Why a Messy Space Can Cause Depression And What To Do About It
Who likes to come home to a messy space? No one. Not me for sure.
Think about it for a quick sec. We get so caught up in our day to day life that keeping the house neat and clean sometimes gets overlooked and well, the clutter starts to pile up.
Be it mail, toys, books, paper, clothes, whatever.We stare at it then look away and avoid it. Then the emotions start because our space has now become a pile of fucking clutter and we feel like shit. We feel depressed and now the cycle begins. Shit. I'm no stranger to depression and talk about my fight with the D beast all of the time. It's just that, a constant fight. When it hits hard, if feels like I need an entire football team just to help carry me out of bed because I feel that heavy.
So I know how it feels.
The pile of clutter and mess start to grow fast.
You avoid it. Crawl back into bed, then take a peek from under the covers just to see if the mess has somehow magically disappeared.
Nope. It's still there and the sight of it makes you feel like crap and so the mess continues to pile up and the cycle just keeps on going.
On and on and on....
So cleaning or tidying up the house falls way down on your To Do list. I know first hand how much of a struggle that cycle can be, but I'm okay with that now, but it drives my husband fucking crazy since he is a neat freak, but throughout the years, he's learned to understand my depression.
He still nags me to put away the clean laundry that sits on the bench at the foot of our bed for weeks (yes weeks), but he's learned to understand that when depression hits me, I need to have my own time to deal and ride it out until the storm passes. Sometimes that takes a couple of days and sometimes weeks, which is an improvement for me since my depression cycles use to last months.
If you know what I'm talking about and have felt sad or unmotivated to do much of anything let alone clean or declutter your space, I'll give you this piece of advice (which my therapist gave me-yes I'm stealing), be easy on yourself. It's that simple.
Why a Messy Space Can Cause Depression And What To Do About It
When you try to clean or declutter all at once, it feels overwhelming. Shit, it makes me want to crawl back in bed and hide under the covers (curtains closed and everything).
Depression and anxiety makes us think that we have to do things in one shot or not at all. It's all or nothing, but it isn't. It doesn't have to be and let me tell you, it has taken me years to grasp that. So instead, I say tackle one thing at a time.
Be easy on yourself. It's okay. The world won't come to an end.
So maybe for you that means taking 15-30 minutes to fold and put away the clean laundry. Maybe it means taking 15 minutes to dust the furniture, sweep the floors or even organize your closet.
Whatever it means for you, I promise you this, you'll feel better to have accomplished something. You'll feel proud and good about yourself and that is something to celebrate because being productive when depressed feels like a fucking miracle.
Now I'm not here to tell you that organizing or cleaning your space will cure your depression. I'm not a Psychiatrist or any other type of doctor or therapist, but what I can tell you from experience is that a clean and organized space does help to feel better and when you feel better, you ignite hope and with hope comes change that my friend is something to look forward to.
Ready to do something about your messy space once and for all?
Grab the Finally Declutter and Organize Your Space Course for simple tips on how to organize a small closet or any area of your home. Click here for the course.