Self-care should start in the home. If you have a home that makes you feel positive, then every day will begin and end on a positive note. A lot of people struggle with self-care because their home is a manifestation of negative energy. Then, the negative energy keeps piling more and more negativity on their shoulders every day. We want to stop this, so here are a few very simple home hacks you can try that will put you in an extremely positive mindset.
Get More Sunlight In Your Home
Sunlight is incredibly beneficial, and it works in more than one way. We know that we can get some Vitamin D from the sun, but unfortunately, it’s not possible to absorb this through windows. However, the main benefit I’m concerned with is how the sunlight makes us feel. It instantly puts us in a good mood when sunshine/daylight is entering our home. This isn’t some crazy scientific discovery, it’s common sense! You will feel far more positive when you let sunlight into your house compared to if you have all the curtains closed and live in darkness.
So, I have two tips for you. Firstly, open the curtains or blinds in every room as soon as you wake up. Secondly, think about maybe getting some replacement windows so you can upgrade them to bigger and wider versions. This will help your home bring in more light, putting you in a much better mood. You could even consider those windows on the ceiling that really bring loads of natural light into your home. Trust me, this little trick will definitely help you get into a more positive mindset while you’re at home.
Use A Diffuser To Create Relaxing Scents
The smells in and around your home will play a significant role in how positive you feel. This is something that you perhaps don’t think about until you actually make efforts to create nice smells. My idea is to help bring relaxing scents into the home, so you smell them and feel a lot calmer and more chilled out. Get a diffuser of some sort – it could be an electronic one or a classic reed diffuser – and pick your favorite smells. Place the diffusers throughout your home to really bring it to life and make it smell a lot nicer and more relaxing. Slowly but surely, your house becomes somewhere you actually like being in, and you become more positive.
There are other ways of bringing nice smells into your home – such as candles and incense. However, I prefer diffusers as it means you don’t have to burn anything and let smoke into the air. Plus, the oils you use with diffusers are often used in aromatherapy practices and when people are meditating. You don’t need to have one in every room, but I think the bedroom and living room are great places to create these relaxing and soothing smells.
Bring More Space To Your Home By Decluttering
I think too many of us create negative energy in our homes by letting them become overcrowded and cluttered. It’s hard to feel positive and upbeat when your house is a bit of a mess and you feel very claustrophobic. Every morning will begin with you wanting to get out as soon as possible, being stressed that you can’t find the things you need, and creating more clutter in the process. In your head, every day will be the thought that you have to clean your home at some point, and this lingers all the time adding more stress. So, why don’t you tackle the problem head-on and have a massive decluttering session?
Yes, it can take a few days, but the benefits outweigh all the effort that goes into doing it. I’d genuinely suggest taking a day or two off work so you can declutter your home thoroughly. You will get rid of any junk and mess that you don’t need, freeing your house up and creating loads more space. The result is quite staggering; it will feel like you’ve moved into a new home. With more space, more room to breathe, and increased organization, your house becomes a much more positive place to live.
I’ll end how I started by saying that self-care starts in the home. If you can get yourself in a positive mindset at home, then this will generally help you live a more positive and happy life. You need to have a base where you can relax and feel satisfied, not somewhere that adds to your negative feelings. With these three ideas, you will turn your house into an ultra-positive place!
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Could your kitchen be causing you to feel frustrated? A chaotic kitchen can cause a chaotic state of mind. Whether you need an entire kitchen to remodel or you simply need to get your kitchen into a more organized state, achieving this will help you to feel much more at peace in your home. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that your kitchen needs to be improved so that you can unlock a greater sense of happiness and satisfaction in your home.
The Dated Design Is Dragging Down the Value
Is the dated design of your kitchen dragging both you down and the value of your property? If you are planning on selling your property any time in the near future, this could hold you back. Not only will it drive down the value of your house, but also it could put a lot of buyers off because they do not want to fund a kitchen model themselves. Instead, you would be much better off upgrading your kitchen yourself and reaping the rewards when your property does go on the market.
Your Electricity Bill Is High
If your electricity bill is too high, your kitchen could be the culprit. If you have old appliances in your kitchen, they will be consuming huge sums of energy, and you will be paying for this every month when your utility bills come in. Investing in energy efficiency appliances now can save you a lot of money in the long run. After all, we all know that there is nothing like money worries to cause concern. Eliminate this worry with new appliances.
Cleaning Your Kitchen Is the Definition Of Hell
Another sign that you need to invest in the services of a kitchen remodeler is if cleaning your kitchen is nothing short of a nightmare. Some of the main culprits are mottled linoleum floor tiles that never quite look clean and deep grout lines.
The Layout Is Awkward
An awkward layout is something that plagues many kitchens, and many thoughts, and it is a reason to consider a new kitchen. Not only is this important in terms of making your life more convenient and more peaceful, but some of the layouts that were popular 30 or 40 years are dangerous! Sit down with a contractor and find out what you can do to make the layout of your kitchen more functional!
