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Jonas Žvilius

50 People Trying To Unscrew Their Habitat, One Mess At A Time

Depression ACI

When we get overwhelmed by life, our living space often also suffers. As more and more problems pile up, it can feel like there's never enough time or energy to wash the dishes or do the laundry. And the longer we wait, the bigger the mess, until eventually, it's all there is.

When this happens, the first step is often the hardest.

So if you too need inspiration to make the change, we've got just the thing—r/ufyh is a subreddit that unites people who are trying to “Unscrew Their Habitat.” The best part is that those who participate often share dramatic before-and-after photos of their efforts, reminding us that we can do it too.

#1 Please Don't Judge The Before, I'm So Ashamed

Cleared my depression pit! Genuinely can't believe how [bad] I am because it took less than a day to do. it feels amazing waking up to a new room every day now though

#2 Sleeping In A Normal Bed Like A Real Person Tonight. Been Wildly Depressed For... Ever, And I'm Tired Of Letting It Run My Life

Oftentimes, a messy room might not mean anything more than its owner being short on time.

"Some people simply don't value cleanliness, and they prioritize other things over keeping a room clean," says Weena Cullins, a marriage and family therapist.

"When you think about it, there's a mundaneness and a monotony with keeping up with tasks like this that need to be completed routinely without much more benefit to them than returning to a clean room, so sometimes a refusal to keep a room clean is more about that than anything else."

But it can also be indicative of a bigger issue.

#3 Months Of Depression And Only Eating Uber Eats

I still got lots to do. My floors are filthy, zero clean dishes, but it was a huge step. I'm scared of slipping into old habits. I am Bipolar 2, and my atypical depression is a heavy symptom that lasts most the year. It's never gotten this bad in the past. 2021 to 2024 were the worst years of my life for mental health. I am hoping I am slowly making way out of that rut.
Wish me luck that I can keep going.

#4 This Sub Is Life Changing, This Is A Big Thank You And My Before From When I Joined The Sub (January) Until This Month (September)

I have struggled immensely these past couple of years with health issues and haven’t had any cleaning problems in my adult life until that point. I felt extremely ashamed and alone because I never thought life events could alter my day to day life and routine so much. I did not think that would happen to me. I took myself, my health and my habits for granted. In the beginning of this year I posted some snippets of my progress and the amount of comfort, empathy and useful tips you guys gave me restored my hope in people. I still remember every kind word you left and it gave me a push that has stayed. I never know what the future holds and what will happen in the future but whatever does happen I will carry the weight so much lighter and that is solely because of you guys. Thank you so much, you literally better peoples lives and you don’t even know it. I root for you the way you selflessly rooted for me when I was at a low point.

#5 Finally Able To Live Life Again

Crippling addiction. relationship ending horribly. isolation. weight gain. dark depression all lead to the first photo seen here… and now….
I’ve actually done it.
thank you to this sub for showing me it was possible.
time to live again

A messy room can also be a sign of depression. Several of the criteria for the diagnosis — hopelessness, fatigue, and lack of concentration — can all play a role in why cleaning is constantly postponed, or not even considered at all.

Cullins explains that, in the case of fatigue, many times you're struggling to even get out of bed. "If you can barely get out of bed, it's unlikely that you have the energy to clean your room," she adds.

If you're feeling a little less than hopeful, you might have a hard time understanding why you should bother to organize your stuff since, from your point of view, everything seems to be going wrong anyway.

Cullins notes that, for people with depression, it can be a "struggle to find joy or see a light at the end of a dark tunnel." If it's not going to change anything, why even try?

