How long does it take to form a habit? Answers vary, but most researchers agree that once formed, a habit is hard to break.
From incorporating a morning jog into your weekly routine to giving up smoking, making a positive change can take a little extra planning and effort – but deliberately forming healthy behaviours can have long-lasting and positive effects on your life. And the sooner you start, the sooner you feel the benefits.
Tired of letting the housework get on top of you? Feel like you never have time to clean? You can train your way to a tidier home by incorporating some simple rules into your routine.
Start these cleaning habits today to benefit both straight away – and in the long term!
- Make your bed every morning
Start every day by making the bed, instantly making your bedroom feel tidier. While it may not be top priority in hectic households, incorporating this simple act into your morning routine means you’ll associate the action with getting ready for the day – and there’ll be no temptation to slide back under the covers!
- Keep on top of laundry
It’s easy for laundry to pile up, especially in large households, but giving yourself a dedicated laundry day can help you stay on top of overflowing wash baskets.
- File paperwork as soon as you’ve read it
Just opened the post? Got a letter from school? Immediately file any important letters or bills you need to keep and recycle envelopes and junk mail. By getting into the habit of dealing with the admin straight away you can avoid paper piling up on counters or getting lost.
- Take a look round before bed
Though it can be tempting to leave last night’s mess to tidy in the morning, you’ll be thankful tomorrow that you did it tonight! Cast an eye over the kitchen and living room – carry out simple actions such as putting cushions and blankets in their rightful place, tidy up toys, shoes and bags, and deal with anything else you spot straight away – then you can sleep easy knowing everything is ready for morning.
