Make Everyday Chores a Training Ground for Stoicism: How to Use Daily Tasks to Easily Reap the Benefits of this Ancient Philosophy
Do you ever feel like the mundane tasks of everyday life are a waste of time? Annoying, exhausting, and sometimes frustrating? If so, it's time to change your perspective and embrace them as an opportunity. From folding laundry to cleaning dishes, you can use even the most minor tasks to reap big rewards by practicing Stoicism. This article will provide tips on incorporating Stoic exercises into your day-to-day activities and transforming ordinary and sometimes annoying moments into something extraordinary!
Annoying obligations as a chance
"That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.7
Imagine you had an exhausting day at work, the commute home was tiring, and when you open the door to your house, there is a never-ending list of chores. From folding laundry to cooking dinner or cleaning dishes, everyday life can sometimes feel like a single chore. Does that sound familiar?
Luckily there's a little trick to make it more fun. It's called, drumroll, perspective. Changing your perspective and attitude toward those chores can turn them into an opportunity rather than a burden. Consider the words of Marcus Aurelius: Do these tasks make you worse? The clear answer is no, so don't allow them to harm you.
You'll benefit from this switch in perspective in several ways:
- Increased mental health: You stop your inner resistance and feelings of stress and exchange them with positive associations.
- Improved self-knowledge: By reflecting upon your attitude toward chores, you'll gain better self-knowledge, making it easier to identify what parts of your life need to change.
- Increased resilience: Working through things you usually don't like and making them opportunities will increase your strength against any kind of challenge.
- A happier life: Finally, a positive attitude toward chores and letting go of your negative thoughts will make everyday life more enjoyable.
Ideas on How to Incorporate Stoic Practices into Your Routine
Taking care of yourself and showing love to yourself are vital parts of happiness and well-being. And guess what? Doing the household chores is actually part of caring for yourself and your home. So, here are some practical tips you can start doing today and level up your happiness.
It's in your control
First and foremost, keep always in mind that it's within your control to do your chores. If you don't want to, you must live with the consequences. It's up to you. But when you decide to do them, your attitude makes the difference. Do it grumpy or happy; your choice. I prefer doing them happily because I've chosen to do them. What about you?
Mindfulness
Do you want to become more mindful? Mundane household chores are fantastic for training your mindfulness capacity. Do everything with complete attention and without distraction. Concentrate on every movement, your thoughts, surrounding sounds, smells, and the different textures of everything you touch.
Gifts, not burdens
When you're doing your laundry, how about taking a moment to appreciate what you have? Don't feel that gratitude? Perhaps you have an excess of clothes? Why not consider giving them to someone in need? As an awesome bonus, it'll lighten your laundry load. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved - a pretty good deal, don't you think?
Aside from that, what would your life be without all your chores? Doing the dishes? Cooking? Cleaning? All those things make up an essential part of your life, so take a minute to be thankful for them. You can do them. You don't have to. You can! Be grateful for having them. Be thankful for having two arms and hands (hopefully you have) to do them with.
It's a gift, not an obligation.
Communication
It's frustrating when your partner or kids don't do their chores, right? But it's no reason to be frustrated or angry. Instead, it's a wonderful chance to practice kind and empathetic communication and listening. Try to understand their point of view and see what you can do to help them. You'll benefit from better relationships and understanding of each other. How great is that?
Conclusion
Mundane household chores don't have to be annoying obligations. With a change in perspective, they become opportunities to practice Stoicism, build inner strength, and help on the way to a eudaimonic life. It's lightweight training for the bigger struggles and challenges of life. So embrace your daily chores, infuse them with the magic of perspective, and make every moment count!
