[enjoy-the-silence]

So, I don't have issues with hoarding or anything that extreme, but my room gets to be such a mess so fast and I never clean it up. I hate it. Even when I'm not like in a depressive episode or something, I still can never find motivation to clean it or keep it clean. I'm trying to work on it now, but it's just overwhelming because it's gone so far.

Any advice or tips on how to keep your room clean when you are feeling depressed or unmotivated? Or how to go about just beginning to clean it again?

[Vossie42]

That's why I hire a housekeeper from time to time, lol. I do pick stuff up before she comes or she'll put it away where she thinks it should go and I'll never find it. I completely understand your struggle to keep your room clean and total lack of desire to tackle that job.

There are little tricks and games you can play to get the ball rolling. One way is to focus on one small area at a time. Set a time limit like 15 minutes to start to work on that one spot. The idea is to break the job down into smaller components and to focus on the one component and ignore everything else. That can help you feel less overwhelmed. Something I do sometimes is to see how much I can get done in 10 minutes. Then I reward myself with doing something fun for 20 minutes. Then I repeat. Just a little game.

I'm sure others will share their little tricks for tackling the messies.

[A_Space_Between]

Do a small area, to keep that area clean for a certain amount of time (maybe a wk). Then, do another small area, & try keeping both the areas you've done clean. Keep adding on slowly, so that you don't get overwhelmed.

Or clean one area a day, another the next etc. So you clean one little small space every day or every other day, but then it doesn't build up into you having to clean the entire room in one go.

[enjoy-the-silence]

Thanks, those are both definitely good ideas. I'm gonna go tackle a small area now

[Vossie42]

Another way to keep your room clean is to get rid of stuff you don't need. You said that you don't have a problem with hoarding, but it could be worth your while to take a look at the stuff you have and decide whether you really need it. If you haven't used it for 6 months, you can likely give it away or throw it out and you'll never miss it.

[CharactorAssassin]

What I do which works best is imagine that you are creating energy. Its a creative process where you are hiding things from your visual field. The more you create this energy in your environment the more energetic you will become. You will move around more freely etc. Organize and adapt your surroundings. You will feel more free and lively. What you will find as you open up this energy is more opportunities and possibilities will come to you as if by magic. It takes time and focus but keeping this in mind as a general philosophy has helped me stay on top of it somewhat.

[enjoy-the-silence]

Vossie - yeah, I don't really have a lot of "stuff" I keep around but I do have a lot of books, cds, and clothes that I end up just throwing on the floor. I just need a way to be better organized with them, I guess.

I am happy to report that I set out to do 10 minutes on a small area and I got so motivated doing it that I finished (most of) the whole room! Feels good.