Post # 25 - Why I Started Romanticizing Chores (and How It Changed Everything)

Posted under: Home & Lifestyle | The Full Life Edit

For most of my life, chores felt like punishment.

Dishes piled in the sink mocked me. Laundry baskets seemed bottomless. Sweeping, folding, scrubbing — they were tasks to rush through, preferably while daydreaming about real life happening somewhere else.

But over time, I realized something: chores aren’t going anywhere. They will always be part of my days. And if I spent my whole life resenting them, I’d be teaching myself to resent entire chunks of my time.

So I tried something different. Instead of fighting chores, I started romanticizing them. And to my surprise, they shifted from burdens to quiet rituals that make my home — and my mind — feel lighter.

🪞 The Old Way: Resentment on Repeat

Here’s what chores used to feel like for me:

• Endless: As soon as I folded laundry, more appeared.
• Invisible: No one claps when you vacuum.
• Overwhelming: Waiting until everything piled up turned one small task into a mountain.
• Draining: I rushed through chores with a sigh, waiting for the “fun” parts of the day.

I thought of them as interruptions to life. But what if — I wondered — they were life?

🌿 The Shift: Romanticizing the Mundane

Romanticizing chores doesn’t mean pretending to love scrubbing toilets or pretending folding laundry is glamorous. It means reframing them as part of the rhythm of living, and infusing them with small rituals that make them feel less like punishment and more like grounding.

Here’s how I started:

☕ Step 1: Pair Chores With Comfort

I play music or a podcast when I do dishes. Sometimes it’s soft jazz that makes me feel like I’m in a cozy café. Other times, it’s a podcast that makes the minutes fly by.

I light a candle when I wipe down counters, turning the kitchen into a space that feels alive instead of sterile.

With laundry, I brew tea or coffee, and let folding become a meditative act. I smooth out wrinkles, stack warm clothes, and sip slowly.

Result: The task becomes less about rushing and more about presence.

🕰 Step 2: Shrink the Task

Instead of waiting until chores become overwhelming, I shrink them. Five minutes of tidying before bed. One load of laundry instead of three. Washing dishes as I cook instead of letting them tower.

By romanticizing the smallness, I remind myself: This is manageable. This is human.

🌸 Step 3: Add Sensory Joy

I stopped treating chores as mechanical. Now, I notice the sensory details:

• The sound of warm water rushing over plates.
• The smell of fresh sheets as I fold them.
• The gleam of a swept floor catching the light.

These details, once overlooked, are small rewards for my attention. They turn chores into moments of mindfulness.

🎶 Step 4: Treat It Like a Ritual

When I frame chores as rituals, they stop being interruptions.

• Making the bed = closing the night and opening the day.
• Sweeping = a reset button for my space.
• Wiping the counters = tucking the kitchen in for rest.

I no longer see chores as just cleaning — I see them as storytelling. I’m telling myself: This space matters. I matter.

🧠 What Changed

When I started romanticizing chores, I noticed real shifts:

• Less Resentment: I don’t dread housework as much because I’ve woven in things I enjoy.
• More Peace: My home feels calmer with small resets instead of chaotic pile-ups.
• A Sense of Care: Chores no longer feel invisible — they feel like tiny acts of love toward myself and anyone who shares my space.
• Mindfulness: Instead of zoning out, I find myself breathing slower, noticing more, feeling more present.

💡 Why It Matters

Life isn’t only made of vacations, promotions, or milestones. Life is dishes. Life is laundry. Life is crumbs on the floor.

If I can find joy here — or at least peace — then I’ve unlocked something bigger than a clean home. I’ve unlocked a way of living that doesn’t postpone contentment until later.

Because later may never come. But right now, there are warm sheets to fold, and a candle to light while I do it.

🌿 A Gentle Invitation

The next time you face a chore you dread, ask: How can I soften this moment? Maybe it’s music. Maybe it’s slowing down. Maybe it’s noticing the scent of lemon soap as you scrub.

It doesn’t have to be glamorous. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

It just has to feel a little more like life, and a little less like punishment.

💬 Tell me: Do you have a way of making chores less heavy — maybe a playlist, a ritual, or a mindset shift? Share it in the comments — I’d love to try your version of romanticizing the mundane.

– M.E