Tiny Choices
Chapter 16
How I Cleaned Up My Life (One Habit at a Time)
Welcome back to The Purple Witch’s Mental Health Clinic.
Today, I want to talk about something that isn’t flashy. It isn’t about a miracle supplement, a specific diet, or a fitness craze. At the end of the day, what truly makes the difference in the distance we travel—from the dark place to the lighter one—is our lifestyle. But wait, don’t click away. I’m not here to lecture you about kale smoothies or CrossFit. I’m talking about the tiny, daily little habits. The good ones, and the destructive ones. The ones that seem insignificant in the moment but, over weeks and months, build the foundation of either our prison or our freedom. Let me paint you a picture of my old “lifestyle.” I used to sleep until 2 p.m. I would stay awake staring at the ceiling or a screen until 3 a.m., sometimes earlier, but never on a consistent schedule. And where did I do this sleeping? On my couch. My bed felt too far away, too “official,” too much like a place where a functional person slept.
I remember feeling devastated. I remember the weight of depression sitting on my chest like a concrete block. I felt ugly. I felt old. I would skip meals entirely, and when the hunger pangs finally broke through the fog, I would eat whatever junk food was closest. It was a cycle of self-neglect, and it felt inescapable. If that sounds like where you are right now, please hear me: I am not here to tell you to just “cheer up” or “take a shower.” That kind of advice feels insulting when you’re in the thick of it. It’s not that easy.
The “Messy Room” Analogy
When you have such a messy “room”—when your mental health is in chaos, your sleep is broken, and your spirit is crushed—you can’t just snap your fingers and clean it all at once. It’s overwhelming. It’s not magical. As the song says, you want it, you got it! But the song doesn’t tell you that you have to keep doing the same thing every day to maintain it.
So, I stopped trying to fix everything. I decided to change one little habit at a time. Maybe it was forcing myself to sit up on the couch instead of lying down. Maybe it was opening the blinds for five minutes. Maybe it was swapping one junk meal for a piece of toast with butter. It wasn’t a grand gesture; it was a tiny rebellion against the chaos. I started with my sleep. I couldn’t fix the 3 a.m. bedtime overnight, but I could stop sleeping on the couch. I moved my body to my bed. That was it. One small win. Then, I worked on the time I closed my eyes. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the schedule shifted.
The View from 54…
I’m almost 54 years old now. And I want to tell you where those tiny, accumulated changes have led me. I’m dancing again. Not for anyone else, but for the pure joy of movement. I’m cooking for myself again. Nourishing this body that I once neglected. My days are no longer a blur of gray static; they are filled with actions, with purpose. And my nights? They are no longer filled with dread of the next morning. They are filled with dreams and plans. I look in the mirror now and I don’t see that haggard, old person I used to see. I see someone who fought for herself.
If I Can, Anyone Can
I truly believe that if I can do this, anyone can. Because I was as low as you can go. I had zero structure. I had zero self-worth. But I learned that you don’t build a life with grand, sweeping gestures. You build it with the bricks of daily routine. It’s the little things. Going to bed at the same time. Getting out of bed when you wake up. Making that one healthy choice. Moving your body, even just a little.
So, if you’re reading this and your “room” is a mess, don’t look at the whole room. Just pick up one thing. Change one tiny habit. Tomorrow, do it again. That is the magic. That is the witchcraft of healing.
The distance between where you are and where you want to be is just a series of small steps. And you can take the first one right now.
With love and chaos,
The Purple Witch 💜🧹
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