Cleaning the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, doing laundry, and vacuuming—the thought of doing all these chores could seem daunting, but one woman has shared her useful tips to stop people feeling overwhelmed by the chores of homemaking.

Susan Heid, from Lake Stevens, Washington, knows exactly what it’s like to feel anxious and stressed about the amount of housework that needs to be done to make a house feel like a home. It can seem never-ending and it’s hard to know where to begin.

Heid admits that she used to feel incredibly overwhelmed by homemaking too, telling Newsweek that “we all succumb to this type of thinking” at some point. But the 56-year-old insists that the best way to conquer that sinking feeling is by making proactive routines that are easy to follow.

“Many moms and women I’ve talked to feel swamped by their homes. It’s striking how the idea of having someone over can spark such anxiety. Our culture’s obsession with having so much stuff makes managing it all incredibly time-consuming,” Heid said.

“Figuring out what to do to keep things tidy can feel overwhelming. But instead of waking up thinking that your home overwhelms you, shift that thought process to how much you love your home and want to create a family-friendly space. Finding and building a few helpful habits will pave the way to your goal of a nurturing, tidy home.”

For Heid, those changes included a task list to follow daily or weekly, which she feels has “been one of the most helpful steps” to keep her on track.

Heid, who regularly shares her homemaking tips online (@confidentmom) admits that it’s easy to develop “decision fatigue” when there are so many jobs to do. But as soon as she created a structure and realized that homemaking could be as simple as a 10-minute tidy-up, her perspective was transformed.

Heid hopes to show people that looking after your home can be accomplished through small daily acts without even realizing it. She told Newsweek: “Once I established routines, things changed for me. Creating habits that give the results we want makes it easier to stick to them. They don’t feel like a burden, they bring joy instead.”

On November 21, Heid shared an Instagram reel explaining how people can stay motivated with key habits, as she told her followers, “I got you.” Many social media users have lauded the positive outlook, leading to more than 19.8 million views and 580,000 likes on the post.

If there’s one thing that has surprised Heid the most since the post went viral, it’s how much it resonated with people of all ages and genders. She acknowledged that “it was aimed at women,” but there are also many men who want to make their home feel perfect and don’t know where to start.

“It’s eye-opening how many people feel lost in today’s world with no guidance on cleaning and homemaking. These are skills many missed out on due to family situations, I’m realizing the impact my small Instagram corner is having.

“I know that our society truly needs comfortable, tidy homes where families can find respite. It’s my passion to help inspire and equip homemakers in the skills they may have missed out on,” she continued.

With more than 25,000 comments on Heid’s Instagram post already, many people highlighted how difficult it can be to look after a home, so they appreciated her guidance.

One comment reads: “I literally just told my best friend I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Another person commented: “I was never taught how to take care of myself or my home. I want to learn how to do that even if it’s only for myself. This was very comforting to come across, thank you.”

While others suggested that it shouldn’t just be women who need to learn the value of homemaking, as one Instagram user wrote: Why just women though? I think everyone should know how to do basic cleaning.”

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