The Mighty Logo

Why It's Hard to Clean My Room When I'm Struggling With My Mental Health

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

Clothes and blankets cover my floor until I can no longer see the carpet. My bed is unmade. There are a couple half empty glasses on the nightstand. Papers and other miscellaneous things are strewn across my desk. This is what you might see if you walked into my room when it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Most people would never even guess it bothers me.

When my room is a mess, it stresses me out. I don’t like spending a lot of time in my room when it looks like this, and the time I do spend in my room is spent watching Netflix and avoiding looking at the mess. I am aware of the fact my room looks disastrous. I am also aware of the fact I will feel much better once it is clean, but it’s hard to even know where to start.

After I clean my room, I feel a sense of relief. I feel accomplished even though it’s only a small task. I feel motivated because if I can get this one thing done, I can do other things too. I am calmer and less tense when I walk into my room. So why do I ever let it get so bad? I don’t have an answer for this.

My room has been clean for about a week now, and it’s so much nicer living somewhere where things aren’t just thrown wherever. So what I’m saying is clean your room! It will help you feel better, you’ll have one less thing to worry about, and you’ll feel more motivated to get other tasks done. And once it’s clean, keep it clean. I know this can be a challenge, but it is worth it.

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.

Thinkstock photo via dstaerk.

Originally published: August 14, 2017
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home