You Have No Storage Space or Counter Space
Last but not least, do you feel like your kitchen is always chaotic because you simply do not have any room left for your appliances and kitchen items? As mentioned, a chaotic kitchen makes you feel like you have a chaotic life, so changes need to be made. A remodel can help you to maximize space and get more from your kitchen.
So, there you have it: some of the most common signs that your kitchen needs some TLC and requires a bit of renovation. If you have noticed any of the indicators that have been mentioned above, you need to give your kitchen the upgrade it deserves. Not only will this make your life easier and cooking more enjoyable, but it will bring you inner peace and boost the value of your property by a considerable degree in the process too.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
The models of kids’ rooms we see in most glossies or furniture stores are all well and good, but often they prioritize aesthetics over functionality. If you have children, we don’t need to tell you that in the battle between appearances and utility, the latter always wins out! However, you don’t have to totally let go of the interior décor of your dreams – it’s just a case of maneuvering to create a space that works for kids and their parents alike. Here are some easy organizational tips you can follow to strike that perfect balance.
This post was written by Johanna Cider, scroll to the bottom to learn more.
Repurpose A Room
Let’s start with the first and biggest hurdle: finding space in the first place! Chances are that in the average bustling family home, there won’t be much spare room lying around – but the good news is that there are plenty of solutions to a lack of space.
The first is to repurpose an existing room. You might, for instance, find that younger children might prefer to have a playroom rather than separate bedrooms, in which case you can move the kids together in one room and repurpose the free space. Another great option is garage conversion (you’d be surprised how much space there is to play with once your mancave or she shed is decluttered). Lastly, consider building a new structure altogether as another room in the house or a separate area in the backyard. Shipping container structures are a low-cost way to create a whole new house extension.
Make ‘Space’ Your Mantra
The three-word organizational mantra for kids is ‘storage, storage, storage.’ To create effective storage, you need to make intelligent use of your space. This means ensuring that seats and ottomans double as chests for toy storage, as well as utilizing vertical space (think bunk-beds and tall shelving units).
Divide The Room Into ‘Stations’
Kids have various interests, and their dedicated space should reflect that. Setting up stations in each corner of the room for different activities or purposes (such as Play, Homework, Arts and Crafts, and Reading) is a clever way to cater to your child’s – or children’s – diverse set of hobbies. Creating stations is also an organizational winner, as you can ensure that each station has its own defined ‘zone’ from which items cannot stray.
Utilise The Walls
Covering the walls in chalkboard paint or fun wallpaper (with a world map on, for instance) both facilitates play and pleases the eye. Plus, you can then write clean-up checklists on the blackboard to ensure that the kids take care of their functional space!
Simplicity Is Key
We parents can sometimes be tricked into thinking kids need an expertly-decorated, gadget-filled space for them to have any fun. But modernity hasn’t changed the experience of childhood that much. Kids still find the best fun in their imaginations – which means that if your functional space is airy, spacious, and most importantly, reserved exclusively for the kids – you’ve already done an ace job as an organizer.
Johanna Cider is a New Zealand-based writer who loves discussing travel, home and lifestyle topics. Home design and organization are two of her greatest passions, and she spends many of her weekends working on new DIY projects. Find more of her work here.
You may not realize it, but the environment that you live in plays an awfully big part of your wellbeing too. If your home is an unpleasant, messy place to be in, then your mind is going to pan out that way too, and that’s the last thing you want. So make sure that you put some energy into ensuring your home is what it needs to be. If you’re not quite sure how to de-stress your home, here are a couple of ideas to get you started.
Oh, stress… We all experience waves of stress in our lives, yet, it can cause us so much harm. Often people don’t realize the severe impact stress can have on our bodies. Stress can really take its toll. What may start out as a generally bad day, can quite easily turn into a bad week, a bad month, and then all of a sudden you find yourself with some serious health conditions and mental health struggles.
Depression is no joke. It’s a very slippery slope to go down with no easy way out. This is why it’s so important that you take care of yourself and make sure that you seek help when you need it before you end up too exhausted and low to even get out of bed in the mornings.
Repair the Damage
If you’re aware that something isn’t working as it should, this is bound to make you feel worse. This is because you will get the impression that nothing seems to function properly. But rather than allowing yourself to drown in those negative and harmful thoughts – find a practical solution. It can be as simple as calling in a plumber to fix the constant overflowing shower, or vacuuming. While it seems like such a nightmare for you to do simple things like taking a shower – it’s a very easy job for the professionals, so never refrain from giving them a call when you need an extra set of trained hands. It’s perfectly okay to ask for help.
