zen and the art of home maintenence

I've blogged before about my loathing of certain tasks: unloading the dishwasher, packing away clean clothes... etc. But reading Buddhism for Mothers has given me an idea. When your life's busy, taking the time to do these tasks mindfully can be a great way to meditate. I've never been one to meditate - never been able to shut off my mind long enough to sit. Plus, I feel a strong urge to multi-task - if I'm sitting, I might as well be reading, and if I'm reading, I might as well be drinking a cup of tea, then I might as well think about what colour I should paint my nails...

No more. Now, I'm going to just focus on the task and be. I'm not going to be cross or cranky about it, or begrudge doing it - I'm just going to do it. I do that now with food preparation - I adore chopping, slicing, dicing, sauteeing, so why not do it with other tasks? It's just a matter of finding a method you enjoy - and doing it often enough till it becomes a habit. So I'm going to try doing things in reverse. I'll try taking the washing basket into my daughter's room and unloading her folded laundry directly into her wardrobe and drawers, before heading into our room. With the dishwasher, I'll start at the bottom shelf and unpack my way to the top. Hopefully this'll confuse my brain into setting into a new habit with glee - where I can just breathe and get on with it.