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Depression and Anxiety at an older age
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: May 26 11:44am | Replies (625)Comment receiving replies
Hello All:
I hope this finds you feeling well! I subscribe to many emails on different health topics and this came into my Inbox today. It is about cleaning the kitchen when you feel you are too depressed to do anything. However, the thought occurred to me, when I was reading this article, that it could apply to any task or activity that needs to be done when we are feeling too depressed to take action. Please take a moment to read the article and then share how it makes you feel. Is it something you could use when you feel stuck and not motivated? Please share with me.
https://themighty.com/2018/01/cleaning-depression-kitchen/?
Replies to "Hello All: I hope this finds you feeling well! I subscribe to many emails on different..."
@hopeful33250 Hello back. If it were not for cleaning and keeping things done I surely would feel an utter and complete failure. My daily goal is to keep clutter off of my counters and sink. At least I can see where I have been. At times it seems pointless. Seeing clutter take over is horrifying for me. Laundry is my downfall as I use the community laundry and dread the chore of guarding my laundry as well as cleaning up after others. Maybe they are depressed too. thankful I can do what I can for now.
@hopeful33250 Just as @parus mentioned, it is way too easy to let thing accumulate and clutter. While my laptop warms up, clean up something! While my single cup coffee maker is brewing, organize! I hate cleaning, but will tell myself when laundry is going, that is my time to clean. These laminate floors throughout the house are so much nicer than carpet, but they demand a sweep/dry mop every other day, which helps the place look neater. I can then reward myself with reading a chapter [or two] in latest book.
Ginger
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@hopeful33250 - I tried out this "cleaning the kitchen" technique yesterday.
I do have depression and anxiety, but they are fairly well controlled with medication. I'm sure I naturally get to work sometimes doing something during time microwaving, but sometimes not. The idea of being proactive and making a small dent in something - putting laundry in the dryer, cleaning the kitchen sink, tidying the counters - during microwaving is a little uplifter. "I just used that time well and got something accomplished."
I often find chunking tasks - working in little bits, and over time - helps me in getting things done and mentally/emotionally. In grad school, many of the degree programs had comprehensive exams for the entire program as a graduation requirement. This is kind of daunting - studying everything from 2 + years. Some of my friends put it off till the last 2 weeks and were panicked. I started about 6 months out devoting an hour a day to studying for comprehensives, and it really helped me to do a solid review and freed me up from anxiety.