Declutter the Chaos
Mess is never a good thing to have around you. Little by little it will build up until you come home one day and realize that you can barely see the worksurfaces anymore because there is so much junk filling up any blank space that you originally had. This can make you feel trapped or claustrophobic in your own house. That is not how its supposed to be, so don’t let your home get to this stage. Have a big sort out and get rid of anything that you no longer use or look at. Make separate piles to help you organize your things. The first pile should be things you’re keeping, the second is things to throw out, and last are things to be sold or donated. As difficult as it may be, sometimes you just need to let it go.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Does your home make you feel relaxed? Is it a haven you long to retreat to at the end of a frantic day? For many of us, our home is the place we feel happiest, but it doesn’t always provide relaxation. If you’re on a mission to promote relaxation and calm at home, keep reading!
Decluttering
Clutter can affect the aesthetic of your home, but it can also interfere with the vibe and ambiance. If you walk through the door to be confronted with stuff everywhere, you’re not going to feel relaxed. Clutter makes your home look small and cramped, and it can contribute to stress. The best course of action is to have a clearout.
Let Go Of What You Don’t Use
Most of us are guilty of hanging onto things we don’t really need or even want. Over the course of time, molehills can become mountains. If you’ve got piles of boxes, or shelves and racks stuffed full of clothes or shoes you haven’t worn for months, now is the time to pull your sleeves up and get organized.
Go through each room one by one, and create separate piles. Make one mound of items you want to keep. Then, make one pile of the things you could donate or sell. And finally, make one pile for the trash. Box up anything you plan to sell or give away and then find a home for everything you want to keep. Fold clothes and keep them in a wardrobe, chest or closet and store your shoes on racks or in boxes.
Next, move to another room and repeat the process until your home is free from anything you no longer want. Gather everything you want to dispose of and take a trip to the dumpster.
Storage
If you’re short on storage once you’ve tidied up, it’s worth considering your options. You could put up some shelves for books, DVDs, games, frames or ornaments or you could buy a new chest of drawers or wardrobe to store clothes. If you don’t want to buy new, you could save money by upcycling a second-hand piece of furniture. You might even try storing items meant for a different season in a garage or storage space out of sight. Decluttering isn’t a fun job that most of us look forward to, but you’ll feel a lot better once you’ve ticked this task off your list.
Setting Up Relaxing Spaces
There are certain parts of a home that are geared towards activity and engagement, but sometimes, you need peace and quiet or time to reflect, chill out, and spend a bit of time alone. Your home should cater to your every mood. You may want a kitchen that is a thriving hub of the house or a relaxed and peaceful office space. Just as you want your living areas to deliver when you’re cooking or socializing, you also want other rooms to satisfy your needs. Where do you go when you want to read a book, listen to music, draw, paint, or knit? If you haven’t got any places where you can just kick back and unwind, you need to. It’s a good idea to think about how and where you could set up relaxing spaces in your home.
Using Space
There are various options you could consider. If you’ve got a spare room you never use, why not convert it into a reading room, a creative studio, a tranquil office space or a music room? If you haven’t got a ready-made space, you could section off an area of an existing room. Consider a guest room, for example. If you rarely have visitors staying over, you could create a dual-purpose room. This room could cater to guests, but also give you the space you need to relax or pursue your hobbies. If you enjoy writing, for example, you could place a desk and chair in the bedroom or swap the bed for a sofa bed. Likewise, if you love reading, trade the desk for a bag chair and fill your shelves full of your favorite books.
Space & Value
Alternatively, if you’re looking for ways to add space and value, it may be possible to convert the loft or the basement. If this is an option that you’d like to pursue, get some quotes, talk to real estate agents, and create a budget. If the numbers add up, you can then turn your attention to interior design and start styling your relaxing new space.
Getting Your Bedroom Right
The bedroom is the most important room in the house for relaxation. If your bedroom isn’t a comfortable space, you may find it difficult to switch off which could affect your sleep patterns. For a serene, soothing boudoir, stick to light, neutral shades or pastels. These shades are proven to have a calming effect. Add textures to create a cozy vibe, and avoid bright lights. If you like to have a lot of light, for example, for applying makeup, fit a dimmer switch so that you can soften the mood when you’re ready to get into bed.
When you walk into your room, you should feel your shoulders relax, and tension leave your body. If your bedroom isn’t delivering at the moment, consider a mini makeover. You don’t have to spend a fortune or hours painting and decorating. Altering the colors, adjusting the lighting and adding throws, blankets, rugs, and cushions could make all the difference.
Lighting
Lighting has a real impact on the feel of the room, as well as the way it looks. When you’re shopping, think about the kind of mood you want to create. Do you want bright lights that will illuminate a large space and perk you up? Or maybe do you want soft lighting that adds a romantic vibe?
Lighting by Room
In rooms like the kitchen and study, you probably want a lot of light, but in the bedroom, reading room or snug, it’s best to go for softer options. Dimmer switches are a great idea for multi-purpose rooms like the living room. You can adjust the lighting to suit your mood at the touch of a button. For the ultimate in relaxation, switch off lamps and wall lights and light some candles. Scented candles are particularly beneficial, especially if you’re running a bath or you’re getting to ready to curl up and chill out with your bedtime playlist or a book. If you have children or pets, and you’re worried about safety, use LED candles.
