The Humdrums of Housework as Healing
We all wash dishes, sweep and/or vacuum and fold laundry. I despise the chores but have recently found a bit of joy in the tedium of getting daily work done. For myself, it has come in the organizing of fabrics, ironing them and adding hang tags.
Mundane work can seem annoying but it can also surprise you. As a teenager, I had a job that called for me to be quiet while doing repetitive work. Every minute seemed to last forever and it was impossible for me, with raging hormones, to work in silence. Now, I appreciate the solitude and the repeated actions as a soothing reminder to slow down. Our lives are very busy and taking a moment to enjoy the slowness of housework can be a very good thing.
In the last decade, much research has been done looking at mindfulness and meditation in housework. When doing the work, we are meant to really focus on the task. This helps us to immerse ourselves in the breaths and movements of our body. If washing dishes, we can take in the scent of the soap, feel the bubbles on our hands and get lost in the circles of scrubbing. Vacuuming, even though it can be noisy, can actually be enjoyed too. The extension of the arm back and forth and seeing the smooth clean lines of each pass remind me of a zen garden when completed. Finally, quiet satisfaction can be gained while folding laundry. Taking in the scent of fresh linens, feeling the textures under your hand and changing a pile of fabrics into neat little stacks has a truly meditative quality. It is said that really putting focus on what we are doing can:
- Help do the job better, and maybe faster
- Improve our concentration
- May have increased relaxation
Every week I find myself commuting to and from our atelier (work space), creating mood boards, meeting with artisans, shaking out carpets or returning home from travels. I love the work I do and find it very enjoyable, however the stress can be a bit much. I used to avoid the scene I will describe below, I practically dreaded it. But one day it hit me! This does not have to feel like work, another chore to be done. It can be a form of meditation I had read about before.
Today, knowing that I will be able to sit still and do some “housekeeping” brings a smile to my face. I have a methodology I follow in order to prepare my mind to be still. First, I gather all the items I will need. I put my measuring tape, labels, safety pins etc. on the table top and plug in my iron. Next, I make a stack of fabrics and place them on a chair to my left.
Now the meditation begins, I slowly pass the warm heat of the iron across each piece of fabric. As one hand holds the iron, the other caresses the wrinkles. I watch as the fabric is made smooth again. The slight hiss of the vapor escaping the nozzle of the iron as I lift and set it down gently whispers in my ear. I lay each freshly pressed on a table, one atop the next until the stack is complete.
In my seat, the tightly wound measuring tape unfurls as I pick it up. Between my thumb and index fingers, I stretch the tape from end to end of each recently pressed fabric. I intentionally note the length and width under the item name on small pieces of cardstock adorned with a loop of twine.
As I fold lengths into halves, then quarters, then eighths I start to notice how slow my breathing has become. Seagulls mew above and dogs bark below adding to the usual sounds of chatter and traffic that fill the air. I attach hang-tags to their corresponding textile, gently making a new stack and take in the view of my success for the day.
As I tilt my head for a gentle stretch, I catch a glimpse of the clock. An hour has already ticked by and I am not mad about that. I am overjoyed. My once despised task is now finished and I have a serene sense of being.