Easy organising tips: While the kettle boils

Being organised usually costs nothing, but it can save you quite a lot of time and money. I’m always surprised at how many organising ideas can be carried out in five minutes or less, often while the kettle’s boiling before a tea break.

Think about it. All the little tasks we tend put off can suddenly add up to a lot on your to-do list. You’re left with a strange nagging feeling at the back of your brain, or overwhelmed and not knowing where to start with everything that needs to be done.

Yet many of these relatively minor things take only a few minutes to complete, so let’s try something to break through that resistance. How many tea or snack breaks do you take each day? For me it’s about three, either on weekends or days when I’m working from home, so that’s three little chores I can tick off my list on those days.

It needs to be a fairly simple activity that can be done and dusted in a short timeframe. I call them ‘tea break tasks’ although they’re technically pre tea break tasks. The best thing about them is that I get to fully relax on my break afterwards, because I know I’m keeping on top of stuff.

PG’s Tip: If you’re boiling a kettle and then brewing some tea, you also have the option of doing a quick job that you can split in two. For example, putting the kettle on and sorting out junk mail, then running it out to the recycling bin while the tea’s steeping. Or, say, unpacking the top and bottom shelves of a dishwasher.

Tea break tasks in the kitchen

These are the easiest to remember, because that’s where the kettle is. My kitchen is pretty tidy, which helps to keep things above the dysentery line if nothing else.

Here are some examples to try. Remember: you don’t need to do a deep clean here, just keep those little bits of everyday life running smoothly.

• Put everything on the draining rack away
• Wipe one or more counters with anti-bac
• Clean the outside of the fridge or freezer door
• Clean one shelf inside the fridge, or veg drawer or inside the door
• Wipe down the sink or draining board
• Refill a worktop canister, a pepper mill or the handwash
• Declutter one small shelf or part of a worktop
• Quickly clean the hob
• Sweep the floor
• Wipe down the fronts of five cupboards
• Make a simple menu for the week
• Update your grocery shopping list
• Empty out full bins (food waste, general waste, recycling)
• Update your household calendar (physical or virtual)
• Throw used / grotty towels or cleaning cloths into the laundry bin, replace
• Clean the inside, or the front & top, of the microwave
• Put rarely used appliances or ingredients away
• Get rid of five useless items in the junk drawer
• Any super-quick food prep

You can probably think of at least ten more quick jobs to try in your own kitchen, to fit best with your space or lifestyle. We have a bread machine, so one of my personal speedy tasks might be starting off a simple midweek loaf of bread. What are yours?

PG’s Tip: I find it much easier to get everyday cleaning done in a hurry if I have the relevant products grouped together. An organiser box with a carry handle works the best, especially if it also contains cloths, brushes, dusters or whatever else you need.

Tea break tasks: rest of the house

It depends on your size and type of home and your lifestyle, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Separate laundry + put the washing machine on
• Chuck some toilet cleaner in the loo
• Spray descaler onto bathroom taps
• Dust something smallish (a shelving unit, picture frames)
• Pick some fruit, herbs or veg from the garden
• Put a simple bunch of flowers in a vase
• Shake out a doormat outside
• Wipe windowsills or skirting boards in one room
• Vaccuum a rug or a hallway
• Clean a smallish window or a mirror
• Make a bed or strip bedding
• Collect things together to go out (charity shop donations etc)
• Shake out a shoulder bag
• Clean rubbish out of the car
• Put kids’ toys back on shelves or away in a toy box
• Put something away into the shed or garage
• Clean a screen or pair of glasses
• Put gadgets or rechargable batteries on to charge
• Set the table for dinner or breakfast
• Sweep the doorstep or front path
• Give indoor or outdoor plants liquid feed
• Stretch out your body, roll your shoulders, touch your toes
• Do a yoga pose, a plank or some sit-ups

Everything listed above is only a suggestion, but it’s a chance get thinking about what might work best for you.

PG’s Tip: If an activity seems too big to complete in one go, you can often chip away at it though repeated smaller tasks. For example, I often challenge myself to put five things away or into the recycling if there’s a big pile of mess – hey, it’s a start.

Tea break tasks: To do anywhere

You don’t even need to be at home for these ideas, and they can be carried out during any short break in your day.

• Check your bank balance (what’s available, or any unexpected outgoings)
• Check in with your budget for the week or month
• Pay a bill, or make sure it’s gone out as scheduled
• Add something to your expenses list or spending diary
• Check savings or investments (ideally using a simple app)
• Update your diary with work / social / learning / wellbeing / fitness activities
• Make an appointment (hairdresser, dentist, school stuff, vet visit etc)
• Reply to social messages, arrange to see friends
• Try a breathing or relaxation exercise
• Set your intentions for the day, or remind yourself of personal priorities
• Check off completed activities on your to-do list

What other activities would you add to your personal options here?

Why does it work so well?

Most people get a small dopamine hit from completing a task, so you’re punctuating your day with little lifts. It can also be fun to play a game with yourself, trying to beat the clock to get a quick win.

Regular maintenance tasks are especially handy for ‘life laundry’ which is an ongoing process in all households large and small, and keeps problem areas under control (every home has them).

This simple technique can be used to chip away at subtasks to tackle larger projects too. Plus, you get peace of mind from nagging thoughts about mess, or other things you haven’t tackled. There’s a healthy sense of ‘keeping on top of things’.

Oh, and don’t forget, you get to relax afterwards with a nice cup of tea and a well-earned sit down. Maybe a biscuit.

Are there any tasks do you usually do while the kettle boils? Which new ones are you going to try?

Enjoying this post? You may also like:

• The Reuse & Recycle Tenner Week Challenge
• Book review: Banish Clutter Forever
• My 5-day Declutter Week Challenge