is there some psychological trick i can use to get myself motivated to do housework?
I spend most of my time on the internet and watching tv, usually both at once. usually it takes drastic measures to get myself to do something i need to do. I'm very forgetful and I procrastinate all the time...both consciously and subconsciously. please help. i am so behind on all household stuff, including bills....i'm running out of clean clothes and dishes. and the floor is such a mess. and i'm not even depressed.
2006-06-12T15:03:39Z
ummmm.....i'm 33....i'm moving in 2 months so i have to have my place somewhat tidy for whenever the landlord shows it...i only get 24 hour notice. plus...i don't even have a new place yet....you'd think i'd at least be motivated more to search for an apartment....i think maybe that i'm dreading these things or something for whatever reason.
sum12006-06-12T16:19:36Z
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make a system- actually called behavior contracting: For every hour of work, you reward yourself with an hour of internet/TV. Thus if you dont clean, you wont be able to be on the internet/TV. This system will definitely work if you are disciplined enough.
I don't know how old you are, but this is not unusual behavior for young adults living on their own for the first time. It's not easy to set up a workable routine for paying bills and doing chores, especially if you don't have someone else to force you to act.
As far as a psychological trick is concerned, you might want to pretend that a very important guest (parent, boss, celebrity) is coming over in two hours and you'd better be ready for them. Put on some frantic music like the William Tell Overture to get a real sense of urgency. If you don't get your place cleaned up in two hours, you're going to die.
Seriously though, the best solution is to actually have a real reason to keep your place and life in order. Many 'clean people' would actually be a lot sloppier if they didn't have company coming over all the time or a large house to maintain. Their motivation is not to look like complete slobs when their spouse's boss comes over for a surprise dinner. Right now you probably don't have that kind of lifestyle. The friends who do come over probably don't care about your housekeeping skills, so you don't feel any social pressure to improve.
Some of these chores do take time away from other things you'd rather be doing. Find a laundromat near a coffeeshop or something, so you'll have something to occupy your mind while you wait. Look into paying your bills online or have some automatic drafts set up. Direct deposit might keep you less tempted to nickel and dime your money away. If you have the money, hire a local cleaning service to get your house back in order. It's much easier to keep a house clean when you can see real progress.
You're looking for magic. There is none. Your Mom probably cleaned and cooked for you when you were young. She failed to teach you how to maintain a house. Just live like a pig until you find an understanding and sappy wife and your problems will be over. At least until the divorce. The book by Don Aslett "Is there life after housework" explains how to keep a house clean with minimal effort. It's a start if you want to grow up.
What are the signs and symptoms of adult ADD / ADHD? ADD / ADHD in adults can seriously impair work, finances, and relationships. Adults with ADD / ADHD may have the following symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity / impulsivity:
not remembering being told something, "zoning out" in conversations, being late or forgetting to show up when expected, speaking without thinking, pressured rapid-fire speech, seemingly random, and aimless hopping from one topic to the next, perceived as aloof and arrogant, or tiresomely talkative and boorish, compulsive joking, often about personal life history and feelings, easily frustrated or bored, leaving a mess, procrastination (difficulty starting tasks), incompletions (starting tasks, household projects, or book reading, but not completing them before new projects or new books are begun, leaving a never-ending to-do list), underestimating the time needed to finish a task, insecurity and self-esteem issues because of unmet high personal expectations, and often a high achiever, even an overachiever, but with poor self-image because of beliefs that more could be accomplished if not for disorganization. have you considered that you may have ADHD the things you mention are all signs. there are both medical and non medical ways of treating this problem you need to consult a doctor or do more research on your own
Imagine that someone very important is about to drop in. This trick might work as far as getting your living room, front room cleaned up. When that is done, take a short break, open up a cold drink or fix yourself a hot cuppa whatever. As you are about to take that last sip, imagine that person is going into your bedroom for some reason. Then get back into it. This trick may only work once a week,or so, but that may be all you need.