The other day, I came home from work and was in my garage. I paused for a moment, looked around, and noticing some clutter thought to myself, “It’s time to clean this place out, again.”
The garage has always been a source of annoyance for my partner and me. It gets cleaned up a bit; things get pitched out. Unfortunately, we get lazy, and things pile up again.
As I am writing this, it’s February so of course I am not quite in that “Spring cleaning mode” yet, but I felt that I could take a small step. I backed out both vehicles and swept the floor that was full of Minnesota’s delightful salt and sand residue. The floor cleanliness lasted about a day or two, but it’s the thought that counts, or maybe better said the decision I made to clean something that counts.
As we near springtime (Finally!), I believe it’s important we take inventory of our environment. From the garage to the bathroom, bedroom, and even where you work, you should have an environment that is functional especially in rooms where you spend a reasonable level of time.
My own mental health is affected by cleanliness. I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself a neat freak, but I really don’t like clutter. For five years, I have worked on de-cluttering my mind from self-sabotaging thoughts due to clinical depression and anxiety. For my mental illness, I take medication and currently have bi-weekly therapy. The work up to finally getting on medication took some convincing, and when my mental health goes south, I will sometimes allow my surroundings to get messier than I would like. It’s always a bit of a battle for me, but I know in the long run, that taking small steps each day to de-clutter my world is important.
If you struggle in this area yourself, you are not alone. I don’t have a magic formula, but my motto is: “One day at a time. Baby steps.”
If you want to work on de-cluttering your physical surroundings as much as your head space, you must start small. What is one thing you can do today to either work on your internal or external space around you? Maybe it’s deleting junk emails, organizing your desk, or cleaning out the fridge. Once you get in the habit of choosing one small task each day to tackle, you will hopefully find yourself able to take on more. But it becomes about balance and making sure that you are not taking on too much where you feel rundown.
While there are many situations in life where you don’t have a chance to plan ahead or choose the small step, you ultimately do have a choice in what you can control in your physical and mental environment. A few steps in the right direction now can help immensely for days when you don’t have the time or the energy.
You don’t have to be paralyzed or “frozen” in your actions.
Spring is near, so what can you do today to begin to thaw out your environment?
This blog article was contributed by Benjamin Romberg, Direct Support Professional at the Southeast Regional Crisis Center.
Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit mental health organization that restores hope for thousands of children and families who come to us for outpatient/community mental health services, foster care and adoption, and residential treatment. For over 45 years, our network of agencies has used innovative, personalized approaches to heal trauma, break cycles of harm, and reshape futures. We believe every child is worth it — and every family matters. Learn more at nexusfamilyhealing.org.