[boogiesmash]

Slowly but surely I am getting mentally better. Now something that I need to stay on top of is cleaning. My living room has been a mess for two years. I need a kick or some help in getting my cleaning back on.

[Perna]

I'm 66 and struggled with cleaning, etc. all my life and now realize that that was not the actual issue? Why do you care about cleaning? I would find something you really liked doing and start doing some "fun" stuff and the cleaning won't be an issue so much anymore, you will be able to want to do it and want things to be a bit neater, etc. The mental health thing will fix some of the other things so just keep concentrating on that and finding yourself in other ways you like and, over time, the cleaning part will straighten out.

I was still a really bad slob :-) when I met my husband and married in the 1980s and we had a large home together that I filled (over 20 years) with stuff such that when we moved in 2005 I had to hire a personal organizer and get 3 loads of junk hauled off, etc. But with each move the situation got better and better and now (just moved for the final time to a retirement home in 2015) you would not know I'd ever had a problem (such that in the 1970's I got notices threatened eviction from the City Health Department!).

My advice is to spend time of the stuff that will be important to you and not fret about the stuff that will/will not mean much, has to be done over and over. My bed is unmade for today so far but I will eventually get to it because I like it made, neat and clean/straight, not because I feel compelled to fret about it getting done/not getting done.

Pick one area or "subject" in the living room and do that, pile papers in a pile or books or take dishes/trash to the kitchen sink/trashcan? Make yourself an area where you're comfortable enough and then do some reading or something pleasant :-)

[RainyDay107]

I struggle with this sort of task. My OCD goes bonkers. My boyfriend excels at it and helps me.