February 28th - Cleaning Dance Party - Myrrhmade Love Where You Are Challenge Day 28!

   

February 28th - Welcome to day 28, the Final Day of the Myrrhmade Love Where You Are Challenge! 

Come on in and join us!

Day 28: Cleaning Dance Party! 

We did it! Time for a celebration! 

Instead of cleaning being an energy drain, make it into a party! 

Like romancing your chores, you can shift your energy and your mindset around the tasks that need to be done and bring joy to your time while you do them.

Daily Challenge: Have a cleaning dance party! 

Use that broom, that vacuum, that dish brush, that dusting cloth, and put on your favorite can't-sit-still music. 

You can do more in twenty minutes of high-energy joyful cleaning than in an hour of drag-yourself-around efforting. Expending energy in an enjoyable way is so satisfying, good for your body, and helps to make where you are even better. 

We've got this one life and this one body, let go of whether or not you're any "good" at it. This isn't middle school, you've already picked yourself. Move yourself however you want, however feels good, shush the inner voice (really, you're not going to die of embarrassment) and get yourself moving to the music.

Own your own awkwardness, embrace your own ability, release some of the tension, and let yourself live a little more! 

Daily Mindset Mantra:  It doesn't feel like work if you're having fun.

We don't avoid the things we enjoy. If there's something you have to do anyway, why not figure out how to add enjoyment into it? 

Most of my own work is done with or emulated by children. No one wants to clean up when it feels bad.

Put on some upbeat music and make it fun to work together! I'm surprised every time at how much work gets done in a very little amount of time. Why not choose to have fun? 

Bonus task: Move your body enough to get your blood pumping.

To take some inspiration from Newton, a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. If you find yourself sedentary much of the time, or even more than you'd like, intentionally switch it up. Take cleaning dance breaks. 

Even if you don't think of yourself as very active, you can put on a few songs and dance your way through ten or twenty minutes of cleaning. 

A handful of minutes of joyful activity a few times a day can help clear your mind, get things flowing, and counteract much of the time many of us have to spend in front of the computer these days.

Before you know it, you're checking items off your list, have gotten quite a bit of exercise, improved your sleep, and added quite a few happier moments to your day.

My experience:

This is a strategy I often use at cleanup time in the evening. 

I have several playlists of upbeat songs that help me keep my energy up and change chores into fun. 

If you're looking for inspiration, here are some of my favorites for dancing while cleaning: 

"Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee

"Baby Can Dance" by Carsie Blanton 

"Over In Gloryland" by Preservation Hall Jazz Band

"Happy by Pharell" Williams

"La Mer" by Chantal Chamberland

"Death Of Me" by Tony Lucca 

"Swing Valise" by Gus Viseur

"Avalon" by Benny Goodman

"Sous Le Ciel De Paris" by Duo Gadjo & their Hot Friends

"I Still Get Jealous" by Kermit Ruffins

"Little Lies" by Dave Barnes 

"Sugar and Cream" by 11 Acorn Lane

"Sympathique" by Pink Martini

"La Vie En Rose" by Louis Armstrong

 "Symphony No. 88 Finale" by Haydn

"What A Little Moonlight Can Do" by Billie Holiday

"Via Con Me" by Paolo Conte

What are your favorite can't-keep-still songs to uplift you as you do what needs to be done? 

Check out all the other posts in the Myrrhmade  Love Where You Are Challenge.

A huge thanks to everyone who takes the time to read my posts and for all the encouragement and lovely comments I've received while doing this series. While this challenge has come to a close, I'll keep posting regularly and sharing what I learn along the way. 

#myrrhmade #lovewhereyouarechallenge #cleaningdanceparty