5.18.2021

Why it is so difficult to wash dishes, according to one procrastinator

If there wasn't an easily identifiable but inexplicable mistake, it is this: you are making a meal and spoiling some dishes in the process. You know you should wash them right now, but you think I'm busy, I'll do it later. Another meal is like this, then another, and before you know it, you have a sink full of dishes and a stomach full of fear. You hesitate until you can't hesitate anymore, be it because someone scolded you, you ran out of clean dishes, or you're just too mad at yourself to let it go. "And by the time you are finally made to empty the sink, the task may be boring, but all in all, it's actually not that bad.

Since this is always true, why not just wash the dishes sooner instead of tormenting yourself with postponing the task that makes the task bigger and longer? Well, tasks like washing dishes are usually not that difficult, especially when compared to the rest of the day's to-do list. After all, it's not that washing a plate requires mental or physical exertion. But there is often an emotional component associated with such tasks that can make you feel like you are doing them like the most difficult task you have to do all day.

"The mental barrier is often the simple truth of resentment," says clinical psychologist Carla Manly, PhD . "When life seems busy and chaotic, the last thing we want to deal with is more clutter, especially the annoying tasks in our lives. This can lead to an unconscious increase in resentment towards our large and small cleaning tasks. ""

Sometimes, he adds, negative feelings in areas of our lives that we cannot easily control, like work or relationships, extend to the more specific space of cleaning our personal space that we do, and we can just choose to do so not to do. "It is generally safe to dispel our resentments in our personal areas where dirty cups and clothes cannot respond or complain, so cleaning chores can become emotionally charged," she says. It's a similar logic that explains why some postpone sleeping outside of personal control, a phenomenon known as postponed vengeance before bed .

"It is human nature to avoid or postpone tasks that have no personal value. If cleaning is way below your priority list, you can probably hesitate. "- Carla Manly, PhD

Of course, some people like to clean. But according to Dr. Manly it can be difficult to force yourself to do it if you don't. "It is human nature to avoid or postpone tasks that have no personal value," he says. "If cleanliness is way below your priority list, you can certainly hesitate when it comes to washing dishes or cleaning up that buildup in the tub."

It is also in human nature to avoid awkward tasks that we do not appreciate, adds Joseph Ferrari, PhD , professor of psychology at DePaul University and author of Still Procrastining? Also: The No Regrets Guide to Getting it Done .

The good news is that there are relatively simple strategies that can help in changing procrastination behavior, and they are definitely worth trying. Postponed behaviors can eventually worsen feelings of stress , anxiety, and depression , none of which are beneficial to your mental health . Dr. Ferrari adds that procrastination also has an impact on physical health as it's linked to chronic illness and an increased risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease . "It's not the procrastination itself that causes this, but the stress that causes the side effects of procrastination," says Dr. Ferrari.

Are you ready to stop being constantly tortured by the contents of your sink? Here are some strategies to eliminate the procrastination of doing housework.

9 tips to prevent homework from piling up dirty dishes in the sink

1. Cut the paused task

According to Dr. Manly, it can be helpful to simply redefine the tasks or tasks you feared to take some time off. "Vacuuming, folding clothes, and even cleaning the bathroom can be relaxing when you light a candle, play your favorite music, and let go of your worries," she says.

2. Find ways to remake homework.

Dr. Ferrari points out that people don't like repetition, we look for novelties. Therefore, he suggests finding ways to change the task a little each time in order to do it differently. While there aren't that many ways to remake dish soap or laundry, you can get creative.

Dr. For example, Ferrari recommends dividing the order in which you do things so that what you would normally do first is done last. For example, if you usually deal with dirty dishes first, try scrubbing the pans. It won't completely change the task, but it might be enough to keep you from thinking, even old ones, even old ones .

3. Do homework into gratitude exercises

Dr. Manly recommends reconsidering your relationship with housework so that you don't automatically view it as a burden. "Try to say thank you for your cleaning work instead of viewing it as a curse," he says. "For example, washing up is a perfect way to say thank you for the food that nourished your body, mind and spirit."

4. Include homework as one of your training or exercise goals.

Dr. Manly suggests that this can add to motivation as the time spent doing housework adds to the day's total energy expenditure. Unconvinced? For example, research shows that a 68kg person burns 99 calories in 30 minutes of housework.

5. Partner

"If you have a partner or roommate, a team approach can make some tasks exciting and fun," says Dr. Manly. "By sharing certain tasks or dividing them up based on personal preference, cleaning can be a positive rather than a negative task." Dr. Ferrari also recommends this strategy, which he calls "social sharing".

6. Do less to do more

In some cases we can postpone tasks because they take a lot of effort to get them done "properly" or as completely as we'd like. If this is the case with some or all of the tasks, Dr. Ferrari is proposing to relax its standards a little.

7. Add a "carrot" as an incentive

You can also use what is known as the premack principle to motivate yourself . He argues that likely or desirable behavior, such as B. Binge-watching Netflix, can be used to identify less likely or desirable behavior, such as B. Wash dishes to reinforce. Simply put, you can combine your tasks with an activity that you really enjoy to motivate yourself to do it. For example, Dr. Ferrari to treat yourself to 10 minutes of your favorite show for every 10 pieces of dishes so you have to wash a sink full of dishes to get the full show.

8. Do uncomfortable tasks in the morning.

The concept of " decision fatigue " states that the more decisions we make in a day, the less self-control we have and the less able we are to regulate ourselves, says Dr. Ferrari. In other words, at the end of the day we are so exhausted with all the micro and macro decisions that everyday life demands that we struggle to make good decisions (for example washing dishes now instead of letting it pile up) . . For later). To avoid this danger, she recommends doing some of your least favorite tasks first thing in the morning.

9. Outsource your least favorite or most stressful tasks when you can afford it.

Obviously, not everyone can afford to hire someone to help with household chores, but if it's within your budget, consider outsourcing some of the nasty chores that are weighing on your home. After all, when you consider how priceless your health is, the math could finally make sense!

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