Staying organized can be tough, especially when trying to balance everything from school to a social life to relationships. Things can get pretty hectic and we tend to fall behind in our workload and our responsibilities (I know I am not the only one). If you are ever feeling down about being in this situation, just know that you do not have to! There are plenty of ways you can get yourself organized and back on your feet to tackle the semester. Here are five tactics that will hopefully help you organize your different aspects of life and remain on your A game.
1. Make your bed every morning
This may seem silly and awfully time consuming, but there is just something about making my bed every morning that makes me feel like I am 10x more ready to take on my day. Even when I am running late, putting all my throw pillows in order and tucking my sheets in makes it seem like I have it all together even when I might not. Fake it ‘til you make it, am I right? In all seriousness, accomplishing a task early in the morning can make you feel good about yourself and encourage you to accomplish more throughout the day and keep yourself organized.
2. Clean often
Along the lines of making your bed, cleaning your space and tidying up daily or even weekly can help keep you feeling motivated and organized. Simply putting away clothes instead of throwing them on “the chair” (I know we all have one of those) and keeping everything in its designated spot can have a major impact on your feeling of balance and can reduce your stress. Declutter, destress and dive into the semester feeling great!
3. Write down EVERYTHING
Making to-do lists, journaling and organizing your thoughts on paper is a great way to translate them from jumbled thoughts to visual objectives. Whether it be assignments, emotional feelings or random thoughts that pop into your mind, writing everything down puts a lot less pressure on us to remember everything and can clear our headspace. Organizing your thoughts is a great way, and probably my favorite way, to keep my racing thoughts at bay. Carrying around a cute journal or even jotting things down in the notes app on your phone when they cross your mind are easy ways in which this can be accomplished.
4. Practice meditation and yoga or workout frequently
Having a routine can make us feel way more organized. Daily meditation or yoga can ease our minds and help us focus on the tasks we have to do while balancing our emotions. Working out, even for 15 to 30 minutes a day can benefit us in many different ways. It can relieve stress and, if done daily can give a little structure to the day, which ultimately will keep you striving for success.
5. Unplug
Refraining from our technology and social media can be extremely difficult, trust me I know. However, it can make a huge difference in productivity and can help you stay organized more than you know. Simply unplugging and focusing on everything you have to do can make a world of a difference when it comes down to staying on track and completing all of your tasks. Doing homework, interacting with our friends and loved ones and enjoying our own company is a lot easier when we focus on the real world instead of a virtual one.