Choosing The Right Colors
Let’s pretend you were presented with a series of colored flashcards. Then, somebody asks you to choose a word that represented how you feel when you see that color. You’d probably find that you have different words for every shade. Color has an impact on our mood, and it can also affect our energy levels. Bright shades of yellow, for example, make us feel energetic and happy. More subtle tones like pale blue and gray can make us feel calm. When you’re decorating or planning a room-revamp, think about how you use color. Additionally, think about which shades you use in each room. If you’ve got garish colors and prints in your bedroom, for example, you may find that swapping them for more understated tones will help with relaxation.
De-stress with Plants
If you’re a fan of interior design, you may be aware that the natural look is popular at the moment (I am obsessed with it). This is great news for plant lovers, not just because potted plants look fabulous, but also because they have calming properties. Studies show that plants can help to make you feel less stressed. They also purify the air.
You can use plants of all shapes and sizes to decorate rooms. Don’t be afraid to bring the outdoors in, and add a fresh, clean feel to your home. There are hundreds of different types of houseplants, but popular options that are proven to de-stress include aloe, English ivy, rubber trees, peace lilies, bamboo and spider plants.
If you have pets, take care when choosing plants and flowers to display indoors, as some plants are poisonous to cats and dogs. Ask your vet for advice. Many people assume that it’s hard work to keep plants alive, but most houseplants are very low maintenance. All you need to do is find a sunny spot and water your plants on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Most of us dream of a home that makes us feel safe, secure, happy, and relaxed. If your house doesn’t quite feel like a homely haven yet, there are lots of ways you can set the tone and create spaces that enable you to unwind and chill out. Before you turn your attention to a revamp, declutter and clear some space. You can then think about changing colors, furniture, and adjusting lights. Use the space you have available to indulge your interests and enable you to enjoy some time out.
Focus on creating the right atmosphere in your bedroom. Think about how different colors affect your mood and don’t be afraid to try and hone your green-thumb skills and introduce some greenery and foliage.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Your home should be a peaceful sanctuary. It should be a place where you can relax and de-stress. If this is not the case, it is time to make some critical changes. But, where should you begin? Read on to discover some mindful ways you can make your home more Zen.
Eliminate Clutter
There is only one place to begin, and this is by getting rid of clutter. Clutter makes it impossible to unwind. Start with one room at a time, and get rid of as many items as possible. Only keep the essentials. Everything should have its own space – and this space shouldn’t be a random corner of the room or the coffee table. To stay on top of this Zen-like clutter-free space, operate the one in, one out rule. Whenever you buy something new, something else has to go.
Add Some Plants
Indoor green plants are a must. Not only does their soothing green color look amazing, but also plants provide oxygen. They improve the indoor air quality, which ensures a more comfortable living environment. However, choose your plants carefully. Don’t go for plants that emanate disturbing scents or those that need special maintenance. Good options are hanging terrariums and bonsai trees.
Keep Decorations & Ornaments To A Minimum
Simplicity is key when it comes to wall decorations. Avoid overly congested collections of photos and paintings and don’ fill your shelves with decorative statues.
Focus on All Senses
To create a state of Zen, you need to focus on all senses. It’s not just about what you see. It is also about what you smell and what you feel. Layer a room with different textures. Also, make sure your house has a relaxing, sweet yet subtle smell. Vanilla and lavender are good choices.
Keep Furniture Natural & Simple
Clear and simple lines characterize Zen style furniture. Avoid excess ornamentation and complicated detail. Also, avoid a plethora of patterns and styles, keep it plain and simple.
Let in the Light
Natural light is a feature of any Zen home. You cannot expect to relax if you are merely relying on one harsh overhead in a room. Changing your window or investing in a skylight may be a significant investment, but it is well worth it. You can read this home renovation e-book for more advice. Regarding artificial lighting, make sure you have numerous sources per room, rather than lighting a space with just one overhead bulb.
Go for Earthy Colours
Last but not least, natural colors that are in soft tones are a must. Suitable examples include beige, dusty pink, white, and grey. Choose harmonious colors that have the power to induce a sense of calmness and relaxation. Everything needs to tie together naturally. Each room should have a good flow to it.
As you can see, there are many different ways you can make your home completely Zen. From buying some indoor plants to eliminating clutter, it does not cost a lot to make your property more relaxing.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
I don’t know about you, but I always found it easier to concentrate when I’m in a pleasant environment. In fact, being comfortable, and having an organized and personalized space around me seems to help me keep my mind focused and get much more done. With that in mind, you may be considering creating a space dedicated to study and work in your home. However, before you do check out the advice below for some help.
Choose A Location
Before you can put in a study space, you need to pick where it will go. You have to be pretty smart about this as well. You want to be smart because you don’t want to be stuck getting distracted all of the time. To this end, an area such as the attic or basement can be the perfect spot. These secluded spaces make it more difficult for people to find you and distract you. This more private space means you will get left alone most of the time to concentrate.
