Mental illness can impact many aspects of a person’s life—including one all-too-familiar frustration: the dread of household chores. For Jonna Roslund, a 26-year-old from Sweden living with severe depression, her bedroom was a mirror of the emotional weight she was carrying—and cleaning it became a powerful form of self-care.
"I suffer from severe depression and have a really hard time with cleaning and doing other kinds of household work," she wrote in a post on Imgur. "My room [has] been this messy for several months [because] I can't push myself to take care of it," she explained. "But this Friday I decided to finally do it!"
She posted two photos of her bedroom — one before cleaning up, and one afterward. The transformation was dramatic. Where there had been chaos, there was now calm.
This was her bedroom before she cleaned:
A daunting mess was no match for one woman.Photo courtesy of Jonna Roslund, used with permission.
And here's her room after she cleaned:
What looks like just a tidy room was actually a giant victoryPhoto courtesy of Jonna Roslund, used with permission.
It's more than just tidying a space; Roslund had created something far more important: a sense of peace.
"You can finally see that I have a floor!"
— Jonna Roslund
“Say hi to my teddy Nalle on the bed!” she added, showing her stuffed animal resting neatly where a tangle of blankets used to be.
“I know it's not a big victory,” she continued, “but for me it means the world to just be able to have my door open if people come over. I feel so at peace right now ... Me 1 — Depression 0!”
"Me 1 — Depression 0!"
— Jonna Roslund
Thousands connected with her story
Her post struck a chord with thousands of people who saw their own struggles reflected in her words. Many commenters opened up about how depression had impacted their ability to keep up with everyday tasks like cleaning. @xtherapylife wrote, “I too suffer from depression and I know how hard it is to function. You rock and you're an inspiration!” Another user shared, “I've been suffering from bouts of depression and dealing with an eating disorder and my place is in disarray. This is inspiring.”
"Cleaning is the first to go when my depression flares."
— @blurbsnstuff
Before the cleanup.Photo courtesy of Jonna Roslund, used with permission.
Sometimes, a clean floor is a huge win
For Roslund, cleaning her room wasn’t about impressing anyone or checking off a chore list. It was about reclaiming a bit of her mental space. "When you're depressed, it's a struggle to just get out of bed," she shared in an email. "It makes other things that other, healthy people do, so overwhelming. It's like trying to run a marathon when you've been in a coma for years."
"It’s like trying to run a marathon after a coma."
— Jonna Roslund
That feeling of being drained or immobilized is familiar to many who live with depression. Tasks that might seem small to others—like vacuuming, folding clothes, or doing dishes—can feel impossible when you're mentally unwell.
We need to normalize small victories
This story resonates not just because of its relatability, but because it reminds us how meaningful progress can look different for everyone. For some, it’s a promotion at work. For others, like Roslund, it’s clearing a floor and making a bed. As she wrote in her post, “One step at a time, one small victory after another, is what will get you through this.”
Talking about mental health helps
Roslund’s message is especially timely. Her post went viral during National Suicide Prevention Week, a moment that encourages all of us to reflect on how we support ourselves and each other through mental health struggles. She believes the first step to change is honest conversation.
“We need to be able to talk to each other about our feelings, even the bad ones,” she wrote. “And we need to be better at listening when someone is trying to talk to you about it, even though it's hard to hear.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, you are not alone. Resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offer free, confidential support 24/7. Small steps can lead to big change—and sometimes, that starts with something as simple as making your bed.
This article originally appeared last year.
Stoic statueCanva
A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com