Most people know what it’s like to feel sad and stressed out over a breakup. But one of the biggest misconceptions about depression is that it’s the same as feeling down or bummed out. The hard cold reality is that depression is a silent killer. It’s an invisible illness that takes a toll on someone and affects their everyday life. Depression weighs you down to the point that you don’t have enough energy to interact with others or even go to work. It might even affect you physically, where you can barely perform daily tasks such as making your bed or cleaning your room. But once you have a strong support system, start going to therapy, and make a few changes here and there, you might finally be ready to take a few steps towards recovery, (if you can call it that!) Now, people are encouraging others with their own stories of how they battled depression and how it all began by cleaning up their bedrooms.For a while, they could barely do their household chores like tidying up the house and making their bed. Things were spiraling out of control, with their room getting messier and messier. Luckily, something clicked inside and they felt the need to clean up their room. “I know it’s not a big victory, but for me it means the world to just be able to have my door open if people come over,” they explained. Finally, the user feels at peace and we can clearly see why.
They captioned this photo by saying how hopeful they feel now that their room is clean. A cleaner space without trinkets, mementos, and clutter will for sure boost their mood every time they enter their brand new living room.
The room had gotten so dirty and messy that Imgur user Houkkitsu barely noticed there was a dead mouse sitting on the floor. It was their cat’s trophy, of course, but even if that would’ve made most people want to clean the house with bleach, this person could barely muster up the courage to tidy up the room. They avoided life as best as they could as they were struggling with severe trauma and depression. Luckily, things are starting to look up as this person is now going back to school and currently studying and fighting their own personal demons. Well done!
While this user claims they did not have fun tidying up their room, they did what was necessary to keep depression at bay, and they couldn’t be happier. The top photo is proof of how much things can spiral out of control when you don’t have the mental energy to take charge of your life. “And the bottom is what happens when you decide enough is enough,” they explained.
It wasn’t about a few years went by that they realized the way they were living wasn’t normal. “Just one day I think my brain snapped and was like ‘not today Satan.’ It’s hard to get out, and I am by no means fine or cured now, but I’m on two meds that work great,” they explained on the post. Well, they took the right steps towards recovery. It’s nice to see someone on the right path!
When this Imgur user was 12, they were diagnosed with severe depression that barely allowed them to function. They struggled to keep their room presentable for a while, which is quite clear if you look at these before and after shots. “I decided two weeks ago that I wouldn’t live like this anymore. I’ve been cleaning ever since, putting in at least five hours a day. And now I’m happy to say, my room is almost done,” they explained. It truly fills our heart with joy and positivity. People underestimate how much it helps to keep your room clean to keep off depression.
The first step towards improving and taking care of your mental health is to clean up your room. Depression can trick you into thinking you don’t deserve to live in a clean space. That’s one of the reasons why cleaning and organizing your things can help you feel accomplished.
And it shows! They faced their demons and finally did something to help their depression. Now, they’re looking forward to waking up in the morning. “Thank you!! It does help a lot, it’s so so nice to wake up to a clean room I teared up a little when I opened my eyes this morning,” they commented.
Now, their room looks like a shadow of its former messy self. We can only imagine how great it smells and how at peace this person must feel after spending two days of sporadic cleaning. Bravo!
Now it feels like they can actually breathe and focus in that room. Laura did an amazing job! She even wrote a blog post listing all the steps she took to tidy up her room.