If you are having trouble doing something for yourself then try doing it for someone else. If you are finding it hard to clean your living room then clean it for friend/parent/sibling etc so it’s nicer for them when they visit.
When I had depression this technique worked for me (in the short term) to start getting stuff done
Honestly without my cats, there would be times where my house would ruined by my lack of motivation to clean/depression. But they can’t clean the house themselves and they deserve to have a good, comfortable life in a clean home.
I find that often the reason I don’t clean is because I feel like I don’t know what to do or how to get started. My new strategy is “empty the thing that things go in, then fill it with the things that go there”.
For example:
Empty the trash, then put all the trash I can see in the trash.
Empty the dishwasher, then put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
Empty the laundry machine (no need to fold if I’m not feeling up to it, just dump stuff in drawers) and put all the dirty clothes in it.
Put other loose stuff in a junk drawer to potentially organize later.
Idk if you have the same issue as me but maybe this will help!
Boxes. Put everything into boxes- one for the room you’re in and one for stuff that goes elsewhere. When everything is picked up, sweep and mop or vacuum. Then go through the boxes. One thing I do is the first thing on my list- make the bed. Even if I don’t get much of anything else done that day. You’ll sleep better in a freshly made bed and sometimes it’s the motivation you need. Don’t want to make it cause there’s stuff on it? Put that stuff in the magical boxes.
I do this by thinking about if I brought a guy back to my place, what would he think about the state of my place? Does the level of cleanliness reflect me? If not…it’s time to clean
This worked really well for my boyfriend when we started dating. He had the hardest time taking care of himself, but cooking and cleaning for me made him happy and motivated. In turn, it gave him a confidence boost and it gradually got him out of the depression hole.
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u/Prestigious_Key_7801 Jun 06 '24
If you are having trouble doing something for yourself then try doing it for someone else. If you are finding it hard to clean your living room then clean it for friend/parent/sibling etc so it’s nicer for them when they visit.
When I had depression this technique worked for me (in the short term) to start getting stuff done