However, before you go ahead with installing your study space, you need to ensure that the area is suitable for long periods of time. That can mean installing basement waterproofing, heat, and light into a subterranean space, or cleaning out an attic room. Also, remember to make your that the floor is sturdy enough to hold the furniture you need.
Pick Furniture
The next step on most folks’ lists when creating a study space is to pick out the furniture that the will need to get work done. Usually, this is a desk and chair and sometimes some books shelves and draws to keep things organized as well. Find your space becomes cluttered fast? Check out these tips.
Make sure that the items you pick are not only fit in with the decor you want but are also comfortable and sturdy. After all, you will spend quite a bit of time in that space. So, the furniture you pick needs to fit the space.
Otherwise, you could end up with a painful back for being in a chair that isn’t supportive of your posture, or even developing RSI if you don’t have your desk at the right height for your computer keyboard.
Add Personal Touches
To finish off your study areas and make it your own it’s nice to include some decorations and personalized touches. What you pick is entirely up to you of course, and many folks are happy enough with a few photos of their family and pets on the desk.
However, if you want the space to have a more cohesive look, you could choose colors that fit in with the broader scheme. Plants in metallic pots are in style this season. Additionally, hanging decorations like the paper pom poms that you can DIY are an easy decor choice.
Follow these tips and you will have the perfect study space to encourage productivity in your studies.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
We each have a unique idea of what our perfect home environment looks like and the aesthetics get a lot of attention – but what about how home feels from an emotional perspective? Our home affects our mental and physical health a lot more than we realize; it’s an imperative aspect of our lives and a large component of the first base of Maslow’s triangle regarding human need psychology.
The saying “tidy house tidy mind” describes this well, but the concept shouldn’t be limited to cleanliness or home organization. Like the engine room of a ship, some things need to be taken care of to ensure a consistent feeling of harmony within your home – as niggling concerns which are left unattended can quickly snowball.
This article looks at how to ensure a consistent feeling of “home” by taking care of some of the less glamorous ‘behind the scenes’ tasks that are necessary to create a harmonious home environment that allows you to nurture your mental, physical and emotional health.
1. Budgeting & Bills
Keeping up with household bills can be stressful if money is tight, but you want your home to feel like your castle – a sanctuary from financial stress – not a situation where each time you go past the mailbox you dread receiving another bill. The best advice is to set up an affordable payment plan with each of your creditors to lessen the financial stress or even better, look into no interest credit cards that you can transfer existing debt onto and pay off each month within the interest-free period.
2. Gardening
If you come home each day to an overgrown garden, paint peeling off the fences, and rubble in the yard – it can create a feeling of chaos. Though you don’t need a white picket fence with begonias growing in the garden, however, a garden that feels “well kept” will help you feel calm; like your life is in order.
3. Organization
Do you ever find yourself searching for car keys or having to empty out your closet to find the outfit you’re looking for? If you live in physical clutter and chaos, it affects your mental state and creates an inner sense of clutter and chaos too. Keep things organized within your home so that you can feel more at peace and calm within yourself.
4. Clean & Tidy
Keeping your home clean and tidy sounds simple enough, but often, this can snowball out of control when left for a few days, becoming such a chaotic mess, that you don’t know where to begin. The trick here is to either employ a cleaner that undertakes a moderately deep clean, each week, or for you to do it yourself, little and often.
5. Neighbors
No matter how hard you try, not everyone is getting to get on with you, and some people are just plain difficult. However, if you can get on with your neighbors you can build a sense of warmth and community between you. This warmth will pay dividends on facilitating the feeling of “home” you crave.
In summary, your home is there to provide you with a place of harmony that supports you throughout the storms of your life, yet it’s important to maintain your home to receive the harmony you deserve from your home.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
The New Year is that time of year when everyone begins setting goals. Some of the most common goals for the New Year include losing weight and getting organized.
As someone who loves to organize this puts a big smile on my face, however, many people don’t feel the same way I do about organizing. In fact, they find it dreadful.
A common problem people have when it comes to organizing is they are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. When you feel like this, you have no motivation even to get started. Then, just like that one of your goals has gone down the drain.
You can stick to your goals for the New Year, and you can get organized! Here’s how you can start:
Start with Highest Traffic Area in your House
The entryway is typically the highest traffic area and is usually the best place to start. Analyze what you use every single day. For example, I need my handbag and jacket every day. Our kids need their jackets every day right now as well since it’s winter. We have created a hook system on the wall where it’s easy to hang up our daily items. The kids’ hooks are lower so they can learn to hang up their own jackets. Wall hooks are a great organizing tool to use because they are very easy to use and don’t take up too much space.
