How I Trick Myself Into Cleaning (Even When I Don’t Want To)

How I Trick Myself Into Cleaning (Even When I Don’t Want To)

My Honest Struggle With Cleaning and Motivation

There are days when I look around my space and say, "Nope, not today." My desk is messy, the dishes are waiting, and another five things are vying to be dealt with. It's like my environment is yelling at me from every corner: "Clean me! Fix me! Deal with me!" And instead of buckling down and getting to it, I want to curl up on the couch and just scroll through my phone.

When I’m drained from work, stress, or just plain exhaustion, cleaning feels impossible. It’s not even about me being lazy, it's about being so overwhelmed that the thought of lifting a finger feels exhausting. The thing I have learned over time: the hardest part isn’t the cleaning itself. It’s so simple: Getting started

And it was game-changing for me, that moment of realization. The minute I stopped regarding it as some external force I had to wait for and rather a little series of tricks I could use to kick myself into action, it became easier. Today I’m going to let you in on those tricks, the no-nonsense, simple strategies I have up my sleeve to get my butt in gear when I would rather do absolutely nothing. These aren’t lessons in becoming a perfect housekeeper or how to keep a house so spotless that a soft egg dropped on the floor would bounce. These are lessons that, at their core, are about making cleaning feel less daunting and a lot more doable.

Acknowledging the Struggle

Let me tell you the truth: it’s not the scrubbing or the folding, the wiping down, the rinsing or even the squeegee-ing, not for me. It’s starting. When I see a mess, I can look at it and immediately convince myself I need hours to clean it up, so why not just give up then and there? The mess always seems larger in my head than it is.

For instance, I'll look at the kitchen sink crammed with dirty dishes and sigh as if it’s a herculean effort. But the act of washing itself takes me fewer than ten minutes. The psychological burden of the mess is more burdensome than the physical effort it takes to address it.

And honestly? That happens to everyone. We live in a busy world in which our brains are continually managing work, family, errands and social commitments. And by the time we reach housework, we’re at our wit’s end. It’s easy to tell ourselves “we’re just lazy,” but we’re it’s really just fatigue of the mind.Instead of being hard on myself, I try to change my focus. I say to myself: All right, so you don’t want to do it; that’s common. But what’s one little thing you can do today? Instead of fighting my inertia, co-opting it has been a game changer.

The Tricks I Use to Get Started

These little strategies aren’t groundbreaking, but they’re surprisingly powerful. They trick my brain into action and turn cleaning from this huge task into something more approachable.

The 5-Minute Rule

One of my favorite and most effective tricks is the famous 5 minute rule. There’s actually versions of this like the 2 minute rule. .But I am a fan of this one. I take a deep breath and say okay, girl you have 5 minutes to finish this task and that is it! It really is like a game, I then start to feel the adrenaline to finish as fast as possible. And you know what the funny thing is? After those five minutes, it's actually difficult for me to stop once I've started! Once I start moving, momentum takes over, kind of like breaking the seal. I say “I am already here, I might as well finish what I started.”There’s actually a psychological reason behind this. Our brains hate unfinished tasks; it’s called the Zeigarnik Effect. When I start something, even a tiny task, my mind feels this itch to keep going until it’s complete. And of course, sometimes I do stop after five minutes, and that’s perfectly fine too. It’s still progressing even if I just wiped down the counters or picked up a few items from the floor. Progress is always better than nothing. And that tiny sense of accomplishment makes me feel lighter. What matters is that I tricked myself into starting, and starting is everything. 1% of something done is better than 0% of something done. 

Music or Podcasts

Cleaning seems like a drag when the only thing you are only thinking about is the end goal. But if you focus on the present it can actually be enjoyable with the right company. Hence the perfect opportunity to listen to a podcast or put on my favorite playlist.Sometimes I’ll blast a playlist with upbeat songs that make me want to move. Other times, I’ll put on a podcast episode and treat it like my “listening time.” Whether it’s a self help book or a scary story! Suddenly, I’m not just cleaning! I’m dancing around with a sponge or catching up on a true-crime story while folding laundry.It’s amazing how quickly time passes when one is entertained. What started as “ …I have to do dishes” becomes “oh, I’ll just listen to the rest of this episode while I clean.” And before I know it, I’m done.

One Small Spot First

It can be daunting to think about cleaning an entire room. But tackling one small spot? That feels manageable.I’ll choose a single spot:  the bathroom sink, my desk, the coffee table. I’m so focused on that one area, and when it’s complete I feel instant satisfaction. That tidy little space becomes a constant visual message that change is possible.And here’s the secret: it usually works to generate a little momentum. And then when I see how great one spot looks, I want to achieve that same good look on the rest of the room.” It’s like I’m paving my own way, giving myself that second push, that head start.

Rewards & Bribes

I actually bribe myself to clean sometimes. “All right, you can then have a coffee, a snack, or an episode of your favorite show if you do this for twenty minutes.”And what do you know? It functions. Rewards are adored by our brains. It feels less like punishment and more like a challenge with a reward at the end when an unpleasant activity is combined with a small treat.After cleaning the kitchen, I once promised myself a piece of cake. I earned the cake, so by the time I finished, it felt ten times more satisfying..

Mindset Shift

I used to believe I needed to wait for when I felt like cleaning. I would just stay in the mess and vow to myself, "I'll do it later when I feel like it." Fact? That feeling never actually came. What I learned in the end is that behavior comes before motivation, not the other way around. Once I get started, even with the tiniest action, my energy builds. The takeaway for me was easy: don't wait to feel motivated. Begin in small steps, and motivation will come. All you have to do is get started.

Future Me Gratitude

This one is less about tricks and more about perspective. When I really don’t want to clean, I stop and imagine how relieved I’ll feel later. I envision a “future me” walking into a lovely clean room, breathing easier, and actually being able to relax without guilt. It’s like giving a gift to myself in advance. Even if I don’t feel like doing it now, I know in the future, I will thank myself. And honestly, that gratitude feels so amazing. 

How It Feels After

The best part about pushing through isn’t even the clean space—it’s the weight lifted off my shoulders. When my environment is cluttered, my brain feels cluttered too. But once I clean, even a little, I feel calmer and more in control. It’s like flipping a switch from chaos to order. My productivity improves, my stress goes down, and I can actually enjoy my downtime instead of feeling guilty for sitting in a mess.And the funny thing is, I never regret it. I’ve regretted procrastinating, I’ve regretted letting things pile up—but I’ve never regretted spending ten minutes cleaning.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, staring at the mess around you and thinking, “Nope, not today,” you’re not alone. Cleaning is hard when you’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.Start with five minutes. Put on music. Clean one small spot. Bribe yourself if you need to. And most importantly, remember that the future you will be so grateful!It doesn’t matter if your house isn’t perfectly spotless—it matters that you made progress, even a little. Because every bit of progress adds up, and eventually, the mess that once felt impossible will start to shrink.So the next time you feel paralyzed by clutter, try one of these tricks. You might be surprised at how quickly your energy shifts once you just begin.