The Hidden Mystery Behind Getting Organized When You Have Anxiety or Depression

Do you feel overwhelmed by clutter?

Many people who ask about my services do. In fact, overwhelmed is the most frequent word I hear.

Similar sentiments are “I feel depressed when I see all the clutter” and “Clutter makes me feel anxious.”

While we use terms such as “depressed” or “anxious” on a regular basis, we often refer to them as feelings rather than mental health conditions. What we may fail to realize is the impact of clinical anxiety or depression on organization and productivity.

I am not a therapist, nor do I play one on TV? However, I have a working knowledge of basic mental health conditions through:

• formal and informal education
• my own diagnosis of clinical depression
• having the privilege of working with clients who have diagnosed mental health conditions

You may have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Or you may know a friend, family member, or co-worker affected by a mental health condition. Understanding the impact of a diagnosis helps put disorganization in perspective.

It’s easy to hear a diagnosis and believe we “understand it.” After all, we’ve learned about it from a variety of sources. We have the disorder or know someone with it, so we’ve “experienced” it.

There are a number of reasons why this knowledge is often incomplete:

• There are multiple types of anxiety and depression.
• The same mental illness shows up differently in people.
• Individuals respond to treatment, if chosen, at different rates and with varying results.
• Some people are treatment-resistant, meaning they’ve tried a number of solutions and nothing has provided long-term results.
• Someone may have more than one diagnosis, which adds a layer of complexity.
• The nature of a condition may change over time.

My Story

After a long period of struggling to make it through each day and having friends urge me to get some help, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. This was in 2001, although I believe I’d lived with it for years prior to its official identification.

Here’s how it showed up for me: I would wake up in the morning and think through each part of the day that I’d have to endure in order to come home and get back in bed. I usually didn’t have energy to stop at the grocery store or at a restaurant for take-out. Even calling for food delivery was difficult.

While I paid bills on time, did laundry, etc., which I originally thought was due to long-honed habits more than anything else, I’ve since discovered that I had high-functioning depression. I usually did such activities on the weekend, as after work, I was utterly exhausted.

I had good healthcare coverage and found qualified professionals for treatment. A combination of therapy and medication got me back on track.

Since 2001, I’ve had several major depressive episodes, which required medication adjustments. I’ve learned that having depression, while owning a business, is harder than with a 9am-5pm job! I’m sure there are additional changes in my life that have contributed to needing to recalibrate my life via medication, exercise, mindfulness, self-care, etc.

I share this for several reasons.

First, to let you know that having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.

Second, to share that my personal experience is different from my clients who have a depression diagnosis. It took education and experience for me to help them discover what tools and skills worked to help them with their organizing or productivity goals.

Third, I’m glad I got help when I did and wish I hadn’t waited so long. I don’t want others to put off getting help.

What should you do if you’re organizing or productivity challenges are impacted by depression or anxiety?

Seek:

1. an accurate diagnosis from a qualified professional.
2. treatment.
3. factual information from reputable sources.
4. a support team. This may include a counselor, medical doctor, coach, Eastern medicine practitioner, organizing or productivity professional, friends, family, and others.
5. awareness of how it shows up in you.

Acknowledging when anxiety or depression is impacting your ability to get/stay organized and productive is empowering because it is the first step toward getting support.

If you have a diagnosis of depression or anxiety and would like web resources about your condition, please DM me or send me an email. Please tell me which condition so that I can give the correct resources. Nothing that you tell me will be shared with anyone else.