If you live in a home that is cluttered, you may be struggling with depression. That can make it difficult to keep up with housework and stay organized. Taking action to declutter your home may help you fight off some of the symptoms of depression and improve your daily outlook. Here’s how clutter and depression are related.

Clutter Causes Lower Self-Esteem 

Living in a constant state of disorganization can be difficult and stressful. When you can’t find your keys, miss deadlines, or misplace important papers time and again, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and sad.

Living with clutter may also affect your self-esteem. Unfinished to-do lists and piles of stuff that need to be put away all have a negative effect on your self-esteem which can drag you down into depression.

It’s not easy to accomplish things when you’re struggling just to stay afloat day after day. Sometimes, just clearing out a bit of clutter or making a list of things to do can begin to improve your mood, making it feel like things are a little more manageable. 

Start Small

When you decide to begin the decluttering process, it’s important to start small so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Set small goals.

Start by clearing out clutter for a certain amount of time each day. Alternatively, get rid of a specific number of items each day, or sort through a single room.

Keeping a task to a manageable size allows you to see progress slowly. The state of your home will gradually improve without you burning out from doing too much at one time.

Build Routines

Begin to fight through your depression by slowly building routines that will improve your environment. Making your bed every morning is one routine that many people find helpful. You might also schedule a certain time every day to work on clearing clutter. Choose a time when you typically have the most energy.

Sticking to a schedule and making gradual progress is more important than how much you remove per day or how much visible cleaning you get done. These positive routines will slowly become second nature and getting things done will provide positive reinforcement.

Your self-esteem will build as you prove you can do it. As you see small areas of your home begin to look nicer than they did, you may feel your depression lift.

Create Welcoming Spaces

Your home should be a space that you can relax in and feel as comfortable as possible. So as you declutter, think about what makes you feel cozy, and comfortable. In your bedroom, for example, do you prefer more or less light in the room? Are you happy with the color of the walls? 

Sometimes making just one or two small adjustments after getting rid of clutter on surfaces can help make a room feel more welcoming. Do what it takes to feel more at home in your own space.

Be Honest with Yourself

When you frequently can’t find things, it’s easy to feel as if you aren’t functioning very well, and this feedback loop can worsen your depression.

But don’t be fooled that the clutter in your environment is the sole reason that you experience depression and anxiety symptoms. While a cluttered environment can cause stress and increase your cortisol levels, making you feel on edge constantly, there may be more serious mental or physical problems at play.

If you can’t declutter or keep up with basic household tasks due to the severity of your depression symptoms, it may be wise to speak to a mental health professional for assistance. 

Clutter and Depression AND Addiction

If you use substances to cope with your stress or depression, you may have a substance use disorder, more commonly known as addiction or dependence. If you only started to feel depressed or anxious after you began using substances—alcohol, stimulants, opioids, benzodiazepines—then these substances might be causing them.

When you have substance abuse and a mental issue such as depression, it is known as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. Regardless of which came first, both now need to be treated. A drug rehab facility near you may be able to help you handle both the depression and the addiction so that you can begin to live the clean, organized, drug-free life you’ve always wanted.

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Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.

Sources:
additudemag.com – The FlyLady Has the Cure for Your Messy House Syndrome
miadanielle.com– Massive Psychological Effects of Clutter, According To Science
nourishingminimalism.com – Combat Depression with Decluttering
blurtitout.org – Decluttering: How It Boosts Mental Health

Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

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