It’s become both a controversial topic and a thing of the past. Home-making has been aligned the #tradwife movement, lambasted as un-empowered or relegated to the misty idealism of the faux 1950s. But what if true home-making was actually one of the best things you could do for the planet and your own mental health?
I’m a big advocate for buying good quality in all areas of your life and then taking care of those items to make them last loner. Unfortunately, we’ve lost the art of home-making which enabled us to prolong the life of standard household items and reduce waste. In a lot of ways, I believe we’re also beginning to lose the art of creating a clean and pleasing home environment, which makes our families comfortable and our guests feel welcome.
Learning how to take care of your items prolongs their use
I recently undertook to sharpen the kitchen knives for my in-laws. They were incredibly blunt, and there was talk of throwing them out for a new, sharper set. Armed with a whet stone and strop, I managed to return a good cutting edge to all the knives (save the serrated bread knife). The knives are now a pleasure to use, and they’ve been saved from landfill for several years to come.
Sharpening knives was once a universal skill, as was mending linens , polishing leather and maintaining clothing. Today, these skills feel lost to all but a few. It’s so much easier to just buy something new. However, I really believe that the time taken to car for the things you own is so important.
Caring for your items is good for your budget. If I spend money on a beautiful tablecloth, good knives or leather shoes, I want them to last. I also know that if I have something that looks lovely and functions well, I’m less likely to want to buy something new. This way, I reduce my participation in the consumerism which is so damaging to our planet.
Imagine the positive impact we could have if we all decided to sit down with a whet stone every few months. Instead of buying cheap plastic-based handbags, or throwing away leather that has become cracked and stained, whip out the leather conditioner.
Good home-making reduces waste and clutter
Following on from my first point, good home-making reduces waste in all areas of the home. You can save a lot of waste by learning how to store your food correctly. Taking the time to learn to meal prep can reduce impulse buys that end up getting mushy at the back of the fridge.
I also find that there are some great old fashioned tips for using odds and end. Bone and vegetable broth is so easy to whip up with your chicken bones and the off cuts of vegetables. It’s also so good for your gut health. Even something as simple as having a regular cleaning schedule for your kitchen can help you find almost out of date items or vegetables in need of immediate use.
Regular cleaning schedules are just gold in so many ways. They help you keep track of what you own. If I’ve got a place for everything, I’m less likely to forget what I own and buy duplicates. Pro tip for those trying to reduce clutter: if you have to dust everything once a week, you’re going to clear things out pretty quickly. It’s just too painful to dust 101 things you don’t really need.
Working with your hands can promote mental health
A lot of us work with computers today. I spend my work hours typing away, but rarely see a physical copy of my work. During the pandemic, even socialising had to move to the virtual. Now, these things aren’t all bad. I enjoy the ability to work in the comfort of the office, or better yet, my own home. But there is a growing disconnect between our brains and bodies which can be detrimental. We actually need physical tasks to promote good physical and mental health.
I find that working with my hands is a great way to unwind, even if I’m just doing the laundry. Sitting down to draw, sew, embroider or write on a physical page is relaxing and rewarding in a way that scrolling Instagram can never be. While these activities are hobbies, the act of home-making can also provide this brain-body connection.
Going back to my knife example, I found that incredibly rewarding. Obviously, I keep talking about it. But it was an hour of just using my hands, letting my mind run gently in the background. That’s how I came up with the idea of this post. Rather than getting my brain to think, I was able to just let it roll in the background, and it came up with fresh ideas. I felt rewarded to see the physical outcome of my work: knives that slid through paper with ease.
Home-making requires you to work with you hands. You could sit down to embroider a new cushion rather than buying one. Perhaps you’d like to take care of your kitchen utensils or sew on a button. But it doesn’t even have to be that involved. The act of cooking, washing the windows or hanging laundry can all give you a chance to work with your hands and let you mind rest.
