When you’re experiencing depression, addiction, or anxiety, even the simplest tasks can seem insurmountable.
Neglecting your own self-care and letting your living space become messy and cluttered can be a big sign of depression. Multiple studies have shown that a dirty living environment is not healthy mentally or physically. In fact, living this way can actually make you feel more down and apathetic.
Instead of staying trapped, test out the insightful advice of Reddit user u/encouragemintx, who has been there. This Redditor recently shared some tips to slowly peel back the layers of clutter and reclaim your life.
Here’s their advice for how to “clean it like it is your best friend’s place,” because, after all, it is!
“Battling addictions, depression, or burnout syndrome is hard enough, battling it once your place becomes a trash-filled waiting room of a grave is even worse,” they wrote. “Here is my tested advice on how to get yourself to clean it up.”
Step 1: Trash comes first.
They recommend starting with the easiest, most obvious thing that’s staring you in the face. Grab a trash bag and begin stuffing it with any garbage that’s sitting around.
“It will go so much quicker than you think and seeing the huge clear progress will cheer you up spectacularly,” they wrote. “Get a roll of plastic bags. Start from the floors. Just grab everything that is ‘definitely a trash’ and move through the flat.”
“It will take a lot of bags, I won’t lie,” they continued. “But it will feel good. You’ll breathe better. You’ll be so relieved, so much weight off your shoulders.”
Step 2: Don’t stop until you’ve gathered every scrap of trash in the house.
“Take a break if you need to, but don’t be tempted to take this part bit by bit for days,” they wrote. “Keeping in your comfort zone got you here.”
Step 3: Tackle the dishes and the laundry.
The things we use every day are the things that tend to pile up, but taking care of them can also lead to the biggest impact on your mood. Opening a drawer and having clean clothes at your fingertips feels good and promotes self-care.
It may seem daunting, but remember: “You’ll get there. One mug at a time, one plate at a time.”
Step 4: Take a break and admire your work.
“After that, there will still be, other than the daunting fridges and ovens, microwaves and bathtubs of the world, a lot of stuff to do. But take a break. Take a lil walk through the flat. You did half the job and you can take the remainder bit by bit.”
Step 5: Take some time to finish up.
“You can take a week to do it all, but once you do, trust me. You’ll feel revived. You’ll have a place you can relax in, without constantly feeling like a failure and pushing yourself deeper into a spiral with it.”
This post is a pep talk to anyone currently mired in depression. The author encourages self-love and forgiveness, acknowledges how much it hurts to feel this way, and then urges everyone to get off the couch and make themselves a “clean place to heal.”
We hope you’ll take their advice and take steps to improve your corner of the world. Why not start today? Don’t forget to share this story.
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