There are a million causes for depression, very few think to include a messy house as one of them. Untidiness and disorganization can create a cluttered mental state, causing some people to feel even more buried and burdened by life's many stresses.
How a Messy Home Can Add to Depression
A mess in the home can be both the cause and the result of depression. Depression hits hard and makes many of life's mundane tasks difficult and overwhelming. According to a quote by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Amie Ragan on the Unclutterer blog, people will often let their homes fall into a state of dishevelment when they are not feeling strong emotionally. “I often use the term 'depressed lifestyle' with my clients. It is hard to feel good when your house or apartment looks like a bomb went off, your friends don’t call anymore, you’ve gotten fat and you look like hell.”
Those prone to any form of depression should make a constant effort to stay on top of untidy habits. Living in a constant mess can bring down self-esteem and motivation, making it even more difficult to make the decision to finally tackle the burden. Keep a basic level of cleanliness in mind at all times to avoid the inevitable stress that will otherwise ensue.
How Cleaning Can Help to Ease Depression
The Depression.com website states that depression causes are related to physical changes in the brain and connected to imbalanced chemicals, called neurotransmitters, carrying signals to the brain and nerves. There are a vast amount of other factors that trigger these physical reactions, adding up to a problem that needs to be tackled from every angle.
No matter what the cause, depression will often leave sufferers feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed. If able to build up enough motivation to start a small task, such as doing the dishes, a depressed person can start to see an immediate positive outcome. The instant gratification after accomplishing something as simple as straightening up an area of the house can encourage him to continue productive activities to see further results.
The act of cleaning is a great way to get a depressed individuals mind off of the things that are bringing him down. It can be an effective starting point to begin accomplishing more necessary tasks and uplifting spirits. By scratching cleaning the house off of the never ending to-do-list a depression victim can ease a little of the built up stress that has been weighing him down.
How to Stay Organized and Keep on Top of Life's Constant Mess
Keeping a clean house doesn't need to be difficult. These are some simple ways to stay on top of the clutter and keep up with household cleaning.
- Don't allow mail and paper clutter to be scattered around the house. Keeping paper mess manageable will free up many surfaces, making the house look that much cleaner. Keep a filing cabinet where all bills, notices and important papers can easily be stored and organized.
- Stay on top of dishes. A messy kitchen is very discouraging to work in. Keep dishes left out to a minimum by cleaning up after every meal without procrastination.
- Give the bathroom a wipe down every few days. There is no need to scrub the entire bathroom every time it's cleaned as long as the sink, tub and toilet are given a good quick cleaning habitually.
- Make a habit of straightening up before leaving the house or going to sleep. It's always so much nicer waking up or coming home to a clean house then an untidy one. It will definitely help to put people suffering from depression into better spirits.
Take the time needed each day to clean away depression. Staying on top of a messy house will help those suffering with depression to feel purposeful again and to ease anxiety over yet another one of life's stresses.
