Instead of just “getting the job done,” you can ritualize your tasks, transforming them from menial dreaded chores to sacred moments of love and attention. Says Zen teacher and writer Karen Maezen Miller, “Your own attention is what spiritualizes things. Attention to the meal you cook, the clothes you wash. Attention is love. And that’s transformative.”
This act of paying attention while completing chores is a way of practicing “zazen” where you lose the conscious mind through repetitive action.
The more you practice zazen by focusing on the task at hand, the easier it becomes and the more contentment and peace you will feel. With practice, your chores will take on deeper purpose, and over time you will find even the most menial tasks worthwhile.