The Unexpected Power of a Clean Room
I came across a post the other day that stopped me mid-scroll. Someone had stayed up all night cleaning their room – something they hadn’t properly tackled in years – and they were buzzing with pride about it. Their sister had helped move furniture, and the transformation had them feeling like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
There’s something deeply relatable about that feeling, isn’t there? We’ve all been there – that moment when you finally tackle the thing you’ve been avoiding, and suddenly you can breathe again.
What struck me most wasn’t just the achievement itself, but the genuine warmth in the responses. People weren’t judging why the room had gotten into that state. They were celebrating the victory and sharing their own systems for maintaining order. It reminded me that sometimes we forget how much our physical space affects our mental state.
The practical tips that emerged were gold. Someone mentioned keeping two laundry baskets – one for dirty clothes, one for clean. Another person swore by having small bins in every room and doing a weekly sweep. The “less than a minute” rule came up too: if something takes less than a minute to do, don’t put it off. Just do it.
These aren’t revolutionary concepts, but there’s wisdom in simplicity. The DevOps side of my brain immediately recognised the pattern – it’s basically implementing sustainable systems instead of relying on heroic effort. You don’t want to be pulling all-nighters to clean your room every few months; you want small, repeatable processes that prevent the chaos from building up in the first place.
I’ll admit, I’m fortunate that this isn’t a struggle I face regularly. But I’ve watched my daughter go through phases where her room becomes what she calls “organised chaos” (translation: complete disaster zone). The battle to maintain any semblance of order is real, and I’ve learned that nagging doesn’t work. What does work is helping her find systems that actually fit how she lives, not how I think she should live.
What really got me thinking was someone mentioning they have “pretty bad executive dysfunction” and then proceeding to share a brilliant set of workarounds they’d developed. Pop-up hampers already sorted by laundry type. A small clothes rack for things that can be worn again. Plastic drawer units for easy access items. A dedicated bin for dishes that need returning to the kitchen.
This is the stuff we should be teaching people – not just “keep your room clean,” but how to make it sustainable when your brain doesn’t naturally work that way. The fact that someone in the comments was pregnant and clearly struggling with keeping on top of things added another layer. Life throws enough challenges at us without the added stress of living in chaos.
There was something particularly touching about the original poster saying that what helped most was “the kind words of being told it’s okay and they were proud of me.” Sometimes we underestimate how much a bit of genuine encouragement can motivate someone to make a positive change.
I think about this in the context of our broader culture, particularly here where there’s often this “she’ll be right” attitude that can sometimes translate into not asking for help when we need it. We’re getting better at talking about mental health, but we’re still learning how to be practical about it. A messy room isn’t always just laziness – it can be a symptom of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or just being completely overwhelmed by life.
The beauty of that online exchange was that nobody needed to explain or justify. The achievement was celebrated, practical help was offered, and people connected over shared experiences. That’s the internet at its best, honestly.
So here’s my takeaway: if you’re struggling with something like this, remember that systems beat willpower every time. Find what works for your brain, not someone else’s. And if you’ve got someone in your life who’s struggling, maybe instead of nagging them to clean their room, you could offer to help them move some furniture or just be there while they tackle it. Sometimes the difference between overwhelmed and accomplished is just having someone in your corner saying “I’m proud of you.”
The person who posted that update probably has no idea how many people they’ve inspired to tackle their own neglected spaces. That’s a pretty good ripple effect from one all-nighter and a supportive sister.