The psychologist-approved bartending tip I've used to clean my kitchen for 15 years

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Even though it's been years since I've been bartending, I still have some tips and tricks from my years behind the bar that have followed me home. You can tell that a smoothie (or pina colada ) is perfectly blended when a hole the size of a nickel has formed in the top of the blender, which resembles a nickel eye. A tornado; Rolling the files on the work surface before cutting will help you get more juice around the edges. But perhaps one of the best habits I've learned in my years as a bartender is the " leave to finish " cleaning routine that's been gaining attention lately on TikTok's #CleanTok page .

When I was a bartender, my coworkers and I carefully locked the bar every night, wiped down sticky bottles, refilled coolers, and polished the bar surface to a shine. You never wanted to blame yourself when a waiter opening the bar came in disheveled and growled, " Who closed last night?" " » Then you would not only have to clean up the night before, but also do all the necessary prep work for setting up the bar, including filling the gaps with ice, cutting lots of fruit, and preparing the mixes.

At home, I practice a similar closing move to appease whoever is going first (i.e. my future self; I live alone). It's a little overwhelming to see dishes in the sink or cluttered countertops in the morning, which is why I like to put together a "finishing team" each evening. In this TikTok video , user @yourgirlabbey jokes about the closing team not doing their job and having to take over in the morning. Extremely relevant!

I set a timer (usually 10-15 minutes) and race against time to clean everything before settling in for the night. My finishing shift usually includes loading the dishwasher, cleaning my pots, wiping down the counters, and washing my water bottle (I'm part of the Owalla Free Sip team). Even though I'm a pretty messy cook who cleans on the side, I can still complete this task quickly, and it's a lot less work than closing down an entire bar (and with sore feet, no less).

What experts think about "fence changing."

Therapist Risa Williams, LMFT , is a time management consultant who recommends a tool she calls the "cleaning meeting," which involves putting things away at the end of the day so you can transition into rest mode.

"It doesn't have to be an intensive cleaning process," he says. "It's important to think of it as a nightly ritual that helps you prepare for an easier time in the morning to maintain the habit." In this way, we can help our future by clearing the patio and making space in the morning to focus on things.

A final shift can also be satisfying, says San Francisco-based therapist John Clarke, LPCC , because throughout the day we're exposed to "a lot of feedback loops that can't be closed." For example, a stalled home repair project, a task at work that you're awaiting approval for, or simply a conversation that you're "keeping up with."

"Often it's these little things, like completing a piece of work, that satisfy our brains in a very deep way and make us feel like a situation is complete and final," says Clarke. "It is also important to know that despite all the uncertainties in life, we will have a perfectly clean kitchen tomorrow; It is naturally very satisfying and relieves anxiety. Think of it as a treat for yourself in the morning. Believe us, the experts say so.

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