#6 Cleaned My Depression Pit

Moved to Big City™️ this year to start my surgery training program. 90 hour work weeks + long distance relationship + no laundry in my building -> this situation. Thank you to this community for the inspiration 🖤

#7 Much Needed Bedroom Clear Out Following Year-Long Grief/Adhd Fueled Depressive Episode

Still depressed but my bedroom is clean now! Bought three plastic tubs and new bedsheets, folded and put away about six baskets of laundry, steamed ~20 shirts, and gave myself permission to throw away a bunch of little things (junk) that I was holding onto. One of the tubs is now full of all the other little things I couldn’t trash, but I’ll work on that another day :)
Never would have made the move to start cleaning if this forum hadn’t popped up on my fyp, so thanks to everyone here for the motivation <3 Now to keep it clean! Any tips on that would be much appreciated

#8 Taking The Incredible Encouragement From This Sub And Trying To Continue

After getting through my bedroom I decided I'd like to try being able to use my living room. The couch was a dumping ground for my SO having to go through so much of his stuff was harder than I could have thought. I still need to clean the couch but for now it's at least usable.
Also huge thanks for all the support I received on my last post it was definitely great motivation and encouragement to keep going. Thank yall so much

"While it may sound strange to forget to clean up your room since you're reminded of the condition of the room each day, depression can make you easily distracted," Cullins says.

"So you can intend to put things in order in your room and never find the concentration or the energy to get around to it because you have so many other things going on."

#9 I Didn't Fail!

i posted on here a couple weeks ago after reaching a breaking point in my home. my garage was completely inaccessible and all rooms (3 bedrooms + office) were trashed. i worked for about a year to at least claim the main spaces of my home back (entry, living, kitchen, dining). but while the interior of my home improved, my garage got worse and worse. i reached out to a company for help and we cleared out my entire home- garage and all. here are the results of the garage. i probably won't post the inside of my home but the change is unbelievable.
i felt frozen for 5 years and now my life can begin again. i can't quite pinpoint my emotions right now. i feel relief, pride, embarrassment, gratitude... but i also have been feeling a whole lot of nothing. no emotions at all. the last 10 days have been a lot to process and it's strange being here at the end now.

#10 Chronic Illness LED Me To The Mess. I’m Trying To Tackle It At A Manageable Pace. Here’s My Foyer

I’ve been sick with Lyme disease, and most days I barely have the energy to get out of bed. With two kids and without much support at home, things fell apart quickly. This little room took me 2 days, but I’m trying and I’m making progress! (Though I suspect I’ll be paying for it in fatigue in the coming days. 😬)

#11 Ufyh: Car Edition

About 4 months worth. Isn’t the first time, definitely won’t be the last, but the depressive episodes are at least getting less frequent (this happens about twice a year, vs how it used to be every two months)

#12 3ish Hours Later. Thanks For All The Encouragement!!

I appreciate this sub so much. Somehow it really works for me to share my mess to hold myself accountable. Sorry if it's too much to post twice in such a short time but I wanted to show everyone how much you all helped me stay motivated, I appreciate you all bunches and bunches!!! I included my before pic too in the hopes that it helps someone else. I could totally do more work to really deep clean and declutter but this is good for now. I need to do dishes and scrub a toilet still while I'm on a roll!

It's hard to say exactly how many people let their homes go for too long, but one survey says that, on average, Americans spend about six hours per week cleaning their homes.

Around a quarter (28%) dedicate more than seven hours, while one in five (21%) spend just one to two hours.

However, one in ten (10%) admit they clean for less than an hour each week.

#13 First Time Cleaning Apartment In 1.5 Years. Fuck Depression

#14 Trying Really Hard... Started With The Bathroom

#15 Turns Out Laundry Is Less Intimidating When There’s Space To Put Clean Clothes

Finally doing right by the walk-in closet we’re so fortunate to have. Donating and saying goodbye to the four-year-old, plastic drawers was the best part.

Even though we clean regularly, questions often remain about how, what, and when to clean. According to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), what matters most is not how long we spend cleaning, but how effective we are.

To maximize our efforts, the ACI recommends prioritizing these cleaning tasks:

Bathroom: Disinfect toilet bowls, sinks, tubs, and showers
Kitchen: Clean cutting boards, countertops, and dishes
Laundry: Wash sheets, towels, and bathmats weekly
Floors: Vacuum carpets and mop floors to reduce asthma and allergy triggers

#16 Update: The Depression Pit No More

#17 Chronic Illness LED Me To The Mess. I'm Trying To Tackle It At A Manageable Pace. Here's My 10-Year-Old’s Room

I’ve been sick with Lyme disease, and most days I barely have the energy to get out of bed. With two kids and without much support at home, things fell apart quickly. I previously posted my foyer. This is one of my kids’ rooms! It was mostly a laundry disaster… (He did help me with it and is helping to keep it clean now ☺️).

