Taking care of yourself means taking care of your mental health as well. Making sure that you’re mentally in check throughout the school year can be a task we tend to neglect but it’s a priority that no one can just get rid of. When the school year starts, it’s almost as if we forget to function as normal human beings in society. Assignments begin to pile up and so do the clothes in the corner of your room. Due to all the upcoming exams and quizzes that you’ve made a priority for the past couple of weeks, you begin to realize that your mind is in 20 different places, and so are the print outs you’ve made two days ago of that study guides you needed. This clutter doesn’t have to be the usual-case scenario. A great way to start taking care of yourself mentally can be taking care of your environment as well.
Our environment tends to influence a lot things, from the way we think to our everyday actions and decision-making. It’s hard to keep comfortable in a room that is too bland or isn’t in good enough shape to where you’re able to clearly think about your daily assignments or that exam coming up next week, instead of the junk piling over your desk. Tidying up your space doesn’t have to be a hard and expensive task, you could start off with:
1. Simply pick up the clutter in your room
Organization is key to keeping a steady and clear mind throughout the school year and it’s one of the greatest ways to keep one’s mental health in a great state. When you have a clean, organized environment, your mind can actually be focused on important things instead of the pile laundry on your desk chair.
2. Hanging up pictures around your room
My favorite thing about my room this year is the fact that I was able to put up pictures of my friends and family on my wall. Over the past year, I collected polaroids of my favorite moments and now I am able to look back at them just by looking up at my wall in my room! You can just put up any of your pictures from the past or pictures of the family and friends that motivate you the most in your life!
3. Hanging posters and art around your room as well
Putting up posters of the people and things you love and enjoy can be a great way to make your environment more personable, but can also give you some type of motivational encouragement. Posters of your inspirations, or of things that make you calm whenever you think about them, like your favorite place or your favorite movie, is definitely the way to go. I personally like to look back at my Beyoncé posters whenever I’m in a state of chaos or self-doubt.
4. Putting up lights
Lighting is also a great way to change up the mood of your space. I really love natural lighting. It tends to be the most calming set of lighting for me personally. I also gravitate towards string lights and cool lamps in dark rooms. Having these in your room instead of ugly, generic yellow lighting all the time can definitely influence how your room and environment will affect you.
5. Investing in a house plant
It’s been scientifically proven that investing in house plants can change your mental and emotional state. They’re also proven to improve the air quality in your space.
Take care of yourself (and your space) today!