Home is where the heart is. Or maybe not, according to a recent survey by home experts Hoppy, which revealed that the stress of the day doesn’t indeed end when we leave the office. Nope, over 40% of workers dread arriving home as more stress awaits in the shape of daily chores and household tasks.
It was revealed by the Happy Home study, conducted by Hoppy and You Gov, that 75% of workers are unhappy with their current home environment, with top of the list of concerns is the ‘house being untidy’ (36%), followed by a lack of storage space (30%) and affording the bills (22%). Best then, to confront this head-on, with our list of 4 IDEAL ways to reduce the stress of running a home.
BE REALISTIC
There are only 24 hours in the day and well over half of those are spent sleeping and at work. If we dedicated our surplus time to tidying and straightening all the wonky lines, we’d have none left to have fun or spend quality time with the family. So, keep expectations realistic, accept the clutter to an extent and focus on spending quality time with those that matter instead. Set aside just an hour or two for chores and remember, nobody’s perfect.
Read: 6 of the ultimate domestic decluttering tips for the year ahead
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
As the below infographic highlights, the unequal split of household demands among couples is often cited as a key trigger for arguments within relationships. Indeed, couples have fights and bust-ups (or should that be dust-ups) over cleaning, cooking and washing up more than anything else. It’s not fair for one member of the team to take on the whole, heavy load. Not only will this be inefficient in keeping the house in order, but it will also cause simmering resentment which may boil over into something altogether more unsavoury. Instead, divide up the domestic demands between everyone in the house, and in turn, create a clean, stress-free home where everyone has a role and sense of responsibility.
LET TECH REDUCE THE LOAD
Gone are the days when robots running the house were the preserve of science fiction. Now, tech really can lighten the load at home. Not high tech, we know, but you can go some way to freeing your mind of stress by jotting down tasks on an online tool, websites or app that can alert you when a chore needs doing, granting your mind more space for the fun stuff. Indeed, automating tasks is now more possible than ever with hoovering, lawn mowing and doing the dishes all under the jurisdiction of technology if you’re willing to invest enough money.
DON’T BE ASHAMED OF HAVING DIFFERENT PRIORITIES
The assumption that ‘running a home’ is a dream to be fulfilled, along with a white picket fence and 2.4 children, is one which is fortunately on the wane. Instead, people are choosing different ways of life; dedicating themselves to charity work, helping others and the environment, and other noble pursuits more fulfilling friends praising you on your tidy home once in a while. If having a spotless domestic space is going to prevent you from doing good for this world, then don’t be ashamed of having different priorities. Simple.
