How to Clean Up a Gigantic Mess

If you have ever lived in an extremely messy home, you know what I mean when I say it can become a source of depression and anxiety and severely limit the way you live your life.

Unfortunately, when you are depressed, dealing with the problem the mess is creating can be even harder. Here are some techniques to help you stop feeling blocked, intimidated and held back by mess, so you can finally clean it up!

Getting ready to clean:

Tip #1 Forgive yourself

If you are angry with yourself for letting the mess get there in the first place, it can be really hard to move forward. It doesn't help anything to feel ashamed. Just say to yourself "It's messy. That's okay, if I don't like it, I can fix it." Don't you feel better already?

Tip #2 Figure out who really made the mess.

It's unlikely that the mess got there all by itself, and unless you live alone, you probably didn't do it all yourself. If you have children or a spouse, make sure you remember that they played a part in creating this problem, and they can be expected to lend a hand in fixing it.

Even tiny children can help with cleaning, and they don't even know it's a "chore" unless you tell them it is. In fact, the best way to teach children to clean is to seem entertained while you clean. Before you know it, they'll be asking to join you! For older kids, who know that cleaning is "dull" or "awful" already, try making speed-challenges or scavenger hunts a part of your cleaning routine.

Don't let yourself be isolated by the mess. In fact, you could invite some close friends over for a cleaning party. They provide extra hands, you provide beer and pizza.

Tip #4 Relax your standards

Unless Martha Stewart is likely to come round, your house doesn't have to look spotless. Many people feel like their house should be perfect at all times and they must be doing something wrong if it isn't. How much does it really matter? Maybe it matters a lot for you, and you'll need to re-evaluate your priorities and put cleaning on the top of your list.

For most people though, having a spotless space isn't as important as watching the game with their friends, dropping the kids off at karate on time, or having a family board game night. Personally, I think that's how it should be.

Getting down to business:

Tip #5 Take baby-steps

If you are suffering from depression, be very gentle with yourself, especially if your depression is heavily influenced by the state of your home. Sometimes all it takes to get back on track is to have one small section of your home under control. It's okay to start small.

Try some of these ideas as small starting steps:
* Clean up all the receipts and tissues out of your purse or bedside drawer.
* Do one load of laundry a day until the hamper stops over flowing.
* Clean one appliance a day until you get back around to the first one; then try to give them all a basic wipe down every other day.
* Put all the ____ item away, e.g. all the toy dinosaurs you've been stepping on at night, or all the knitting needles you left out on the craft table.
*Choose a color. Clean up everything in the room of that color. (This is a fun one for kids, and after you've done the full rainbow, their rooms will be clean.)
*Start in a corner. Clean the corner. Take a break, eat a snack, watch some tv. Try a second corner later, or the next day.
*Watch TV or listen to an audiobook or music while you clean. This makes a surprisingly big difference.

Tip #6 Determine if you should keep the things you're cleaning up
After you've started cleaning your initial areas, it's time to get a little stricter with yourself. Ask yourself if you really love, need or use everything you encounter as you clean. If you don't, you need to move on to tip #7 which is...

Tip #7 Toss, donate, store or gift
Once you have started to tackle some of the worst problem areas, you'll want to divide the things you find into four categories. Things to toss (stuff which is broken or unusable), things to donate (things that could be used by someone else), things to store (things which you know you'll need later, such as seasonal clothes or decorations), and lastly, things which you would like to save to give away as gifts (probably things which you have sentimental attachment to like baby clothes or books).

Tip #8 Re-organize!
Congratulations if you have tried all of the above tips. Things should be more under control. Now is a good time to take a trip to Ikea, the hardware store or Target and treat yourself. You'll want to find a few new storage units/boxes to keep your possessions in. Good storage systems can make a world of difference in how messy your home gets. Finding storage items that suit your personal style make having a tidy home even more satisfying.

Good Luck, you can do it!