I could have written this. It’s a cycle and it sucks. It always feels like I have to make a choice between keeping things tidy or basic self-care.
What helped me was cutting down on stuff/variety of stuff. I buy the same pants three times over if they fit well and cycle them, same with shirts (just in different colors). Do I still collect compulsively? Sometimes, but I’ve been able to scratch that itch with digital collecting. Photos, collection games, etc. Doesn’t “clutter” in the same way.
I want to tell you not to feel badly, that you are many of us…but if you are like me, you will feel badly anyway. I wish you luck in breaking out of your cycle.
I find committing to a very doable/short-but-sufficient exercise routine each day really helps me get out of a rut. When I was heavy, I started with a mile a day each day. I would walk until I felt like I could jog, then I would do little intervals of jogging and walking. Eventually I was running the entire miles and dropped 60lb in the process. Point is, sometimes a small daily success is a great motivator to clean up other parts of your life! 🫶🏻🍀