Spring Cleaning Your Emotional Health

Over time, houses can become messy and cluttered. Heavy drapes keep out winter drafts, but block the cleansing light of the sun. As springtime breezes over the windowsill, cobwebs flutter in the corners. Until light illuminates the cobwebs and dust bunnies, they are too easy to ignore, allowing them grow into a fierce filament army.

In the past, I have described my own depression as a monster that hides in the corners. Most of the time small and miniature, the monster can be easily ignored. But allow it to grow unnoticed in the darkness and the mini-monster becomes a beast straining to break free from imaginary chains.

Dealing with emotions is not as easy and straight forward as spring cleaning. But I’ve found that if I acknowledge the emotions, really take the time and mindfulness to notice that they are there, the negative emotions lose some of their potency while the positive emotions gain strength. Shedding light on the emotions helps to know where to mentally sweep, as long as you do not “sweep” the emotions under your cognitive rug.

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Cleaning Out The Emotional Clutter Of MS

Better Living with MS: Manage the Clutter

Recently I read an article in the International Journal of MS Care that hit home, “Clutter Management for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis” by Jennifer Tamar Kalina from the MS Care Center of the New York University Langone Medical Center, New York. In the article, Ms. Kalina discusses the clutter management group program which has been offered at their MS Center for over 8 years. She describes in detail how incorporating clutter management interventions into MS care programs can enhance the quality of life and functional independence of people living with the disease.

Clutter has a profound impact on individuals living with chronic diseases such as MS, with detrimental effects on physical, financial, social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Many common MS symptoms, such as decreased mobility, visual or cognitive impairment, fatigue, and depression, may contribute to clutter accumulation as well. Clutter removal interventions may increase patients’ participation in vocational and leisure activities, social pursuits, and other meaningful occupations.

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Clutter Management for MS Patients