How to declutter when depressed
It’s chicken or the egg. What happens first?
Are you depressed because of the clutter or is clutter happening because of the depression?
Or is it a combination of the two?
While I don’t know what happens first, I can only speak to my personal experiences. I do know that in my life, my physical environment absolutely affects me greatly.
In this post I share how to declutter when depressed and some tips along the journey.
How our environment affects mental health
If my space and environment is cluttered, I have a very difficult time functioning the way that I want and my productivity is at an all-time low because of the distractibility.
In my mind, each piece of clutter is like, let’s say a squirrel.
Then there’s another and then another.
Before long I’m chasing squirrels all day because I’m distracted by my stuff.
But when my environment is decluttered, with everything in its designated spot, I don’t feel like there are any open items, or to-do lists lingering in my head to take care of.
I feel mental clarity and I truly feel so much better.
The secret of how to declutter when depressed
So here’s how to declutter when depressed.
You don’t.
Yup, that’s right.
But let me back up just a bit.
Hustle culture will tell you that you have to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and you must push through the depression and get it done.
We expect ourselves to plow through the clutter repeating a mantra of “get it done” all while neglecting ourselves and our needs in the process.
Action can solve a lot of things, but not everything.
Let’s say you do subscribe to hustling to get it done and you do everything in your power to tackle the clutter.
Here’s the thing about decluttering.
It’s a lot of decision making. You have to make a decision on what to keep, what to let go, what to donate and you do this on repeat for all your items.
That’s a lot to go through and it’s physically and emotionally taxing.
When you’re depressed, you’re likely not feeling your best and when we don’t feel our best, we don’t make the best decisions.
Pitfalls of hustle culture
Pair poor decision making with decluttering and the next thing you know, you might be letting go of items that you do actually need, items that do matter to you and you might regretfully part with something that can never be brought back.
I knew of someone who did just that.
She was depressed, but forced herself to get the clutter in her life in order.
Later, when she got out of her depression, she reflected back and she was in so much pain.
You see, during the decluttering process she asked herself, does this spark joy, and in that moment, she felt nothing, indifference, and she took that indifference to mean it was a “no-joy” item.
That prompted her to put the item in the donate pile.
This was a mistake that she regretted deeply, because the item did mean a lot her to her. It was actually a sentimental item.
That’s why I encourage my clients and future clients to really take the time to assess how they are feeling. To listen to themselves and what their bodies are telling them.
If you’re depressed or do not feel well, it may impair your ability to connect with how you truly feel.
How to successfully tidy up
To be successful at tidying up, you must be emotionally, mentally, and physically be prepared to take on the project.
Without this preparation and commitment there’s a big chance that you don’t get far in the process and you might regret some of the decisions that you make or worse yet, you get stuck in indecision.
What’s the solution?
While I don’t have all the answers on how to get out of depression, and I’m not a medical professional, I like to share the importance of self-care.
And I’m not talking about the “treat yo self” kind where you’re skipping off to get a mani/pedi, facial or some other spa treatment.
Don’t get me wrong, those are definitely nice, but I’m talking about something else.
Self-care, like getting back to the basics of getting enough sleep and rest, practicing stillness and connecting with yourself in the moment.
However, you define self-care, do it, especially when you’re not feeling your best.
It is that important.
Conclusion
Remember, tidying is less about shuffling your things from one room to the next. It’s about crafting the life you really want to live by letting go of the things that are a distraction and we can’t do that very well when we don’t feel good in our bodies.
If you’re having trouble with the decluttering process, I have a great resource to share.
I came up with 10 decluttering questions to ask yourself when spark joy doesn’t resonate with you.
Head to the button below to instantly download a copy.
Thanks for being here friend.
Tidy on and tidy strong!
Southern California based Professional Organizer, Sandy Park, owner and founder of Tidy with SPARK shares her joy of organization with her clients.
She serves clients in Orange County as well as the hundreds of thousands of followers on her combined social media platforms.
Connect with Sandy through her website or by connecting through her social channels.