#18 Before And Continued Progress

My feet hurt! It took me a couple of days to keep going on the kitchen. All I could see was an impossible mess. I gave myself a break and got out of the house. I maintained what I had done already. Does anyone feel like The little Red Hen/Rooster? After working so hard I can feel like that. "Stay out of my clean room! No bread for you!" 🙄😵‍💫😉 We haven't used our kitchen table for going on two years. I was overwhelmed, depressed and it was too much for me. I was also getting over some PTSD caused by my former job. Therapy has helped. My son's family moved into town and I'm more active with my kids. 💖

#19 Whole House Cleaned

I hate that it gets like this. I'm going to do better.

In addition, we can practice prevention to reduce the time we spend cleaning. The ACI suggests developing these habits to stay ahead of the mess:

Keep clutter to a minimum: This limits places for dust and allergens to accumulate.
Avoid spreading dirt and germs: Wash hands regularly and wipe shoes on entryway rugs or mats.
Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces clean and dry: This helps reduce mold and mildew.
Promptly clean up crumbs and spills.
Treat spots and stains on clothing immediately.

#20 A Severe Combination Unfuck/Declutter/Rearrange Over The Course Of The Last Few Weeks

#21 I Did It!

I posted on here when I started the clean. Today I put up the last shelves, marking my room officially finished. It took maybe two days of solid work. Also, I bought an emotional support tree. It helped!

#22 I Uf My Depression Den

I had a breakdown (I’m currently 5 days clean from smoking weed) and had a major vent with my besties. They helped and I was able to channel all those emotions into cleaning my room for the first time in over a year. 7 bags of trash later, 2 loads of laundry going, and at least 3-4 folded and put away. I’m still restless and want to smoke but it’s easier now that my room is clean. It’s not perfect because my vacuum is dead but I’ll get that taken care of as soon as I can. Thanks to this community I was able to break it down and it got done in about 2 hours.

#23 All This Cleaning And This Is What Made Me Most Happy!

Still working on my Dad's. He had a bottle of hosin explode. This is the first thing that's made me feel like it's getting really clean in here. Time to make a meal! Bonus pic of the completely empty fridge.

#24 It Took A While But I Did It!

I’ve been living in a depression apartment for a while and I finally was able to do a total deep clean. Every single thing in my apartment is clean and I’m so proud of myself!

#25 Finally Picked Up The Depression Den

I’m sick at home and thought this might make me feel better. Feels like a weight’s been lifted 🥲

#26 I Did It By Myself! I Cleaned My Kitchen!

I've never ever been good at keeping things clean, and my kitchen more than the rest of my house has always been a huge source of shame. My whole house is cluttered, but my kitchen was dirty. This was about 3 or 4 20-minute segments.
My mom does not have nearly the same visceral reaction to doing dishes and so whenever she comes over she usually unfucks my kitchen for me. However some planned visits fell through and I decided to give it a really good try. I've picked up a lot of techniques to counter my weaknesses over the years and I'm really pleased with how well they worked!
I also cleared out my cabinets of all the expired food and organized then a little nicer.
I'm still afraid of what's waiting inside the fridge, but I have to wait for the next trash pickup to have space to tackle that. Still one dishwasher load to put away too.

#27 I’m Embarrassed To Show How Bad It Got But I’m Determined To Bust Out Of My Depression. This Was This Weekend’s Project

#28 First Step

The horizontal surfaces in my house are out of control (floors and tables) and I’ve been dragging my feet worried that 15 minutes is never going to dig me out. I finally got the gumption to set a 15 minute timer and just start. It’s not done, but it’s an improvement.

#29 Finally Cleaned The Master Bathroom🥹

#30 Progress Is Slow

I don’t have pics of the clean living room but I’ve gotten the living room cleaned up and half the kitchen and the master bathroom. I’m on medication now for my depression. So it’s time to get the house in order.

#31 Finally Cleaned Up My Disaster Of A Living Room, Hooray For Medication!

