Happy Spring (almost)! Hopefully you’re enjoying the beginning of this year’s warm up to summer – hard to believe we’re already more than halfway through the semester! This week, I would like to discuss the importance of taking the time to get organized.
Yes, organizing your stuff is a form of self-care! Personally, I try to keep my workspace/room organized, but sometimes, such a task slips through the cracks and so it’s not always as straightened as I would like it. This, however, is why it is important to deliberately set aside some time to organize your workspace and living quarters. The benefits are numerous as well – organizing yourself allows you to find items much more easily and greatly reduces the chances of you panicking over the famous question: “Where is my homework???” Plus, it just feels and looks wonderful when your quarters are in order and you don’t feel overly crowded by all the stuff that used to be lying around. Being organized gives you something to be proud of, and plus, it’s an essential life skill! Consider the pictures below… which stresses you out more? Yep, thought so – in a world of uncertainty and disorder, you can create some order by setting aside the time to clean up!
Figure 1-1. Disorganized vs. Organized Room. Pratima
And of course, you don’t have to clean your living/workspace in a single go. While you could certainly set aside 3 hours one weekend to do it, you could also set a goal to put 1 or 2 things away each day. That way, you remain productive in staying organized but you don’t become overwhelmed by the burden of something that might seem like a daunting task. There’s also some helpful tips on how you can organize and compartmentalize your area. Some of my favorites are keeping your commonly used items nearby, and storing away things you hardly ever use. I also think that while having a few decorative items is positive and can be fun, that limiting the amount is important so you don’t clutter your limited space too much. Categorizing and labeling things is also a great practice as well, and helps you find what you need much faster. Finally, don’t be afraid to throw some stuff away – if you don’t use it or won’t need it, then don’t keep it!
Another aspect of staying organized is taking a few minutes each day, at the very least, to write down what you would like to get done for the day, possibly even writing plans for the week/month. This will prevent you from forgetting important due dates, upcoming Zoom sessions, and that test you have next week. Plus, physically checking things off when done is SUPER satisfying! This will also keep you on track and prevent procrastination; let me tell you that when it comes to academics, not much is more bothersome than an unchecked item on a daily to-do list!
Figure 1-2. Daily Checklist Example. Max Katsouros
Now, all of this might seem a little overwhelming, especially if you don’t regularly participate in these practices. However, it really is something that can be learned by anyone – it just takes some practice. You can implement some of these habits gradually, and select the ones that are most relevant to you. I promise that the benefits are endless and will serve you well not only during college, but for the rest of life as well. Plus, I think we can all use a little more certainty inside, when conditions in the rest of the world maybe aren’t so certain. 🙂
I am excited for Spring, and I agree that it is crazy that we are halfway through the semester! I really enjoyed this post. The organization tips that you shared are things that I have learned over the past several years and I can support that they really do help. Keeping my room clean and organized decreases my stress and feels therapeutic when I actively do it. Writing down the things I have to do in order to pace my work time and studying is also crucial to my academic performance. The certainty that organization gives me is very gratifying!
Being organized is one of those things I need to feel productive and in the best headspace. The little thing like making my bed every morning pushes me to check more things off my list. I live religiously on my agenda and my organized calendar and I have found that it increases my productively greatly when I know what I need to do and when. It also is such a good reinforcement when I see all the things checked off at the end of the day.
I think organization is a great way to minimize stress and feel like you are on top of your work. It’s also a great way to procrastinate doing work that is actually due. I love making to-do lists for each day of the week so I can manage my time and space things out to take brain breaks in between. I usually keep a long-term list of things to do in my phone, and write sticky notes for each weekday. Cleaning your workspace is also a great habit. It makes it easier to sit down and start working which can save a ton of time.
Organization is definitely a means of self-care. It is great to take some time to rid one’s space of the crazy surrounding them, so that they can focus on other tasks. Organization clears the space of distraction and can help work out the frustrations one has. As spring approaches, I ready myself for my own spring cleaning. Cleaning has helped me many times over the course of my educational career, especially when I get myself worked up too much about an assignment. It is about perspective, if one values cleaning, because it can lead to procrastination, but for me I need cleanliness, not just of my mind, but my workspace. Great job! Keep up the good work! I always look forward to your self-care tips!
Organization is so important, so it’s a shame I’m not good at it, haha. I try to keep me physical, digital, and mental spaces tidy but it doesn’t always stay. Ironically though, I think these online classes have made me a little bit more organized. No more loose papers that get lost or crumpled in my backpack, and no more forgetting about due dates since now they’re all in Canvas. But I could definitely stand to improve even more, and I like your advice on writing things down.