5 Smart Habits for Staying Organized

Our modern world is full of distraction. Between juggling family responsibilities, work and whatever personal issues you have going on, life may seem overwhelming. However, all is not lost; there is light at the end of the tunnel. The following are five habits that can help you become more organized.

1. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO RELAX

Let’s start with the mind. A disorganized mind equals a disorganized life; conversely, if your mind is calm, focused and organized, your life will be as well.

Stress and negative emotions are a huge obstacles to the organized mind. The brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes overwhelmed when you are stressed out, making it hard to think straight. Your first task is to tackle that stress, and in this regard, meditation, exercise and a good night’s sleep are your allies. Don’t skimp on giving yourself the rest and relaxation that you need to function properly; otherwise, you’ll be paying for it later.

2. TACKLE ONE THING AT A TIME

As much as we may value the ability to multi-task, mind experts Paul Hammerness and David W. Ballard both agree; the brain functions best when it handles one thing at a time. When you’re spreading your energy and your awareness over multiple tasks, those tasks get much less attention overall. This ultimately affects the quality of your work. If you want to master the habit of organization, devote your complete attention to one task and cut down the amount of distractions, even if it means shutting your phone off and cutting off your access to Facebook.

3. MAKE A LIST

Sleep experts suggest that people who make lists of their current worries actually have less stress overall. When you write something down, that’s one less thing your brain has to remember. Take advantage of this fact and write down everything you have to do. You can organize the list into “Small Goals” and “Big Goals”; this will allow you to prioritize accordingly.

4. DON’T PROCRASTINATE

Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today?” There’s a reason that it’s a popular saying. Procrastination gives us short-term gratification, but it causes our workload to pile up, leading to more stress in the future. Obviously, you can’t do everything that needs to be done in one day; however, whatever you can do, you should do. Washing the morning dishes now means less dishes to wash in the evening.

5. ASK FOR HELP

Finally, remember that no one is an island unto themselves. Human beings are social animals; we function best when we’re working on things together as opposed to doing everything by ourselves. Learning to delegate responsibility and share the workload means that you’ll have less on your plate, and it’ll be easier to organize the things you actually have to do on your own.

Are you organized or disorganized? Do you find yourself overwhelmed by all the things you have to get done? Do you have any tips or ideas on how to more effectively organize your life? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.