Create a Command Center
After your entryway has been updated, work on creating a command center that fits you and/or your family needs. Create a central place where you can manage your mail and calendar. Use a chalkboard or dry erase board for a calendar. Having a visual calendar will help keep your life organized. Even if you only use a digital calendar, establish a visual calendar for your household so that it’s always in front of you. Our household uses the following:
Calendar Dry Erase Board- We write out our calendar on a dry erase board so we can see every day what is going on for the month. It’s easy to update when needed and color code it so it’s organized and easy to read.
Tack Board- This is where we keep photos, kids’ art pieces, important coupons that we want to use.
Magazine Holder– This is used to store magazines that come in the mail.
Hook Holder With Tray- The tray keeps the dry erase markers stored there, so it’s easy to update the calendar. The hooks are used for the kids to hang their jackets there. These hooks are great for key holders as well. Our kids are too young right now to store them there; we’d never find our keys 😉
Create a Household Binder
Paper still exists in our lives. Creating a binder will serve as a resourceful resource. The binder will become your go-to guide. It will be your Home Bible. It will keep you organized and allow you to become more productive because all of your important resources will be in one place. Time will no longer be wasted searching for documents or wondering what the password is to an account. You’ll want to place it where it can be easily accessed every day, like the inside of a kitchen cabinet or on an office desk. Keep it in the same spot, so you always know where it’s located.
Declutter Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the most commonly used and gathered area of the home. Having an organized kitchen makes things more enjoyable and perfect when an unexpected guest stops by. Depending on the size of your kitchen, break it up into sections: Drawers, Cabinets, and Pantry.
Start each section by decluttering it first. If it hasn’t been used in the past year or it’s broken, get rid of it. Once you have finished decluttering each section, then you’ll want to analyze that space and figure out organizing products to use for that space. If you are organizing your drawers, make sure to use drawer organizers to help keep items in their appropriate space.
Acrylic clear drawer organizers work the best because they give you the best-organized look and feel. They also match well with many different drawers. For the cabinets and pantry use baskets where necessary and label them. Use the same bins for a consistent look and feel. Wicker baskets or white bins work very well. Also, get rid of any type of dishware that doesn’t match your current set-up.
We wear clothes every day. You should love every single piece of clothing you own; it should make you feel good. When you feel good, you put your best foot forward whether that’s in your work or other areas of your life. Here are some tips to help you with your closet:
Get rid of something if you have not worn it in the past year.
If it doesn’t make you feel good, get rid of it.
If it’s too small or big, get rid of it.
Anything that needs repair (button needing to be sewn, etc.) and it’s been longer than six months, get rid of it.
Color coordinate hanging items starting with the red and move through the rainbow.
Use felt or wood hangers that are all the same to give you a consistent look and feel.
Now you might be overwhelmed by this list and where to start. Start with the first point and then move to the next one. Give yourself a week for each point, and in a month, you will have made a good dent in getting your household organized in the New Year! For more organizing resources, you can visit Organized Marie.
Meet the Author
Marie is an innate organizer and planner. She is a working mom to two with a third on the way and a veteran of Corporate America for ten plus years. Marie is a Fargo native and sports lover.
The Organized Planner was designed for the working mom to help manage and organize personal and work life.
Organized Marie is a place for working moms to create simple, everyday organizing solutions for their home. Every working mom can have an organized, stress-free home.
More and more people are choosing to work from home. Whether you have a home-based job, you run a business from home, or your employer offers flexible working options, it is important to be as productive as possible. There is an assumption that working from home is easy, but this should not be the case. Working from home suits many people, but others prefer the structure and formality of an office. If you are switching to a home office or you are spending more time at home, here are 3 simple ways to fulfill your potential and maximize productivity away from the office.
Establish A Routine
When you have an office job, you know that you have got to sign in and sign out at certain times. With a home-based role, there is more flexibility, but that does not mean that you should throw routine out of the window.
Most of us work better when we have set patterns in place. Establish a routine that works for you. If you are an early riser and you are more productive in the mornings, start early and tick off the most arduous or complex tasks first. If you do not feel alive until 10 am, consider a later start and work until later in the day.
You may also need to factor in time zones. If you negotiate with clients in different countries or states and the other person’s schedules. Similarly, if you participate in meetings or catch-ups with colleagues on a regular basis, take note of time zones when establishing your routine. If you are not used to working at home, it may take you a few weeks to figure out what works best for you. But you may find that this more flexible approach to working hours suits you perfectly.
Get Your Working Environment Right
When people say they are working from home, it is easy to envision them lying around in loungers with a laptop balanced on their knee and the TV on. The reality is that you are not going to be able to make working from home work for you unless the environment is right. No matter what you do and how much time you spend out of the office, you need an area that is geared towards work. This space should be a place that affords peace and the ability to focus, concentrate, and enjoy some privacy. Spare rooms, attic rooms, and garages can all work well as home offices.
