3 Major Tips To Keep You Organized & Stress-Free
Most college students that I know today, myself included, are busy and over scheduled. Many of my friends and I still struggle with juggling all of the priorities that come with growing up. As I am starting to dive into my junior year of college, I have tried many methods of organization to try and keep me stress free. After a significant amount of trial and error throughout my freshman and sophomore years, I have jotted done some helpful tips to help keep you organized, and most importantly stress-free :)
- ) Have a Planner & Create To-Do Lists
In my opinion the very first step of getting organized is taking advantage of a planner or journal. A planner does not have to only contain school or work-related activities, but you can also plan out your social life as well. Something that I really find helpful is making a to-do list with priority rankings next to each task in my planner. So, the first step is to write down all of my tasks for that particular day. Usually that includes homework assignments, household chores, and personal activities/errands. I then go through that list and write numbers next to the tasks, 1 being the most important and the last number being the least important. This helps me organize which tasks I need to do first and which tasks I can wait to do. When I am finished with a task, I cross it off the list and move to the next task. As weird as it is, there is something super gratifying about crossing all of the tasks off the list and having a clear planner. I think that it trains your brain and it makes you want to keep achieving tasks so you can continue crossing more off. Planners also help keep you organized because you can write down important dates in advance. If I have a test coming up, I will write down the date of the test, and then the date that I should start studying for it. Another amazing thing is you can decorate your planner with stickers!! I bought a package of stickers with phrases like “Don’t Forget”, “Pay Day”, and “To-Do”. This can help make it feel like a fun task to look forward to. I have included an example of what I do above the text with my own personal planner to show how exactly it looks when I start. When I finish and am done for the week it typically looks sort of chaotic because everything is scribbled out, but it gets the job done. Having a planner has helped me organize my life and I think it is a very useful tool in keeping you stress-free and successful.
2.) Create a Routine
I have noticed that when I have a set routine, I feel more organized and less stressed out. Having a set routine can help you be more efficient and create structure in your life. Anyone can have a routine, (even if that just means watching Netflix in your bed for a couple hours lol.) As long as you establish a set of things that you practice every day or night, it will help you feel less stressed out. I know for me personally I have created two sets of routines that have really seemed to help me. I won’t go too terribly in depth but my morning routine consists of the major following things: 1.) Waking up and showering before 7:30 am during the week. 2.) Making my bed, opening the blinds, and cleaning up the general space 3.) Getting ready which includes putting on makeup, doing hair, personal hygiene, etc. 4.) Last but certainly not least, make breakfast & drink some coffee. This is a simplified version of what I try to strive for in the morning, but you can create any type of routine that fits your personal needs. I also like having a nightly routine as well, and I know that this sounds lame because (I mean it probably is), but I try to strive to have the same nightly routine during the week. If it is the weekend, go have fun and do your thing, but still try to manage somewhat of a routine. My nightly routine consists of getting into pajamas, lighting some candles, practicing some self-care, listening to audio books or YouTube videos, calling my family, and most importantly trying to aim for the same bedtime every single night (myself being a grandma that is usually somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00). If you are trying to create a routine or ritual, think of the things that are most important to you, and prioritize them. Routines are going to be different depending on the person, so just see what works well for you and stick to it! If you don’t know where to start and don’t really know what you want to accomplish in your routine, start by assessing what works for you, what you want to include in your routine, and what goals you are striving for. The most important thing is to include things that make you happy!
3.) Declutter & Clean Your Environment/Space
Out of these three tips I feel like this is the most generic, yet simple one. I could go on and on about how much of a positive effect you will see just by following this tip. In the past I have known many people in my life that just simply lets the clutter build and build until it is so unmanageable that they feel as if now they don’t have any control of their space. This is simply not true! Everyone starts from somewhere whether your room is as clean as a whistle or as dirty as a trash can (literally). A few of the main areas that you should always keep clean and clutter-free are as follows: Desk/work space, bedroom, kitchen, or any other areas that are important to you. One of the benefits of having a clean environment is that you will have a sense of pride and accomplishment. I know especially when it comes to my space I really do take pride in the way it looks. They say that your outer space is a reflection of your inner space and I really do believe that. It has shown that people who have organized and tidy spaces have a higher self-esteem because you have that feeling of accomplishment. Overall, I think that having a clutter-free and organized space in general can make your life easier. Whether that is giving you extra time in the morning not having to try and dig out where your favorite shirt is in the heaping pile of laundry on your floor. Or whether it is physically not tripping over things strewn across your room. Being organized also can be helpful especially when you are trying to find something. (been there done that lol.) So, you may not even know where to start, but I have some tips to help you get going. The first thing I will mention is I started reading the book pictured above Cluttered Mess to Organized Success by Cassandra Aarssen. This book has been extremely helpful so this could help give you some motivation just by reading this book. The book includes so many cool activities, guides, and most importantly it is a workbook so you can work through it at your own pace. One of the really cool activities that it has you do is 15-minute de-clutter exercise which walks you through all of the steps for each room. The book is really helpful and I have enjoyed going through it, but if you are not a reader there are other great options as well! Start with sections of your space and prioritize them in order. Start with small sections, that way you will not be too overwhelmed. The last most important tip is to set a 15–20-minute time block in your day to clean and pick up your space. I know many of us have the habit of trying on clothes in the morning and then throwing them on the floor instead of putting them back in the closet. Another thing might be not picking up dirty clothes on the floor from the previous day. If you pick up after yourself on a daily basis and make that a priority you will have less clutter in the long run and cleaning will be easier for you!
So, I definitely could talk way more in depth about this subject and the three major tips that I have been talking about, but I don’t want to ramble. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far and I hope that some of these tips can help you stay organized and stress-free in your life!
