Tiny Homemaking Joys: 7 Everyday Chores That Feel Like Self-Care

Not every moment of homemaking is sweet, but some are. And I’ve found that when I lean into these tiny joys, I feel more present in my body, more rooted in my space, and more capable of facing what’s hard.

Here are seven chores that sometimes feel like self-care:

1. Folding laundry slowly. Especially little clothes. Especially when there’s nowhere to be. My favorite time to fold laundry is in the morning before anyone is awake or after the kids are in bed and we’ve done the “closing shift” everything is clean and quiet, I can light a candle or incense, listen to music or a podcast and do this task slowly, opposed the the frantic panic when there isn’t any socks left.
2. Sweeping while barefoot. Feeling the floor under me connects me to now. I wish I had the grass to walk barefoot in every day, but sweeping while barefoot is definitely a grounding experience. Especially if you’re cleaning up after a particularly hectic day it can be way to settle and collect all your frazzled nerves from the crazy.
3. Opening the fridge and wiping down one shelf. Sometimes we have those moments where we look at something and are like “man I should really take care of that”. If I just take the moment to do that thing, then it’s one small thing that doesn’t get added to my already seemingly endless to-do list. I’m definitely guilty of starting one thing that snowballs into me doing 15 others, but this practice has helped me do the one thing and move on.
4. Wearing gloves while doing the dishes. I know it seems so old fashioned, and It wasn’t even something that I thought about since I’ve had a dishwasher for a while. I got some stainless steel pans and those have to be washed by hand. With the amount that I cook, that means a lot of washing. As a result my hands were struggling. I commented to a friend about it, and they suggested gloves! They’ve bene a godsend for the dry hands and chipped nail polish. It might not seem like self care, but these little steps have made myself feel more pampered.
5. Watering the plants. Starting the day with fresh air was something my mother always did. It was usually opening the windows or hanging the was in the early morning sunlight, but during growing season that included watering the garden. I have a little patio garden and every morning I go out and clean up the patio (darn mulberry trees) and take a look at my plants, watering them if I need to. I love the smell of dirt and plants. It’s another way for me to ground myself to get ready for my day.
6. Making the bed. This isn’t one that I started doing until recently. Our bedroom is small and a little cluttered having to fit in all out clothes with no closet space, both desks, my sewing and crat stuff, and all of my books. The bed is one of the biggest things in the room so it’s where you eye is drawn to first. Making it neat makes the rest of the space feel less chaotic. It’s definitely nice to see through the day when the rest of the house is a toddler tornado. At the end of the night it’s nice to feel like I have a calm inviting place of respite.
7. Pouring a cup of something warm before starting the evening reset. A small reward for getting through the day. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, heck even a hot toddy! Treat yourself for getting through the day and as motivation for the last few tasks ahead of you before you’re done for the night. If you’re like me somedays you might wait until after your done, because if you stop moving you’re not going to start again.

These aren’t hacks. They’re reminders. That homekeeping is heartkeeping, and sometimes, the chore is the care.