It’s not just the big things that conspire to overwhelm us in life, such as ageing parents, stressed teenagers, the demands of work. From finding the time to do the laundry to meal planning, food shopping, cleaning, financial admin and staying on top of all your family’s extra-curricular activities, the smaller things can mount up too. So it’s hardly surprising life can feel like a browser window with too many open tabs, manageable only by endless to-do lists.
‘Psychologically speaking, it’s not necessarily the quantity of things we have to do that makes life feel overwhelming – it’s the fact that they’re all different,’ says psychologist Dr Sandra Wheatley. ‘When you’re managing work, family, household tasks and perhaps ageing parents as well, there’s only so much mental capacity available.’
To close some of our open to-do tabs, Sandra recommends reassessing what really needs our attention. ‘The simple answer is to focus on your priorities – but the problem is that everything feels like it matters, and often, it genuinely does. So try asking yourself: will this still matter to me in a week’s time? Where does my attention need to be?
Once you’ve worked out what really needs to be focussed on for the week ahead, it’s time to think about what can help you achieve that. And while household tech can’t help us with the major worries of life, LG has a range of ingenious AI-powered home technology that can ease the mental load of domestic life by making chores a whole lot easier – and close some of those exhausting open tabs.
The open tab: is everyone’s laundry done?
Why it’s taking up space: ‘Laundry is a perfect example of a task that looks simple but is actually made up of lots of tiny irritations,’ says Sandra. ‘You’re checking the weather forecast, deciding when to put the washing out, monitoring whether it’s dry, checking whether the machine has finished and then folding everything up and putting it away.’ All those little jobs are part of completing the task, she adds – and with all that planning, the job ends up taking a disproportionate amount of mental space.
How to close the tab: ‘Be proactive and enlist the family’s help,’ says Sandra. She suggests telling everyone (if they're old enough) that there is going to be a change in how the laundry is managed. ‘Tell them: ‘If you need something for sport or a lesson, or a special top washed for a party, it’s your responsibility to get it sorted’. If their clothes aren’t downstairs in front of the machine, it’s not happening. Push the responsibility back on to the person it matters to.’
Let technology help: LG’s WashTower AI is a space-saving, stacked washer and dryer with built-in AI which takes the guesswork out of laundry settings by automatically selecting the optimal wash and dry settings, giving you one less thing to think about. And if clothes aren’t ready for a full wash (but have somehow ended up in the dirty laundry pile), the LG Styler can help. This clever steamer gives clothes a refresh rather than a full wash, getting rid of germs and odours and sanitising fabrics. It can even help reduce creases from clothes, reducing ironing time.
The open tab: what are we having for dinner?
Why it’s taking up space: ‘Meal planning and shopping can take up a huge amount of mental space,’ says Sandra. And what might seem to be a simple task is complicated by the fact you are trying to meet everybody else’s needs at once (which can be challenging in a house with meat-eaters, veggies and protein-hungry teenagers).
Close the tab: ‘It’s important to remember that feeding everybody is not solely your job,’ advises Sandra. ‘You’re a parent and a partner – you’re not the only person responsible for knowing what the household needs. Make it everybody’s responsibility to add things to the weekly shop. If something isn’t on the list, it doesn’t go in the trolley. That makes the system clear and prevents the responsibility automatically falling back on you.’
Let technology help: Instead of spending time rummaging about in the fridge to work out what you do – and don’t – need (and letting all that cold air out), the LG InstaView uses clever glass panel technology. Simply knock twice and you can look inside without opening the fridge door, enabling anyone to see at a glance what you’ve got for tea (and what might be missing) and saving energy at the same time.
The open tab: what shall we watch tonight?
Why it’s taking up space: Choosing something for everyone to watch can feel surprisingly high-stakes, particularly if it’s the one time the family comes together. You want the evening to go well, so finding the right programme becomes your responsibility. This can require hours of research to find a show that suits teens and parents, or even younger kids. ‘You become the chief negotiator – the fully fledged United Nations referee of the family,’ says Sandra. ‘But that also means you can use your position to create a fairer system.’
Close the tab: Research isn’t just up to you. ‘Ask everyone to make their pitch, almost like a Dragon’s Den: why should you watch this, and what’s so good about it? It’s a useful way of finding out what your children are interested in. You can take it in turns, keep a note of the suggestions and agree on the fairest way to decide.’
Let technology help: With LG’s OLED evo AI TV, there’ll be no more endless searching for something to watch. These supersmart TVs offer quick access to apps and entertainment and personalised TV and film recommendations powered by AI… you’ll spend less time trying to find something everyone will agree on, and have more time to actually enjoy being together.
Let LG help ease the load at lg.com
