As a young person, one of the hardest things to grapple with on a day to day basis is knowing how I'm feeling. I'm constantly rushing from one thing to the next, never taking a moment's pause to breathe and reflect. As far as I can tell, I have two moods: good and bad. Stopping to take stock of my true feelings is something I don't really know how to incorporate in my daily life, but luckily I found a simple little trick to clue me in on what's really going on inside my head.

Want to know how I'm doing? Just take a little peak at the state of my room.

1. Spit spot: Baseline

https://unsplash.com/photos/hqGcLzakDT4

This is when my room is perfectly clean. Blank slate. This can either mean that I just got back from being out of town or I'm about to have people over. Either way, this indicates that I am in a very pleasant, optimistic mood.

2. A few clothes here and there

https://barnimages.com/clothes-on-floor-2/

This state generally means that I have been pretty busy, only dipping in and out of my room to change of sleep. I am having fun at this point. I'm feeling alive and productive, for the most part.

3. Too many clothes to see the floor, also some dirty dishes

https://unsplash.com/photos/JaNVK0PnAwE

Here is where we start to fall to the more negative side of the spectrum. If it reaches this point, wherein my room is teetering on the line of being a landfill, it can mean one of two things. Either I've been keeping myself way too busy that I'm barely staying afloat, or I've been cooped up in my room all day watching Netflix without any motivation. I am most likely feeling tired and beat up by life.

4. In the process of being cleaned

https://pixabay.com/en/hand-clean-sponge-1098466/

When I finally pull together the will power to turn my garbage can back into a gourmet suite, I've decided it is time to take charge of my life again. Cleaning my room will get me motivated to do other things, and I have lots of time to think productively while I tidy up. I am feeling inspired.

5. Clean again

https://unsplash.com/photos/hqGcLzakDT4

I have returned to my baseline. I have taken the time for myself and I am ready to take on the world again. I am content yet ambitious. But let's see how long this state of being lasts—for me and my room.

Truth be told: it is an extremely vicious cycle. I have been watching it unfold again and again over most of my teenage years. I know that the good feelings are always associated with a relatively clean room, so you think I'd have the sense by now to keep it clean. But alas, I'm a control freak with very little control. Until I learn to truly understand and stay on top of my mental state, at least I'll have my room as a loose indicator to lead the way.