I gave the ‘try-for-five’ method a go in my small home – it's a brilliantly easy way to beat chore procrastination in seconds

There are days when it's tempting to just lay on the sofa and do nothing, even with countless chores screaming to be tackled – that's where the ‘try-for-five’ method comes in.

If you've had days where your body feels too heavy to move and your mind is swamped, you're not alone. As my chores started to build up recently, I was forced to find a simple and quick solution to banish my housework procrastination.

The ‘try-for-five’ method required me to try any chore for just five minutes in an attempt to turn my bad days around – and it's the only decluttering method I've found that balances being kind to yourself with productivity.

The ‘try-for-five’ method for chores

The idea behind the try-for-five method is simple – you force yourself to try whatever task is haunting you for five minutes, be it home organizing or some decluttering when you feel overwhelmed. If at the end of the five minutes, you still feel low-energy and the thought of carrying on makes you want to cry, you stop with the knowledge that you showed up, gave it a go, and accomplished something.

If at the end of the five minutes, you feel more energized by the movement, you carry on for as long as the task takes you, or until you need a break. It is one of the best expert tips to banish chore procrastination.

I have used it countless times to tackle my least favorite tasks – decluttering and tidying a home when I feel overwhelmed. If I am struggling to get motivated to declutter, I will myself to just stand up and try putting a few things in my immediate vicinity away. If I am in my living room, this usually means clearing the coffee table and the sideboard to clear visual clutter in a living room. In my bedroom, this typically involves some simple laundry organization hacks or decluttering the bedroom ‘clothes chair’.

More often than not, the movement and the quick results of tackling small spaces mean that I feel inspired to carry on. There have been occasions where just forcing myself through those five minutes has resulted in some of my most efficient decluttering sessions ever, especially when I have paired the try-for-five method with brain hacks to make chores easier such as body doubling.

It isn’t just me who loves this method. Dr. Paul Daidone, medical director at True Self Recovery shares, ‘The "try-for-five" strategy may be an excellent way to overcome past executive dysfunction because it reduces the obstacle to starting, which usually is the most difficult part.

'By deciding to do only five minutes, you reduce the pressure and resistance that come with getting the task completed. The method can also shatter the all-or-nothing way of thinking that gets you into so much procrastination.

‘To some, momentum being once started, will win out and they'll keep going more readily. Even if they fail at five minutes, there is some small victory and feeling of advancement, and perhaps that becomes motivation in itself.’

My tips for the try-for-five method

• Pick a simple task: You do not want to try a mammoth task such as cleaning or decluttering a pantry in five minutes, instead, you want to pick a small manageable task, such as micro-decluttering and tackling just one drawer, or dusting a few surfaces in one room. Using the one-tool cleaning method may spark some inspiration.
• Set a timer: Setting a timer helps to hold you accountable for completing the full five minutes, while offering you a clear time to stop should you need to.
• Try body doubling: Body doubling, a.k.a. Working alongside another person be it in-person, on a call, or by using a video from platforms such as YouTube is one of my favorite ways to motivate myself to clean as a serial procrastinator. It helps to hold you accountable for your tasks and makes chores feel less lonely, helping you to stay focused when decluttering.

Meet the expert

Dr. Paul Daidone

Paul has been practicing medicine for more than 20 years, treating the patients of Arkansas in their hospitals and homes.

The try-for-five method might not feel like a good way to make cleaning fun, but that is arguably not the point of this approach. Rather, trying for five helps you balance being kind to yourself and allowing yourself rest should you need it with the opportunity to break free from executive dysfunction and slowly start to build better habits. It’s a great way to stop bad cycles and develop discipline.