The Depression Room

I get it. Cleaning can be overwhelming. If you’re like me, you make excuses. You get busy; you get depressed. I’m one of those people that surrounds their necessities around their bed so they don’t have to leave it. With that being said, you can only imagine what the rest of the spaces look like.

I wake up early, I go to work, I get tired, and I have a million other responsibilities. At the end of the day, my living spaces feel a lot like my mental health- neglected. You try to motivate yourself with Pinterest quotes telling you that a happy space is a happy mind, so you feel obligated to at least try. After all, the time you spent complaining and procrastinating you could’ve been achieving something productive. I’m supposed to be cleaning now, but here we are- procrastination at it’s finest. So, there’s the golden question- how? How do we make ourselves do something when our subconscious is fighting so hard to stay in bed and do it tomorrow? We said tomorrow yesterday, didn’t we?

My problem is it all seems overwhelming. I see the dirty laundry and dishes piled up, I see the trash that should’ve been thrown away the moment it was produced, I see one shoe all the way across the room from the other one. I never know where to start so I just never do. Usually I give up and let the mess continue to multiply, but sometimes that isn’t an option. Eventually, I found a method that worked for me. I discovered ways that eased my mind to make it all seem a little less overwhelming.

The first step is a little unorthodox- watch television. You can’t just turn on a bingeable Netflix series, because you’ll waste the rest of your day finding out what happens in the next episode. On one of my procrastination benders, I realized watching organizing shows made me want to emulate the same level of cleanliness. There’s two different shows I suggest, though there are many more. The first one is Hoarders. When I’ve let my spaces get messy and unorganized, I can usually still see the floor. After finishing an episode of Hoarders, I promise your quick spring cleaning pick up won’t seem nearly as overwhelming. The other show is Netflix’s Get Organized With The Home Edit. After watching an hour of color-coding and labeling, you will also want an alphabetized, rainbow bookshelf. The first time I watched an episode of this show, I bought out the entire container sections of Walmart and Dollar Tree (we are on a budget, after all). It’s honestly incredible what matching hangers will do for your closet. Joanna and Clea create beautiful, organized spaces for people that I guarantee you will want to mimic in your own home. However, if you’re in a rush, scroll through the organizing side of Tik Tok or Instagram. This will usually do the same trick.

Now what? We’ve made it this far. We’re motivated, we’re inspired, we’ve procrastinated while simultaneously helping ourselves mentally prepare. But we still don’t know where to start. This is where the second method comes into play. I personally have a variety of dry erase boards I use for this, but a paper and pen will work just fine. I draw a map of the area I want to clean. I start with the placement of my doors and windows, and then the furniture. This may seem silly, but it helps you visualize and process the space you’re about to tackle. Next, I draw lines to section areas off (example: the three by three foot section in front of the door, the space between the bed and dresser, the bed itself, etc.). This helps to break down a big problem into smaller, easier to handle problems. Finally, I number the sections. This way, when I start cleaning, I’m not dealing with the whole room- I’m only dealing with one small area at a time.

When I make it to the area, I pick up all the trash. This gets rid of unnecessary clutter. Then, I delegate the rest of the items to whichever section they belong in. This should leave you with only items that belong, at which point you can organize them into their appropriate spot. I usually wait to wipe down, dust, and vacuum until everything has been picked up. At this point, you should be completed with this section. Congratulations! You made progress. Next, I move onto whichever section falls next in order of how I numbered it. If I find items that belong in areas I’ve already cleaned, I will go ahead and put them away in the appropriate place. This saves you time by not having to go back over areas you’ve completed. If you finish up all your sections follow it up with a nice cleaning of whatever needs it. Dust the shelves, Windex the mirrors, and don’t you dare forget the ceiling fans if you have one. Finally, you should be able to vacuum, spritz a little Febreze, light a candle, or do whatever makes you feel cozy in your home.

When you’re all done, the last step is the most important. Reward yourself. You’ve done something you told yourself you would, and this deserves to be rewarded. It doesn't matter if it’s a pat on the back, a nice shower and a face mask, or maybe even one more episode of Hoarders. You should feel proud of yourself. All that’s left is to maintain the work you’ve done, and if anyone learns the trick to that- please let me know.