By David Dabiri, BSW Intern

The effects of hoarding and poor living conditions on a person’s mental and physical health have proven to be increasingly detrimental to a person’s quality of life.  For people who have experienced extended bouts of homelessness, there are heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD when compared to the general population.  According to a study of 2,500 surveyed adults who have struggled with homelessness in the past, 45% reported being diagnosed with a mental health issue, compared to 25% of the general public. Around 67% of respondents reported experiencing depression, 39% reported having panic attacks, 32% reported having suicidal thoughts, and 41% reported using drugs and alcohol to cope with their mental health issues.

Learning to cope with these concerns is a never-ending process, and at times can feel overwhelming.  But there is a definitive sense of resiliency when it comes to a population that has time and time again overcome the odds and survived the harshest of storms that life can throw at a person.    Despite this, it is all too easy to fall victim to certain habits that come with higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety.  Among this is the likelihood of lacking the motivation to perform daily tasks such getting dressed or taking a shower, and maintaining clean living conditions.  We’ve been told in the past that “a clean home is a happy home,” but what is it about cleanliness that is linked to happiness?

There have been studies done regarding the link between cleaner living conditions and the overall wellness of an individual.  One such article reports that having a cleaner room can lead to the following: waking up feeling fresh, higher quality sleep, less distraction, a better connection with loved ones, increased productivity, social confidence, less stress, better house maintenance, and increased overall happiness.

These are all obviously desirable outcomes that anyone would want for their lives, but what steps can a person take to achieve them?  Especially when we are feeling overwhelmed, starting anything can seem like the biggest mountain to climb in our minds.  It is estimated that 20% of the adult population in the United States struggles with procrastination, and these numbers become even higher when linked with symptoms of depression.  The symptoms of depression that people face every day such as fatigue or hopelessness make it easy to say “I’ll put this off until tomorrow,” and that tomorrow gets pushed further and further back.

There are many tips out there for addressing procrastination, such as getting organized, eliminating distractions, setting goals and deadlines, rewarding oneself, and holding oneself accountable.  One tip that has proven effective in the past is a simple one that can prove to be very beneficial, regardless of whatever task it is applied to: the five-minute method.

Take any task that you’ve been putting off in your life, whether its cleaning your room, paying bills, doing the dishes, or making an appointment.  Set a timer for five minutes and for those five minutes, dedicate all of your time, effort, and energy into performing that task.  Regardless of if you are able to complete the task or not, you just proved to yourself that you are capable of doing it, even if it was just for five minutes.  At the end of the five minutes, keep going if you feel the motivation to do so.  If not, dedicate five minutes tomorrow to the same task you want to get complete.  Over time, either the motivation to continue completing this task will arise, or you will slowly but surely make progress toward your goals.  After all, it’s only five minutes.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/feb/04/poor-housing-bad-mental-health

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/h/housing-and-mental-health

https://www.stephilareine.com/2020/06/10-mental-health-benefits-of-a-clean-bedroom.html

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/campus-life/8-tips-to-avoid-procrastination

https://solvingprocrastination.com/procrastination-statistics/