Does mental illness cause you clutter stress? Here are nine tips to help overcome inertia and achieve your decluttering dreams.
 
BECOME AWARE OF YOUR SITUATION – How did this happen? When did it begin? What is the cause? What’s going on? What are you feeling? Are there other things that need to be fixed before decluttering begins?
 
COMMIT TO GET STARTED – decide today, now, you will begin on your journey to improve your living space.
 
SET GOALS – if you don’t know where you’re going, it’s hard to know whether you’ve arrived.
 
START SMALL – expecting large results is a recipe for disappointment, stress, negative feelings. Plan bite sized tasks on your calendar and stick to them.
 
STAY POSITIVE – celebrate little accomplishments to keep motivated and maintain momentum. A journey begins with just one step. Baby steps ARE progress.
 
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK – when you backslide. Every day is a new beginning, don’t give up.
 
SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH SOMEONE – a friend or relative who will listen to your successes and struggles. You will feel supported and accountable.
 
GET HELP WITH PHYSICAL LABOR – if you are challenged with energy or strength. Another person can work under your direction to do the heavy lifting.
 
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP – in a therapist and/or professional organizer. A professional will hold you accountable and motivate you in the initial steps at the very least.
 

 In the previous post we saw that depression and anxiety can contribute to clutter in the home. Further, clutter can make depression and anxiety feel much worse. Here, we describe how you can begin to take action to reduce clutter. As the clutter decreases you will feel better – less stress, more confidence to handle things, happier with your  environment and more calm.
 
What’s the first step? ​The first step is to become aware that there is a problem. The next step is to reach out for help. Neither is easy but both are necessary. If you feel comfortable, talk to a therapist, friend or relative about your desire to declutter. If this is not possible or if you have already tried without success, you should contact a professional organizer. 

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Yes! In my experience it does.
 
In light of Mental Health Awareness Month, I am sharing some thoughts on the connection between mental health and disorganization. My hope is that readers find this post hopeful in their efforts to organize themselves or to help a loved one get organized. I speak primarily of anxiety and depression here but other mental health issues are linked to disorganization as well. It is probably no surprise to readers that mental illness affects most areas of a person’s life and organization is no exception.