Housekeeping and Depression
by Kellen Von Houser, M.A.
Depression destroys so much of our motivation and energy that if can become difficult to keep up with day-to-day chores, yet a dirty living environment only serves to make us feel more worthless and discouraged. The following tips can help you get a handle on your house work.
1. Keep up as you go
Little things like rinsing and putting your dishes in the dishwasher as soon as you are done or putting things away right after you use them will keep your home clean and clutter free and prevent you from having a huge job to tackle later on.
2. Set small, manageable goals
Break up large projects into small, manageable tasks that can be done fairly simply and in a short amount of time. Each day give yourself a task to accomplish that feels manageable to you, even if it's just cleaning a bathroom or tossing in a load of laundry. Over the course of a week, it all adds up to a cleaner home.
3. Learn to work efficiently
Get organized. Have the cleaning tools you need for a certain area stored in that area so you don’t have to walk across the house or upstairs just to get the mop. That makes the job of mopping that more daunting.
Have the proper tools to do the job. Having a mop you like to use or a duster that works efficiently makes the task that much easier to face. Jobs that are completed more quickly and more easily are more likely to get done when you are tired.
4. Overcome procrastination
When we are depressed it's easy to say, "I'll worry about that tomorrow." Or “I’ll take care of that when I feel more like doing it.” Well when tomorrow arrives you will only have piled more work on that day and made it even harder to face. Also, no one ever “feels like” paying bills or washing dishes. They do these tasks knowing they will feel better once they are done. Learn techniques to break through the urge to procrastinate and you can save yourself from having all the little jobs pile up into a big one. To read more about beating procrastination, please see my article, “Overcoming Procrastination”.
5. Progress, not perfection
Expecting perfection is setting you up for disappointment and stress. Forgive yourself for being human and set reasonable standards that keep you comfortable and sanitary.
6. Delegate when possible
If there are other people living in your home, it may create more work to “train” them to do their part. But in the long run it will pay off and ease the burden on you. Delegate out certain tasks, especially those you tend to put off. You may even trade tasks you hate for those which are not so difficult for you to face.
7. 15 minutes per day
Schedule just 15 minutes per day for housekeeping chores. You would be amazed at what you can accomplish in only 15 minutes. Most of us can face doing anything for only 15 minutes.
8. Clean house with a friend.
Schedule times for a friend to come over and help you clean your house, then schedule a time to go to his or her house and reciprocate. We are less likely to disappoint a friend than we are ourselves, so you will feel obligated to show up clean. You will also get a little socialization, which tends to be lacking when we are depressed. When depressed it’s easy to isolate and withdraw.
9. It's okay to hire a maid service
If it's within your budget, hire a maid service. You'll have a clean home and one less thing to worry about.
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