How to Turn Laundry into a Mindfulness Routine

In December last year, I was hired by Samsung to share my guidance on how you can turn laundry into an opportunity for self care. Instead of approaching this task with disdain, we can embrace the ritual of laundry as a chance to slow down in our busy world…

The original press release can be viewed here.

I challenge you to change your view of laundry after reading the following points:

1.      Give laundry a designated home in your weekly routine - If you’re constantly playing catch up with laundry or feel like you’re putting on a load every day, being more mindful and scheduling in a designated laundry day and time into your weekly routine is a good starting point to restore order and protect your wellbeing. Look at your weekly routine and choose a day - or two if required - where you will work on completing your laundry. Washing, drying and folding won’t take the whole day’s worth of hours, but if you’re able to put the washing on in the morning, get it drying by the afternoon and then fold in an evening or on another day, you will be able to enjoy the other days guilt-free knowing that you’ve already completed the laundry for the week. Most often, laundry takes less time than we think, but if we’re constantly procrastinating about getting it done, along with worrying about constantly trying to fit in it, laundry will seem like it takes much more time. Be proactive with staying on top of your laundry through scheduling it in, instead of reacting to it and being forced to put on a load when you run out of clothes. I time block Sunday and Wednesday as my ‘getting on top of my laundry’ days; Sundays are for washing and drying, and on Wednesday I schedule in some folding time. For me, finishing the laundry feels like I’m ‘resetting’ my home and restoring order, leading to a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.   

2.      Habit change for wellbeing and the art of time blocking – Studies into habit change will tell you that if you’re going to be successful in managing and sustaining new positive behaviours, you need to be specific with the timing on when you’re going to complete a task and practice a new habit. People who create a specific plan for when they will perform a new habit are more likely to follow through. With this in mind, identify a specific block of time during the week where you will complete your laundry. This method is called time blocking. What works for me is putting on the washing on a Sunday morning straight after I finish a cup of tea. I fold my items on Wednesday morning after I drop my children off at school, and when my children are with me in holiday time, I still try to stick to this timing. Many people mistakenly think they lack motivation towards a task, when what they really lack is clarity on when they’re going to complete the task. Be clear and identify the correct laundry time for you. On average, it takes up to 66 days for a new behaviour to become embedded, so be kind and patient with yourself, as you become the master of your laundry pile! I couldn’t think of a better way to improve our wellbeing than to take ownership of a task that has previously plagued our time and attention.

3.      Reflect on why we do this task - The next time you do laundry, take a moment to pause and ask yourself ‘why am I completing this task?’ What purpose does it serve? How does laundry support your lifestyle? Why is it important to you? I believe laundry is an act of regaining control over our homes and lives, which is essential for maintaining our wellbeing. Learning to appreciate laundry as a wellbeing exercise means fostering an appreciation for a seemingly mundane task. In actual fact, this task is an essential part of life, allowing us to serve others, and ourselves. Laundry is also representative of the beautiful reality that we are fortunate enough to actually have clothing in the first place, along with the tools (including detergent, a washing machine, dryer, drying rack to name but a few) that enable us to look after our clothing. Allow yourself the time and space to discover why you’re grateful for laundry; the more evidence of gratitude you find, the greater the reward on your wellbeing! In research on positive psychology, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, and build strong relationships.

4.      Experience the joy in folding – Many people stall at folding their items, after completing the washing and drying part of the process, and this is a great shame. You may not know this, but folding has many benefits:

·       Folding enables you to express gratitude to your belongings. You grant yourself the time to slow down and reconnect with your items, and check whether each item is still in good condition. Taking good care of your things leads to taking good care of yourself. 

·       Through folding, you are able to consistently check in with each item to determine if it still serves you well. Every time you fold an item you can ask yourself ‘does this still bring me happiness?’ and ‘does it still fulfil a purpose in my life moving forward?’ This heightened awareness and control over what you own is fulfilling and empowering, and laundry provides us the opportunity to regain control on a regular basis.

