# 6 Ways to Clean House When You're Depressed



## Cat Dancer (Apr 28, 2012)

6 Ways to Clean House When You're Depressed - Depression Center - EverydayHealth.com
By Dennis Thompson, Jr. 
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
July 13, 2009

One of the key signs of depression is when you suspend taking care of day-to-day chores, like cleaning your house. Depression leaves you feeling so down and tired that you just let things go. Unfortunately, a messy house can add to those feelings of depression — creating a destructive cycle that feeds on itself. Once the mess gets too large and chaotic, people with depression can't imagine how to begin tackling the household duties. They feel hopeless and helpless against the clutter and dirt, which reinforces depression. 

*How to Keep It Clean When You're Depressed 
*A recent study found that performing at least 20 minutes of daily physical activity, including domestic housework, benefited mental health and lowered risks of psychological problems. Don’t let depression force you to live in a messy house. Here are some ways to cope: 


*Break it up.* Devise a    schedule so you're only cleaning one or two rooms every day vs. having    to clean an entire house, which can seem like an enormous and daunting    task. 
*Clean as you go.* Sometimes keeping your house clean is as simple as not cluttering it up in the first place. Wash your dishes right after using them, rather than letting them sit in the sink, and store your tools once you're finished with a project. By putting things away right after you've used them, you can prevent clutter from occurring in the first place — or from getting even worse.    You can get further ahead by taking care of chores that will prevent dirt and grime from forming. For example, brushing your dog or cat once a week cuts down on all the tumbleweeds of fur rolling through your house, which you'll eventually have to vacuum. 
*Don't procrastinate.* When you have depression, it's easy to shrug chores off and say you'll do them later — fight that urge and live in the present. If you take care of things now, it will cut down on the time and effort needed to clean up after the fact. Wiping up a spill right after it occurs is a lot easier than scrubbing a hardened, crusty stain once it's dried. Depression might make you feel sad or sluggish, but taking care of these little tasks can offer you a sense of accomplishment and pride. 
*Store your cleaning supplies wisely.* Not being able to find the necessary cleaning products gives you a chance to throw up your hands and say, "Why bother?" Don't become frustrated — make sure you have what you need close at hand. Keep bathroom cleaners in the bathroom and kitchen cleaners in the kitchen. If you've got hardwood floors on the first floor and carpeting on the second floor, store your vacuum cleaner upstairs for easy access. 
*Pay attention to busy areas.* If you're feeling particularly tired or depressed, focus on cleaning the rooms where your family spends most of its time. Vacuum well-traveled hallways or clean up clutter in the kitchen and living room. Spend your energy where it will do the most good. 
*Rope your family in.* Why should you have all the fun? Give family members specific housekeeping tasks to complete. Be sure to let them know that by helping with the housework, they are helping you cope with depression. 

Keep in mind that things may not be bad as you think. Eighty percent of people with depression improve with the proper treatment, often within a few weeks. You don’t have to resign yourself to a messy house while you deal with depression — by getting your home in order, you will also rid yourself of a source of stress.


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## Cat Dancer (Apr 28, 2012)

This is something I am ashamed to say I am struggling with at the moment. I thought maybe some of you could post some of your tips for keeping up with things when you're depressed. 

One thing I say to myself is that I must just do something. Of course, I mean something which involves house cleaning. Sometimes I will set a timer for 15 minutes and work on a specific room and see how much I can do in that amount of time. And sometimes I tell myself it's hard to keep a house totally clean when you're in it all the time.


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## begonia (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a five-at-a-time rule that works for dishes, if nothing else. I tell myself that I will do 5 dishes (or pieces of silverware) and then I can stop. Sometimes I do stop, but then come back to the sink over the course of the evening and eventually finish the dishes.


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## forgetmenot (Apr 28, 2012)

Hard hun  i too struggle  with this one as it is so low on my list of priorities  i really don't care if i ever clean    I try to do one thing  like say do dishes  and then that is all i can do
one thing at a time  sometimes that one thing will give me momentum to do some more


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## H011yHawkJ311yBean (Apr 29, 2012)

Write a list of all the stuff you want to clean throughout the week: you can make it a routine (Mon = laundry day; Tues = vacuuming, Wed = clean the washroom, etc); or mix it up randomly by pulling it out of a jar.

Do the hard stuff first, then the easy stuff last.  If you do it the other way, you won't wanna do the hard stuff until tomorrow!

Try listening to music and dancing to it while cleaning (just don't accidentally throw a dish or something)...  Sometimes you can scrub to something that really rocks or slide across the floor to ballroom dancing while mopping.  For instance, I like listening to music while folding laundry, doing dishes, or mopping the kitchen floor.

