Tell me if this sounds familiar: you invite company over only to find that your house is a little messy, so you go on a frantic cleaning binge to try and pretty it up for them. Apartment Therapy says relax: no one's judging you for something we all do.
This isn't exactly a "life hack," and it may even sound a tad common sense-y, but for those that are obsessive about cleanliness—like me—this probably hits home. Just like any other realm of productivity, perfect is the enemy of the good—and constantly aiming for perfect will probably only stress you out. Apartment Therapy says:
[Don't worry that] it's not perfectly clean all the time. Isn't that always how it goes? You keep your house clean most of the time and then you have unexpected guests show up the one week it looks like you're auditioning for an episode of "Hoarders." Don't worry about it. And DON'T keep saying how it's usually much cleaner. Don't say these three things either. People just aren't judging you as much as you might think.
When to worry: If you start letting your dogs use the bathroom in the house or if there are any stacks of things threatening to topple onto someone.
They run through a few different variations of this that are all worth reading, from not worrying about pet hair (everyone has pets) to not worrying about having unfinished DIY projects (unless they never get finished). It's a good little reminder that not everything has to be perfect, and few people are going to judge you for a little mess here and there. Hit the link to read more.
Stop Worrying: 7 Things About Your Home That Aren't a Big Deal | Apartment Therapy
Photo by Tom Burns.