly heavy.

Before automatically picking something up, ask: "Could I roll this instead?"

A small cart, rolling laundry basket, or lightweight utility cart might turn a job that requires carrying into one that simply requires pushing.

5. Do You Really Need to Bend Down for That?

Pay attention to how many times you bend over during an ordinary chore.

Picking up clothes. Reaching for cleaning supplies. Plugging in the vacuum. Getting something from a low cupboard.

Could something you use regularly be stored a little higher? Could you use a long-handled dustpan, duster, or other tool instead?

One less bend may not seem like much.

Twenty fewer bends might.