Clean shiny things only (mirrors, faucets and taps, toasters, door knobs, windows)...

Clean one level (one day the floor; the next day the couch's throw blankets and foot stools and ottoman; the next day the counter tops; the next day the higher shelves)...

If you have a storage room and it's getting full, go through one box a day and chuck something or label it "for sale" and stick it in another box.  Figure out why you're storing something instead of displaying it or using it up.  Why are you keeping this thing?  How long before you plan to use it?  Can you give it away to someone who might need it?  Can you drop it off at the Salvation Army or the Thrift Shop next time you're out and about?

Clean mirrors only...

Clean wearing a superhero outfit...

Vacuum one room a day...

If you have a dishwasher, keep the sink empty and make it a rule make sure nothing is left in the sink/on counters by 7pm...   If you have a sink, just clean all the dishes used for the day and try to have them cleaned by 7pm and drying on the dishrack...  And then use the same ones over and over as much as possible.

If you clean something yucky you get to do something fun for yourself (like getting on your hands and knees and cleaning the gunk around the toilet should give you props enough to go to DQ and get a blizzard)...

You know how you can get people to help you move your stuff, or help you build a deck, and then you give them pizza and beer afterward?  Cleaning is usually way easier, but it's just as fun to have some friends over for a clean-out and then have beer and pizza.  Then of course you can return the favour for them.


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## Cat Dancer (Apr 29, 2012)

I wonder what my kids would think if I got a super hero outfit to clean in.  LOL.


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## forgetmenot (Apr 29, 2012)

they would want one too lol  then they would have super powers to help you clean lol  hugs


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## Cat Dancer (Apr 29, 2012)

I really feel like throwing away or giving away almost every single thing in this house. I just can't care about this much stuff anymore. My mom would give my stuff away when I was little and I turned out ok. Or maybe not. I wish I had someone to help me.


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## Cat Dancer (Apr 29, 2012)

Maybe I should just burn all my stuff. My mom used to do that when my father would get something for her. Brand new clothes just burned away. I guess she was angry at him or something. I don't think it's healthy to do that or healthy for kids to see that so I won't do that, but it would be so freeing. Or I should just make myself go away. I feel so bad. I'm sorry. I know I need to be making lists to help me. That really seems to help. But then I get discouraged when I don't complete every single thing on the list. So I fail at lists.


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## H011yHawkJ311yBean (Apr 29, 2012)

How about make a list of 5 things in one week you could do.  If you finish them all before 7 days are up, you can add more items (maybe 2 -3?)...  You could make an exception perhaps and make doing dishes something daily, but the rest could be optional in the order....    And you can also include other people's names in the list of chores.  Kids clean stuff off the bedroom floors so you could vacuum...  Kids clean up the livingroom floor so you can vacuum...   Show kids how to do laundry (if they aren't too young)...  Show them how to put their dishes away each time they eat (in sink or dishwasher)...  If they complain or ask why, you can say because you need help and then when everyone pitches in there's more free time to do stuff you/the family likes.   Forgive me for asking, I can't remember, do you also have a husband or partner to help pitch in?  Or are you a single mom?  

Or you could rotate...  One week do 5 things...  Next week do 5 different things...  And do them in any order you want...

For example: 
_1st week of the month _-- 1) 2 loads of laundry (one lights, one darks), 2) vacuum livingroom,  3)clean bathroom sink and toilet, 4) make beds, 5) do dishes...
_2nd week of the month_ -- 1) Dust things that need dusting (like usually kids dressers and livingroom, 2) vacuum bedrooms, 3) put dishes on, 4) outsides of appliances, 5) clean bathtub
and so on...

Here's a thought....  Do you know three friends/relatives?   What would happen one day a week if all four of you tackled someone's cleaning together?
1) week one: Wednesday - a cousin, an aunt, a friend and you clean the heck out of your house.  Reward: pitch in for pizza and coke...
2) week two: Thursday - a cousin, an aunt, a friend and you clean the heck out of your cousin's house.  Reward: pitch in for subs and milkshakes...
3) week three: Tuesday - a cousin, an aunt, a friend and you clean the heck out of your aunt's house.  Reward: pitch in for cheap Tuesday movie night/matinee
4) week four:  Friday - a cousin, an aunt, a friend and you clean the heck out of your friend's house.  Reward all your kids combined have their kids on a sleep over and you ladies have your own sleepover with board games or poker or whatever you want.

Just some ideas...


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