With all of my fabulous anxiety disorders I’ve found this thought to be a particularly comforting one. We all live in a meatsuit driven by a survival focused brain. We evolved this way.

When running around in the wild as unevolved meatsuits, we learned to clean up after ourselves. It’s more difficult for predators to find us when we cover our scent and our trail. Burying garbage, waste, and objects makes us harder to follow and ensures survival in the future.

In this modern world, I find that although I have lots of objects around me, I am more comfortable when they’re clean. I don’t want a smell in my house other than candles and dog. If anyone judges the smell of dog then I know to avoid them in the future, because I know darn well that I smell like him too!

However, sometimes depression gets in the way and I let things slide. Though I live with others, I am the main keeper of the home, so when I let things slide, they slide. The laundry piles up, the dishes are in clean or dirty piles in the kitchen, and the bathrooms go completely neglected. Not only does this not help with my depression, but it amps up my anxiety.

It’s times like these when I remind myself that I have to take care of my meatsuit. Drink, eat, walk, call a friend, and tidy up. It does help, even though it takes up the little energy I have at those times, it’s worth it. So go ahead and take this as a reminder to light a candle and fold your pants.