(Or…”My House Makes Me Anxious”)
Are you feeling a little “piggy?” Are the dirty socks and piles of dishes making you feel like a loser? Did you “Marie Kondo” the shit out of your house during the pandemic only to see it fall back into disarray? Are you comparing your messy abode to your friend’s spotless home where you had supper last night?
You’re not alone.
And guess what, I’m not here to tell you how to do better. Because you can easily find that information online. Plus, I’ve never been considered a neat freak. Ever. In fact, I once found a fried chicken leg under my car seat and I rarely eat fried chicken much less when I’m driving so there you go! What I will tell you since you followed the QR code here is this…it’s okay. You’re doing a good job. Everyone’s house gets messy. If not, then they probably have a more serious issue. See the OCD post here.
But that friend with the spotless house? Stop by on a random Tuesday, around 7:30 p.m. Unannounced. I promise you’ll see his or her dirty little secrets taking up the kitchen counter or scattered about the den floor. You’re fine.
Does clutter actually contribute to anxiety? According to professionals, it does, but you didn’t need me to tell you that. (Currently, I’m trying to stay focused on the computer screen as I type so the bag of trash to my right and the recycling box of cans to my left that never made it downstairs don’t make me feel like Martha Stewart’s evil twin.)
But de-cluttering and cleaning your space WILL improve your mental health. And I have a scheduled plan of doing just that, in my house, soon. I hope. Until then, I only have this to say…
You’re still a good person, messy house and all. Don’t compare yourself to your “friend with the spotless house.” Remember, they have their own “garbage” to sort through. No one’s perfect.
So I’ll end with this – one of my favorite movie quotes of all time.
“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” – Aibileen Clark, “The Help”
And it’s true. Because guess what?
You are (no matter how many dirty socks are currently scattered on your den floor OR how many fried chicken legs are under your car seat.)
Katie Linsky Shaw, Photographer, Photojournalist
Youth Mental Health Crisis – An ongoing photography and story-telling project