Mix 2 parts hot water and 1 part vinegar in a medium-sized bucket. Then, dip a stiff scrub brush into this mixture and use it to clean the inside of your garbage cans. Rinse the cans thoroughly and allow them to air dry before putting any bags inside them. Take the old garbage bags to the dumpster or to your local municipal garbage dump. If the garbage in your room often has an odor, consider replacing your old garbage bags with odor-free or scented trash bags. Go around and pick up any books, dishes, clothes, or any other items that belong in some other area of your home. Eliminate visual chaos in your room by removing anything that makes your room feel cluttered. It's ok to keep a few things by your bed, such as a book or a scented candle, but the more things you can take away from this area, the easier it will be for you to feel relaxed in your room. Go through your closet and pull out any clothes that you either haven't worn in this much time or that you don't plan on wearing again in the future. If there are any clothes that you want to keep for sentimental reasons, put them in a storage box instead of in your closet. If there are any clothes that you feel uncertain about throwing out, put these in a storage box as well. If you later find that you want to wear them again, take them out of the box. If you never end up wanting to wear them, you can toss them out at a later date. Keep your spring and summer clothes are put on hangers and drawers in a convenient location. Put the winter clothes that you won't wear until next year in storage with some mothballs and lavender bags if you have them. Dust all the shelves and corners before putting all your things back neatly. Fold individual clothing items into neat squares before placing them back in your dresser drawers. Don't put any clothing items on the floor of your closet except for shoes. Take a look around and make a note of any piece of furniture, such as a half-empty bookshelf or bare coffee table, that you don't actually need in your room. Getting rid of these items of furniture or moving them to a different room will free up a ton of floor space, leaving your room feeling much larger as a result. For example, if you have 2 small bookshelves with only a few books on each of them, consider investing in a new, larger bookshelf. Place all of your books on this large bookshelf and move the smaller shelves to a separate room in your home.

Summary: Empty and clean out any trash cans in your room. Collect any items that you don't want to keep in your bedroom. Throw away or donate any clothes that you haven't worn in 2 years. Make sure your closet and dressers are neatly organized. Remove any furniture in your room that isn't actually necessary.

Performing Kegel exercises, also called pelvic floor exercises, can help to strengthen your pelvic muscles, which provide support for your bladder. Men can do Kegel exercises too! To begin strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, you first need to identify the right muscles. When you urinate, use your muscles to stop the flow of urine midstream. If you can do this, you have identified one of the muscles involved with pelvic and bladder support. Do not continue to stop your urine flow, as this can increase the likelihood of developing other problems including urinary tract infections. Another way to identify the right muscles is to imagine that you are trying to prevent from passing gas in a public place. Squeezing those muscles identifies the right muscles you need to exercise to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Your doctor or a physical therapist can help you find other ways to properly identify the muscles you need to exercise in order to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Once you are clear on the right muscles, take care not to contract, or squeeze, other muscles when you are doing your exercises. Contracting other muscles can put more pressure on your bladder. Also avoid holding your breath while you are doing your exercises. If your doctor agrees that this form of exercise might help, perform your pelvic exercises three times each day, and in three different positions. Perform your exercises while lying down, sitting, and standing. Hold each squeeze for about three seconds, then relax for three seconds. Try to reach 10 to 15 repeats of the same exercise in each position. As you become more comfortable with these exercises, extend the length of the contraction. It may take as long as two months to start seeing a difference in the frequency or severity of your bladder spasms. Remember, strengthening your pelvic muscles through exercise may only be one part of an effective treatment plan to reduce, or get rid of, your bladder spasms.

Summary: Strengthen your pelvic muscles. Talk to your doctor. Do your exercises often and in different positions. Be patient.

You may not be able to solve the situation--your mother is still going to be sick no matter what you do. However, you can be there for her. You can show up when you're needed. You can offer support and encouragement. It may not be dealing with the problem as you'd liked to do, but you will be doing something, which can help alleviate your feelings of uselessness. You can pray, meditate, or just take a few deep breaths, but whatever way, take a moment to calm yourself down. Accept that you do not have control over the situation. Your mother may be sick, but you can take the time you are spending with her to develop a better relationship with her than you've had in the past. Even if it doesn't change anything, it will help others realize that they aren't the only ones who are dealing with these feelings, which is a way you can provide support. It also opens up the discussion, so others have a chance to talk about their feelings, as well. Long-term stressful situations can lead to depression, and feeling useless could be a symptom of depression, especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms. Symptoms of depression include having trouble focusing, feeling pessimistic, not being interested in things you usually enjoy, feeling guilty, being extra tired, being consistently sad, and even experiencing physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches. Feeling sad on occasion doesn't mean you're depressed. Depression is a sustained period of not caring and feeling sad. When symptoms start to overrun your life, you may be depressed. If you are depressed, you may need medication, or you might need to seek out counseling to help you work through some issues, which may help alleviate your feelings of uselessness. Remember, being depressed is not a sign of weakness. It can be caused by a traumatic event in your life, but it could also be a chemical imbalance that needs to be corrected. Also, certain medications, your genes, and other problems like illnesses can also lead to depression.
Summary: Do what you can. Take some time to stop and breathe. Focus on what's going well and make that a larger part of your life. Talk about what you're feeling with others in the situation. Check yourself for signs of depression. See a doctor if you suspect you are depressed.