Benefits of habit “Combine chores with rewards”
✓ Increases productivity
✓ Improves sense of achievement
✓ Fights boredom
✓ Increases motivation to do chores
✓ Improves general mood
First step:
One time this week
Progress:
1. This weekend, bundle up 1 chore together with 1 activity you want to do. As an example, do your ironing while listening to an audiobook or a podcast you like.
2. Next weekend (or weekday, whenever possible), combine 2 chores with activities you like.
3. Keep increasing the chore and activity combination, until you look forward to doing chores while performing your favored activity.
Helpful tips to make it a habit:
✓ Same time is key. To develop any habit, doing the action at the same time can greatly speed up the development. Try planning your chores all at the same time every weekend so you would get used to combining them with other activities.
✓ Trigger your mind. Leave your audiobook or other gear for good things next to the ironing board or cleaning utensils. Let yourself know it’s time not for one, but both.
✓ Let the app help. Set the reminder on this app to signal just before it’s time for chores to also remind you to do something you like.
✓ Reward yourself. Once you’ve gone a full month combining chores and rewards, treat yourself with a night out and away from your chores. Do something you truly like and enjoy it to the fullest.
Tips for beginners:
✓ Choose what you like and make it portable. Nice pair of headphones, carefully selected entertainment – that’s what you need to make the reward for chores compelling. Prepare and think carefully of what you want to do to make the chore pass faster.
✓ Organize your chores. Together with making them compelling, organize your to-do list in a way to allow you for time to enjoy the activity you like, but also to finish the chore productively. Set time limits, plan chores need to be done before or after others.