Once you’ve chosen a space, think about how you want to decorate and present it. Choose furniture that will provide comfort, as well as a style. Add touches that will help you feel relaxed, but also energized. You might add houseplants or a scent diffuser machine. If you can, position your desk close to a window, as natural light is proven to increase productivity. It is also a lot more pleasant to look out over fields, ocean waves, or a garden than it is to stare at blank walls.
Be More Organized
When you work from home, you need to be organized. You can use the same scheduling tools as you do at the office, or you can use a wall planner or an in and out tray system that will enable you to keep track of what you have done. Establish a list of tasks and jobs every day and work on them. For more information about office organization check here, and for more information about time management check here.
It is perfectly possible to be as productive at home as you are in office. Simply apply these tips, and you will be cruising through your to-do list in no time!
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to write a post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
It is time to take back control. This could be your finances, your home, your fitness, your career, your anything—your everything. Here is a list of tips, tricks, and bits of advice that could help you take back control in your life.
There is nothing more magical than seeing the world through a kid’s eyes. It’s that unabashed Disney outlook where everything is possible and nothing – nothing – is out of reach. You can be who you want to be, live where you want to live, think beyond the confines of everyday logic. You chase dreams so wild you go from being a ballerina in space to a friendly dinosaur that just wants to own his own coffee shop in the castle grounds.
But as we get older, this magic starts to fade and we start to realize there is no pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow, there is no tooth fairy and that none of us has much control over our own lives.
Well, using the motivation that is the month of January, it is time to make changes relating to anything and everything you feel the need to take back control of in your life. It could be your finances, your home, your fitness, your career, your anything—your everything. So, here is a list of tips, tricks, and bits of advice that could help you slay the dragon and finally embrace that childlike wonder we all wish we had never let go of.
1. Have a Regular Sleep Schedule
Sleep until you feel fully-rested which, you may or may not want to accept, is 7-8 solid hours a night. Some of you may be looking at those numbers and telling yourself that you need at least 10 hours, but that will be feeding into your feeling fatigue. It is not just about getting seven or eight hours, though. It is about getting into a regular routine so that your body knows when it is bedtime when it is time to get up and that the full forty winks have been had. To get all sciencey, it is about allowing your brain to maintain a “healthy circadian rhythm”. Sleep the first step to having more structure and order and this translates into control. A regular sleep schedule is great for time management, read more here.
2. Scare Yourself Every So Often
Baz Luhrmann may have been a tad excessive when he said, “do one thing every day that scares you,” but he was certainly onto something. Life is a terrifying place, it is. It has to be. After all, we are mortal. But, all too often, our fears prevent us from doing the things that we may love; the things that we want to do and achieve. But fear is nothing more than a projection in your mind and very different from danger, so once you get into the habit of facing your fears, you’ll find they have no control over you anymore. That’s when you’ll find wings appear on your back and the self-imposed cage around your mind disappears, leaving you to be as free as you like.
3. Take Back Control of Your Home
We mean this in every sense possible. If you have kids and their toys have started to take over every single room in your humble space, then dedicate a day to cleaning up and create a playroom for your kids.
If you think you have some pests, then it could be time to call in the rodent control professionals. Or if your home is just cluttered, then it is time to start organizing what you have. Mess causes stress. Not only that but the more stuff we have, the more we are shackled to it. We start feeling like the clutter owns us instead of us owning it.
4. Stick to Renting
We live in a society where we feel we should own the home we live in. There are financial advantages to home owning. But there are also big advantages to renting. For example, you know exactly what monthly costs are going to be; no baseline interest rates going up, no emergency repair costs to do battle with, nothing. Owning a home simply means having 515% of your net worth tied up in a single investment. If, however, you rent, then you can diversify your investments. Basically, owning a home – or anything for that matter – means owning a fair amount of responsibilities and obligations too.
Also, when it comes to taking back control of your life, the chance to move somewhere new and change your life at a moment’s notice is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.
If you want to take back control of your life – like really take it back – then you need to stop wasting time on the rabbit hole that is social media. It is a time-vacuum. It sucks up the most valuable commodity any of us have. Instead, you should use the time you spend on social media to do something else, something worthwhile, something that is enjoyable.
Think about the last time you were scrolling mindlessly through social media. It wasn’t even fun. Don’t get us wrong, there are some amazing benefits to social media, such as chatting to friends and staying in contact with distant loved ones, but you should not be on there, for no reason. Check it once a day and then look up and live.
6. Save What You Can, When You Can
Magic can happen when you have some money tucked away. You could be treating yourself spontaneously without sleeping with regret from your spending. You could go on holiday with your friends, or buy your loved one a surprise. Having money in savings means financial stability, and that means a huge amount of stress has been lifted.
Saving is all about living beneath your means to prioritize other things in your life. It becomes less about making money and more about being able to have experienced. However, to really make this work, I recommend making your savings automatic. Take the temptation to spend and out of your hands by setting up a process where money leaves your current account and enters your savings account automatically without you even noticing. That’s the best way to be sure you are saving regularly.
