Disorganization and depression

[Cat Dancer]

I am very disorganized right now and have been for some time. It REALLY bothers me because I used to be neat and orderly. I know the depression I have probably caused me to just let things go, but now it greatly adds to the depression and I don't know how to get back to the point of being neat and orderly again. And I feel ashamed of dealing with this. Ashamed of myself. How can I be so scatterbrained and have everything out of control? Sometimes I wonder if I just use the depression as an excuse to be lazy. Honestly though it's like my mind just shuts off or spins around when I try to focus on what to do. I hate this.

Does anyone have any advice on getting back on track? Tips or anything.

 

[MHealthJo]

I absolutely relate CD, and it is NOT a non-real 'excuse', it is absolutely real.

This is one of the really fundamentally hardest things I think.

I find my brain works better if I have stimulated myself by enjoying something - again which can be so hard to achieve in depression times.

To be perfectly honest there are lots of times here that organisation just isn't very possible, and if someone else wants stuff to be very organised, then they can do it themselves if it matters that much. There are times when your brain just can't do a certain thing very well at all.

I will try to think of some ideas though for the times when it's not totally impossible.... There is a website called FlyLady that you might want to check out; also I remember reading related ideas on About.com under the CFS section. You may want to do some good googling of 'organization" or "household" with terms like depression, anxiety, confusion, muddled, etc... also try adding the "site:about.com" modifier in with those search terms. You may find About.com guides who live with certain problems and who have written about how they tackle things.

 

[Cat Dancer]

I did try Flylady and I think she has some GREAT ideas. I just couldn't get into wearing shoes in the house all the time. LOL. But I think I have adopted some of her ideas like working for so many minutes at a time.

 

[forgetmenot]

Just taking one task even the smallest one and get it done ok sometimes just getting out of bed is a task hun so give yourself credit for every small task that you do do
and i know you have larger task that you accomplish and that is taking care of your children first

 

[Cat Dancer]

I've been trying to set the timer on the oven for 15 minutes and doing as much as I can in 15 minutes. I get a lot done, but it's not stuff you can really tell a difference. mg: Like laundry.

 

[rdw]

I make lists and feel great as I cross items off. My lists include small and large tasks.

 

[forgetmenot]

I am sure the ones that wear the clean laundry notice the difference hun I hate doing laundry that is a big task to do

 

[W00BY]

I do it in sections and change what my attention is on regularly i.e do some dishes, the throw out some garbage, then hoover for a bit etc

I like you used to be super organized like yourself but somewhere in amongst everything else I don't see the point in it any more and your right it does then lead to feeling more depressed itself

I associate house cleaning with being beaten I was the house maid from a very young age and I had to pay attention to things like books being put on a shelf not only in order of size but also thickness and color

I think housework was just an easy way to find excuses to beat me as a result of this and depression I hate house work I only most of the time do the essentials
and live in organized chaos that no one else is allowed to touch

But am working on it cause I have recognized it is annoying me greatly and a symptom of my depression in fact a barometer of how bad it is

I have found music helps get me motivated I get lost in the music while I tidy and that takes me mind away from what I am actually doing

Like I said earlier I also find that if I do bits here and there I get less bored with it and tend to stick at it longer

I tend to get over involved in tidying maybe because of what I have been through *shrugs* so when I start, stopping again is difficult and also I become obsessive with what I have tidied and get very cranky if anyone makes a mess another reason why I tend to not have a tidy house throughout.

I think your timer idea is really good makes you prioritize with regard to the time you are setting yourself... its like a good vicious circle the more you get at it the happier you will be with the results...

Bit like diet and exercise

but that is another story *mumbles*