I'm a 31 year old schizophrenic loner. For a while I struggled with my medication compliance and let this junk accumulate for God knows how long, to the point where I just didn't use my table or look at this part of the room. At some point the table leg brackets broke so it wobbled pretty badly. However I've been taking my antipsychotics every day for the better part of eight months now (after my life started falling apart again) and I finally decided to tackle the mess. I just got sick of having this junk heap take up so much of my limited living space.
Here's what I did:

Put everything into cardboard boxes
Vacuum the floor
Replace my old broken wobbly table legs with new solid metal hairpin legs that screw directly into the table (original ones were attached with brittle plastic brackets that broke over time)
Swept off the table and wiped it down with cleaning solution. Had a lot of old coffee stains and dust from old projects.
Sorted through one box at a time. I had a trash can next to me and threw away any garbage that got mixed in. I made piles of stuff based on category (soldering stuff, electronics components, art stuff, mail, cables, pens and pencils, etc) and went from there.

#32 Cleaned My Craft Room/Spare Bedroom!

I live with my elderly mom in my childhood home. When I moved in to help take care of her 12 years ago, we decided the spare bedroom (which was my bedroom was a child) would be my craftroom. So when moved back everything from my small house was put in this room. Throughout the years it kind of became a catch all for all our stuff we didn't have anywhere else to put.
So now it's 2025 and my mental health is finally to a place where I have the energy and inclination to do something about it! It took me either 4 or 5 days and anywhere between 10 to 15 hours of work to get everything cleared out and put away.
I finally have my craft room and we actually have access to our spare room again!
I threw away probably 4 big black bags of trash and gave away a total of 11 big black bags of yarn!

#33 After Weeks/Months Of Partial Cleans And Then A Bout Of Covid, My Kitchen Is Finally fully Clean And I Want To Scream It From The Rooftops

Pro tip: I live in an apartment complex and posted on our online bulletin board that I’d pay $15 to anyone who could come take my trash (2 bags and then some old pumpkins/mums that had been on the porch). Someone came and took them for free! Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Since that kind person took my trash, I was able to use that energy to do this today.

#34 "Can I Come Over To Your House?" Was What I Needed To Hear

One of my best friends wanted to visit for new year because she knew I was struggling. The girl that I'm seeing wanted to come over to cook for me. I always had to make excuses just because I didn't want them to see the reality of what I am going through, but it was actually all the motivation I needed to start unfucking my habitat once and for all.
Well, dishes are all clean and mostly gone, there was a lot of things of ex-roomates. I live alone and I just need a couple of things.
Yeah, that nasty stain was mold. I live in a place with 90%+ humidity all year and badly constructed cottages, so behind the fridge the warm air did its thing. No worries, it's all clean now and painted over with mold killing painting. I did the same a year ago with another corner and it's absolutely great.
I cannot handle washing dishes, I hate feeling the cold water (there is no hot water) and the sponges. But also my brain in its depressive state doesn't even care, like it wants me dead for real. But I finally did it, and the sink has been this beautiful since new year! I'm honestly surprised and so so grateful of my past-self who did all the work.
I hope this serves you as motivation to all of us who are struggling. This sub has been so helpful, thank you.

#35 Me And My Partner Did A 50 Min Ufyh. Both Of Us Have Adhd And We Body Doubled Ftw Today. 🙌🏆

#36 The End Result Of Panic Cleaning Before An Apartment Inspection

I'm not 100% done with it yet, but I have a functional room again. I struggle pretty bad with my mental health, so it's easy for me to just not care.
And yes, my aesthetic is little old lady.

#37 I Pulled Through And Cleaned My Kitchen!!

I am so proud of myself! It wouldn't have been possible without you guys or my studyblr friends on discord! I already had celebratory tea, cookies and pancakes, but feel free to pour one with me tonight .^
I'll take out the trash and bring my stuff to the attic now and will rest so so well tonight

#38 2.5 Hours Working In The Fridge 💪

I've been in a rough place lately, but I am really happy with the progress I made in the fridge today. I am going to treat myself by getting a small cheesecake tomorrow! I still have to clean out the snack drawer on the fridge. But I am feeling so much better.

