Does this sound familiar?
You wake up, roll out of bed, and hit the shower. So far so good. But now you have to figure out what to wear. A quick look around reveals several piles of clothes, and this early in the morning, you can’t seem to remember which are clean and which are dirty. You spot a shirt that is actually on a hanger, but for all the world it looks like you wadded it up before hanging it up. Where is the iron anyway?
Finally dressed, but running behind (no time to make coffee or eat breakfast), you look around for your phone, keys, and wallet or purse. You feel pretty good when you find two out of three, but you need the whole set. You spend five frantic minutes (maybe 10 minutes) searching high and low before finally finding it—probably somewhere close to where you first looked. As you finally leave the door, you are already feeling grumpy and stressed out.
Sure, this example is fairly extreme, but there is a good chance that some of that story resonated with you. (If it sounds wholly unfamiliar, we have a quick reminder for you later in this entry.) If you are a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, the added stress that comes with dealing with a persistent mess threatens your sobriety.
So let’s clean things up—and shore up your sobriety in the process.
Starting Small Can Have a Big Impact
Is there an untidy pile of paper taking up space on your desk? How about a disorganized collection of condiment bottles in the door of your refrigerator? A large pile of clean laundry adjacent to your dresser or closet but not actually in those spaces?
Taking 15 minutes to tackle the project of sifting, sorting, discarding, and putting stuff away is a great way to start getting the stress-reducing benefits of straightening up. That’s because bringing a bit of order to some chaos can be a quick win that you can mark off your to-do list (even if it wasn’t on your to-do list, we suggest adding it—and scratching it right off!).
Getting Into a Clean Routine Can Destress the Morning
What if you always put your wallet or purse, your phone, and your keys in the same spot before you headed off to bed? After all, you don’t want to take your phone to bed because late night screen time—including scrolling through your social media feeds—disrupts your ability to sleep soundly. And knowing where your essential stuff is each morning—on your kitchen table, for example—takes one source of stress off the table, giving you the opportunity to have a far less frantic morning.
What other routines could you launch in your life to defeat clutter and lower stress? Each improvement you make supports your ongoing sobriety.
Sorting Out Your Bedroom Can Improve Your Sleep
We noted above that it can be a good idea to leave your phone outside the bedroom to improve your sleep. But that is far from the only thing you can do to improve your rest. The fact is that a tidy sleeping space leads to more restful nights. So, put that laundry away and clear off the stuff that has accumulated on your bedside table. Your room will look nicer, and your sleep just might be deeper. And quality sleep supports your physical health, your mental health, and your recovery.
A Note for Those Who Keep Things Neat
There are, of course, people who excel at keeping their living and working spaces neat and clean. Maybe you fall into that category, and if so, that’s great! Our only advice is that you are careful to ensure that your commitment to cleanliness does not edge toward a cause of stress. Sometimes people who like everything to be in its place experience stress when something upends the neatness they have worked hard to establish and maintain. But the fact is that things get messy from time to time, and that’s just fine. When they do, you can get the mental health and recovery benefits of tidying things back up!
The Farley Center is Always Here for You
If you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, The Farley Center—located in Williamsburg, Virginia—can help. We provide medically supervised detoxification, a robust rehabilitation program that can also address co-occurring mental health disorders, and a continuum of care that will help you start your recovery journey with confidence. Don’t put off getting the help you need to reclaim and maintain your sobriety. When you are ready to make a change, we are ready to help you build a sober life.