·       Folding facilitates you becoming a more conscious consumer. If you’re aware of exactly what you own, you’re less likely to buy items unnecessarily. Furthermore, if you fold your items using the KonMari® folding technique, you’re able to see what you own at a glance when you open the drawer or storage space because each item is stored vertically. Over time, this organised space becomes a mental photograph that you remember every time you’re tempted to buy something new. Who knew that becoming more mindful of the laundry process could save us money too?

5.      Say ‘thank you’ – When you’re taking care of items through laundry, ask yourself what each item does for you to support your lifestyle and find a unique way to thank that item. Examples include: a warm coat that protected you from the elements; some exercise shorts that supported you in your workout; a pair of cosy pyjamas that allowed you to unwind after a busy workday; or your uniform, which enables you to work to earn a living. What a gift our clothing is! These items serve us well, in line with our vision for how we want to live our lives, so it’s only right that we invest the time and effort it takes to launder them with gratitude and respect, and pay our thanks. Saying thank to your clothing you may seem a bit strange at first but I challenge you to try it with a few of your items as you’re folding them, and check in with how this makes you feel. You can say it out loud or internally, whatever way works for you. I fully believe that expressing thanks and appreciation towards your clothing and linen can open the pathway to discovering what else you’re grateful for in life. Starting with small acts of gratitude is just the beginning to living a life of joy.

6.      Change your perspective - To experience more joy in life, we need to shift our focus to the positive. Instead of building up a negative image of folding laundry in our minds, create a vision of yourself completing the laundry as an act of self-care. Think about how will you prepare the environment for completing this act; I like to light a candle and play music, which reflects the seasons. At the moment, my laundry playlist consists of Christmas music, which certainly contributes to a positive laundry setting! I also make a cup of my favourite English breakfast tea to accompany me during the task. Think of an appropriate activity that enhances your wellbeing and try to incorporate that into your laundry routine, to make laundry an activity you look forward to.

7.      Engage your senses - Effective meditation engages all of our senses, and it’s possible to turn your laundry routine into a meditative experience. If you think carefully about the act of laundry, it has the opportunity to engage most of our senses. We can enjoy the beautiful smell of freshly washed clothes, feel the warmth of the items emanating from the fabric fresh from the dryer, see the beauty in the items as we fold them and feel a great sense of pride in our hearts that we have completed a ritual that will make the home (and our lives) run more smoothly. Meditation is the antithesis of multitasking; it requires us to focus inward and switch off the outside world, through awareness of how we are feeling at that moment in time. Similarly, the ritual of laundry can also provide us with a chance to slow down, focus on one thing at a time, and reflect on how we’re feeling in that instance. As a ‘slow living’ enthusiast, I agree that life is better and our wellbeing is protected when we’re not trying to multitask. Your laundry routine can provide countless chances for you to practice the art of ‘slow living’.

8.      Celebrate your success in completing the ritual of laundry - In life, I think we’re all guilty of not pausing long enough to recognise our achievements and celebrate our wins, however small. Completing laundry is an act of self-care, not only for yourself but also for the members of your family, if you’re completing laundry for them too. Being responsible for this ritual shows your commitment to your family, and serving them in this way shows that you respect and love them. This is certainly something to be celebrated! After you have completed the laundry, and all items are back in their place, find a way to reward yourself. It can be something as small as enjoying your favourite biscuit or running yourself a bath. I like to commemorate the end of this task by blowing out my ‘laundry candle’ and saying out loud ‘laundry complete! Well done Katrina.’ We all need to hear praise in our lives, especially from ourselves.

9.      Get others involved and spread the joy! - If you’re a parent, depending on the age of your children, try involving them in the task. I understand that this may seem like a frightening prospect! It may take longer at first as they get used to the process, but teaching your children how to complete the laundry is an important life skill and will serve them well in the future. I believe taking care of the items in our homes is a shared responsibility, and we have to act as role models to allow others to see the beauty in completing this ritual. Model the positivity you experience in completing the laundry, guide others on how they can change this household task into a mindfulness ritual and act of self care, and share with them how you feel increased gratitude and appreciation towards your clothing and linen. Be the change you wish to see in your home, and use the ritual of laundry as a means to initiate this change. 

What are your thoughts on the above points? I’d love to read your feedback in the comments…