A friend recently said to me, “I think you’re totally amazing. You do it all… work, housework, with NO dishwasher, mom, wife, and you still find time to workout and do outings with your kiddo and just be incredible.”
I was flattered and reassured because, like a lot of us, some days I DO NOT have it all together. (Ask my girlfriends how we coped with the first few weeks of online school.) Some things are great, but some have just been extra challenging since March. (See: Work from Home Tips to Get You Through Coronavirus and The Pros of Covid.) Also, there are plenty of things I don’t do. I don’t sew, iron, use Snapchat, do school fundraisers, or dust. (See not-to-do lists in this blog: You Set Your Schedule.)
The dishwasher comment amused me, though. My husband and I do the dishes together every night, and I enjoy the time we have together to talk about our day. (Except on Thursdays, which are extra-long in our house. On Thursdays, I ask the dog to do the dishes – she hasn’t yet. I wish my little sister would still visit once/week to help out, but she’s raising her own family in Panama.)
I have something in common with billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. They both do the dishes at home. “I do the dishes every night. I’m pretty convinced it’s the sexiest thing I do,” Bezos (2014). I was reminded of the importance of doing mundane tasks and household chores when I stumbled across this article, The Science of Why Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates Still Do the Dishes.
The article shows that there are creative and emotional benefits to doing the dishes. At the end of the day of using our brains, doing dishes or folding laundry gives our brain a much-needed break. Chores allow us to slow down and be mindful. We can focus on the water, the suds, and let our minds wander if we’re washing solo. Or, if, like me, your washing the dishes with your significant other, it gives you the chance to talk side by side, which allows for different conversations than we have face-to-face (especially when the child is in the other room).
The Business Insider article mentioned above cites a study that showed how those who washed the dishes more mindfully were less nervous and more inspired. Yes, all that from a simple reframing. I’ve experienced that too. When my husband isn’t home, my 12-year-old steps up to the sink to rinse. I see how he plays in the water, and I’m reminded to slow down and enjoy, not just try to be so efficient all the time. (My Grandma would be proud. I never understood why she liked doing dishes, and she often told me I was too efficient. I get it now, Grandma. I get it now.)
Similarly, so many of our good ideas come to us when we let our minds wander sans technology. Many of us forget to daydream, to let our brains play and innovate and make new connections. Do you have great ideas in the shower? Me too! Gates and Bezos have learned to look for other opportunities in their day to get these creative recharges.
So, dear friends. Yes, my kitchen is tiny. Too small for a dishwasher. But that’s ok. Some of our best family time is at the kitchen sink. And I’m glad to say it will stay that way. Unlike Bezos and Gates (I’m assuming), my kitchen is so small that you can’t walk through it while we’re doing dishes without bumping into someone. And I think that extra touch is pretty great too.
What mundane tasks do you enjoy? Or how have you reframed them to make them more enjoyable?
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-jeff-bezos-benefit-washing-dishes-2018-12