#39 Bedroom Day 2

The big pile in the corner is all trash. I took one car load to the dump today. That’s all I can afford. I vacuumed and swept spider webs and wiped down surfaces but no other cleaning. I did not get under the bed. The closet is filled with bags of clothes, six of which I am about to take to the laundromat right now

#40 Finally Cleaned My Desk Space

#41 Before And Progress

I've been depressed and overwhelmed. I'm finding things that make me happy and give me energy. This kitchen was too much. But I'm doing it. I built new shelves for the pantry. I've cleaned a lot, but it's still so much!

#42 20 Minutes = Earned Back My Hallway. You Can Do It!! Read Description

The time and walls still need deep cleaning, but here’s what I did:

Put on hype music
Throw all dirty stuff into washer
Grab everything on the floor that isn’t trash and put it where it belongs (if it doesn’t yet have a designated “home” in my house, it goes into a tub for now.)
Sweep and throw away trash
Take dishes to sink
Wipe trash can and washer/dryer with disinfectant
Ooh and aaah at being able to walk through the hallway without jumping over things

#43 I Have 6 More Days To Make This Place Livable

I'm working on my Dad's house while visiting. I hope to get his house healthy and easier to clean with his limited mobility.
I have a lot more rooms to go, but at least we can cook and he can keep up with his cats.

#44 The Biggest Uf So Far!

All of our stuff from our kitchen remodel/moving of the laundry ended up in this room. This poor room gets filled and emptied every time we clean. I bought a few totes and organizers so we could put all this stuff in a neat pile until we get the remodel done. Anything that was not kitchen had a home from my previous work and I worked really hard to make sure I PUT STUFF AWAY NOT DOWN. Omg that was hard.The machines arrive tomorrow! Pics of the kitchen later. (Buddy the Bagel enjoying his barrel chair. And of course, Mabel Tax!)

#45 I Felt Like My Room Was Beyond Help

Complex family issues have been crammed into my one-bedroom apartment for years. Mom died two years ago, and I have only just started to feel like I am able to work on the horrible mess in the bedroom. On the floor was lots of dust, shopping bags and shipping boxes, cat toys, and trash. I marathoned a lot of the mess in the bigger part of the bedroom on a Sunday, and then the property manager emailed two days later: INSPECTION. I cleared the rest of the floor with another marathon after work that week. It's the first time in years that the closet door was closed on the left or open on the right!
I've made changes to my routines so I am cleaning the toilet and cat boxes every morning, I have vacuumed my room almost every day for the last week, and I evaluated my clothes and closet yesterday. I didn't make this mess in just one day, week, or month. It took years to get that bad, but I hope I can get my space to a happy, comfortable level of clean by the end of the summer. I really appreciate the guidance UFYH has given me so I can create my own routines and follow through with them.

#46 Swedish Death Metal Cleaning

#47 All I Can Manage For Today

#48 You Have No Idea How Long This Took 🥹

#49 45 Minutes In My Room As A Start

“Deslobification” for the most part. Picked up trash, threw laundry all in that fitted sheet because all the baskets are currently being used lol

#50 Actually Got It Done!!

I’ve never been more proud of myself than looking at these before and after photos. 🥹 I posted here 55 days ago when I was at a complete loss of where to even begin and how to tackle the chaos of my room that was like 3 years in the making. I’m moving to another city today, so everything had to be completely gone and cleared out and both the bedroom and bathroom deep cleaned, and I was immensely stressed about whether I’d be able to do it, but after a lot of steady work, I managed to get it all done!! I got rid of a TON of stuff, both donating and trashing. Included a pic of my bathroom even though I didn’t show how it was before, but it was quite cluttered too.
Thank you so much to everyone who gave me kind words and advice, it truly helped me feel not as alone and like I had a clearer path to follow! 💗 Kind of tearing up a little as I’m posting this. 🥹 Feels like a true fresh start!

So anyway, now I have a functioning table and a nice cozy place to use my computer.Do you have a hallway or small room that needs 20 min?? Can you put on your favorite song and do it now? Let’s go fam!!

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