The art of washing dishes

I’ve never been a neat and tidy person. Like most kids, I hated cleaning up. But after living alone for so many years, I’ve sort of developed some kind of an OCD.
I like to tidy things like sorting my stuff to look proper and clean.

So dirty dishes? Hated it. Especially if you have a mountain that was left for weeks. Gruesome.

But guys*, please do the dishes. You might not see the benefit now but you will thank me later. Gone are the days we’ve been foretold that it’s a ladies’ job. Modern men do dishes now, and so can you.

According to a study from Florida State University, they found that participants experienced a 27% reduction in nervousness and a 25% increase in feelings of inspiration by washing dishes. Heh.

Source http://www.getwellnow.com/mindfulness-and-the-art-of-washing-dishes/

Here’s what I’ve gained by just washing the dishes.

1) Create a system (be more systematic in living)
- We have processes at work. We have project management, product management etcetera. We can apply that at home. Try it on dishes, you will be amazed.

2) Tackling/troubleshooting issues
- We always focus on the bigger issues. The most critical to business. Because people see the obvious. Start with the bigger dishes. Uncrowded the sink fast.

3) Think and react calmly
- It’s dirty, it’s gross. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Pacing is good. Learned it here too.

4) Increase productivity
- Dealing with dishes every morning inspired me to do more creative stuff. I always feel clear-headed and calm when I work or code.

5) Life goals/priorities
- Sometimes, some stuff makes more sense since you are calmer now. The AHA moments!

On a serious note, let’s share the work, it’s our responsibility to keep our house clean. If you can’t do it at home, how can you learn and survive the world?

* At some part of the world, there is still this belief that house chores/works belong to the ladies/mothers