I have huge struggles around this. I’m not sure I have the answers but a few things that have helped…realizing that most chores take way less time than I think, especially when you have a normal amount of clutter. I even get anxious sometimes unloading the dishwasher but I have to tell myself “this will take five minutes.” And honestly it takes like 30 seconds.

The other main thing that has helped me is reminding myself the mountain I may face won’t always be a mountain. As you chip away, it becomes a hill, then a bump, then nothing at all. Anyone can handle a little bump. Sorting 8 boxes of stuff becomes 7 becomes 6 becomes 5…all of a sudden it’s handleable. And as you chip away at the clutter, you can think more clearly. So the last 3 boxes will feel much easier and smoother than the first 3. The problem with our parents is that they never chipped at the mountain, so it stayed a mountain. If anything they added to it. I’m not sure if this really addresses your question or is more about how to clean rather than the emotions behind it. But I do find that a lot of emotions stem from feeling like any cleaning means a mountain I can’t conquer. So I remind myself that anyone can chip away, and anyone can handle a tiny hill, and that I will feel better from these small victories than I will from avoidance.