Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed? Overwhelmed with the house. Overwhelmed with all the places to go. Overwhelmed with wondering, how in the world am I going to do it all?
First, that’s completely normal.
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Second, take a deep breath and realize that overwhelm is the enemy here. If you just take a minute to breathe and recenter you can actually get so much more done than you think you can.
Below is a list of 65 tasks, chores, things you can do in 10 minutes or less. Some of them only take a minute or a couple of seconds. But if you have a handy list you can get a ton done in those in between moments. Moments you might otherwise waste.
Waiting for the kids to find their shoes and get them on? Why not shake out the door mat or put away a few dishes while you wait. Bonus: it keeps you from tapping your foot and yelling at the kids to “hurry up!!”
Got 10 minutes before dinner? Instead of watching a pot boil, sort through the junk mail, throw out the expired food in the fridge, or make your shopping list.
I’m not saying you have to be busy all the time. Down time is good too. But when you are overwhelmed, it can keep you from doing anything. So use this list as a jumping off point. Set a timer for 10 minutes, pick an area, and see how many of the tasks you can get done before the timer goes off.
You may be surprised how much you get done. You may not want to stop after 10 minutes. You will definitely feel less overwhelmed and more productive.
(Oh, and don’t forget to get the kids involved in this 10 minute dash too!)
65 Tasks You Can Do in 10 Minutes or LESS
Tasks In the Kitchen:
Unload the dishwasher
Load the dishwasher
Wash the dishes
Put away the clean dishes/clear out the drying rack (It just always seems to pile up, right?)
Wipe down the kitchen counters
Take out the trash
Clear and wipe the kitchen table
Wipe down the front of the kitchen appliances (I’m not the only one with sticky finger prints all over the fridge, am I?)
Organize the junk drawer
Organize your baking pans
Organize your spices (Refill the salt shaker, throw out any old jars, make a note of which ones are running low)
Organize 1 cabinet (pans, glasses, silverware, etc)
Clean or bleach the sink
Clear out old and expired items from the fridge
Clean the microwave
Organize the pantry, make a shopping list (here are some free printable grocery lists to try!)
Take out the compost
Chop veggies for the fridge or dinner
Related Reading: How to Be a More Productive Stay at Home Mom
Tasks In the Bathroom:
Clean the toilet
Clean bathroom mirrors
Empty the bathroom trash
Organize your medicine cabinet
Scrub the shower/tub
Mop/sweep the floor
Floss your teeth (C’mon, you know it’s important!)
Restock the toilet paper
Change the towels
Shake out the bathmat
Tasks In the Living Area:
Vacuum or sweep a room
Vacuum the stairs
Start a load of laundry
10 min zone clean
Wash a window (or 2)
Dust a shelf (or 2)
Dust the TV
Reorganize the book shelves (spines out!)
Wipe down ceiling fans (I don’t know how they get so dusty when they never stop moving!)
Pick up shoes, jackets, etc and put away (At least in my house, NO one can seem to put their shoes on the shoe shelf or basket!)
100 item pickup of items around the house
Vacuum under the couch
Vacuum the couches and chairs
Shake out the door mat
Dust the pictures on the wall
Related Reading: 5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Pick Up Their Stuff
Tasks In the Bedroom:
Make a bed
Change the sheets
Fold and put away a load of laundry (it’s a never ending job, but you can make a dent in it!)
Clear your dresser top
Throw out socks with holes (and underwear, bras, shirts from high school that are too small but you just can’t seem to get rid of them….)
Vacuum or sweep
20+ item pickup
Tasks On the To Do List
Pay a bill (or 2)
Sort and discard mail
Clear your inbox
Respond to an email
Restart your computer (I know, you’ll lose all of your open tabs, but sometimes it has to be done)
Plan your day (a good plan will make you so much more productive! Use these free daily planners or weekly to do list templates to help you!)
Water the plants
Lift weights
Work out (push ups, planks, crunches, jumping jacks)
Feed the pets
Make a call (all those appointments you’ve been putting off…)
Cut your finger and toe nails (or the kid’s nails or the dog’s nails)
Clean your desk
Delete old photos from your phone
Meditate
Do you want a printable copy of this checklist? Click here to get your copy!
That’s just a start really, there are probably tons more little jobs and chores you can get done in less than 10 minutes, but use this as a jumping off point to stop being overwhelmed and get it done!