7. Drop Anything You Do Not Need
We all own things we do not need and we all do things that do not add any value to our lives, so, what you ought to do is to get rid of these things. Get rid of all those objects that are taking up space and tying you down. Stop going to those activities you may have once enjoyed but no longer do. Cut ties with anyone in your life that is chock-full of negativity. Life is too short to do things that do not make you happy and there certainly isn’t space to do things that make you unhappy. Instead, focus on making room for the things that are important to you. Make time, make space, and make emotional energy for these things. You will find yourself in a much better headspace if you do.
8. Make Choices – Take that Control
There are very few things that are set in stone, physically impossible, and totally lock you down. You more often have a choice. You have the chance to say you can do something instead of thinking that you cannot. You also have the chance to say no to something, regardless of your reasoning. It is all a matter of choice and knowing what you want.
Break the cycle of automatically saying you cannot do something and you will find that you are in a way more control of your life. That is the trick though. You have to take the time to pause and think, you have to sit down and think about what your options are, what choices you have and then deciding based on those. Do not allow yourself to automatically think something is impossible; that is a surefire of losing your control over your life.
Now that you have more tools in your belt to take control of your life, pick one and implement it today!
This post was written in collaboration. This means that while I have added to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to write a post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
There are loads of benefits of working from home. When you work out of your home office you no longer having to commute to work and you are more able to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest. But is it really always this great? Do you want to make sure that your home office isn’t bad for your health? Then you need to use these great tips.
If you ask anyone who works from home what the negatives are of working in a home office are, then I’m sure that they might mention their health and fitness. Now that they work from home, they rarely need to leave the house so their fitness can quickly decline. But there are some other health issues that can rise up as well. Keep reading to learn some ways to combat these health concerns.
Have an Ergonomic Workstation
One of the main health complaints by those who work from home is back and neck pain. This is from sitting in front of their computer all day. If they slouch over the screen, then this pain will be even worse. One way around this is to create an ergonomic workstation. You can easily do this by buying an ergonomic desk and chair. These pieces of furniture are designed in such a way that they don’t encourage you to put excess stress on your back or neck while you are sitting working.
Read here about more ways to upgrade your home office.
Keep It Clean
If you use your home office every day, then you should keep it as clean as possible. Germs could build up on surfaces that you regularly touch, such as your keyboard and office phone. You can buy sanitizing wipes to clean this and remove any germs and bacteria. It’s also worth buying a lightweight vacuum so that you can quickly clean up any spills. If you end up treading any crumbs or spilled liquids into your carpet, they could become breeding grounds for germs!
Sometimes clutter can also attract germs and dust. Try decluttering your desk or home office.
Take Regular Breaks
Did you know that sitting for long periods of most days can lead to some pretty serious health conditions? It is thought those who have very sedate jobs are more likely to suffer from diseases such as diabetes later in their life compared to those who have active jobs. So, it is really worth planning for a ten-minute break every hour. Even if you just get up and walk around your house, you will be doing your health some good!
Ventilate It Well
Bad air in your office can cause breathing problems for those who have a weak immune system or have suffered from respiratory problems in the past. Even if you don’t have these kinds of health concerns, it is still necessary to keep your home office well-ventilated. Otherwise, the air will get quite stuffy and stale. You just need to open your window for an hour or so each day to give the room a quick refresh. Obviously, if it is cold outside then you don’t have to keep it open for too long.
As long as you stick to the tips mentioned above, you shouldn’t have to worry about your home office draining on your health. Try implementing one at a time, adding one new tip each week until you are doing them all regularly!
This post was written in collaboration. This means that while I have added to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to write a post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Whether it’s a whole room in your house or apartment, a carefully proportioned square in an office building, or something in between, odds are you’re spending a substantial portion of the day in your office. Because of that, your office space – like you – has a lot of work to do. It has to be a productive space, but also one that inspires, keeps you healthy, and is generally as pleasant to be in as possible.
There’s no reason to spend 8 hours a day in an unpleasant space. So, if you feel like your workspace isn’t all it should be, read on to find out a few areas you can look to for improvements.
Hang It Up
First things first: No matter how big or small your office is, one thing you’re always in absolute control of is what’s on your desk. And if that’s a bunch of clutter, it could actually be hurting your productivity. Learn more about decluttering your desk here.
One way to fix that is adding storage, of course. But if you’ve got limited space, and no room for shelving? Try hanging things up – keys, headphones, and similar items can go straight onto hooks. Get a hangable container for your pens and other writing utensils. Anything that helps you get the random items off your desk immediately improves your workstation.
Write It Down
In some ways, this is a lifestyle change. I won’t spend a lot of time convincing you; I remember a time in my life when I laughed at people for being so organized to carry a planner. Now? My planner never leaves my side. Let me at least say this: Writing things down gives your important tasks a physical space and keeps them from zooming around in your mind all day.
This is another simple upgrade because it’s hard to start writing things down if you don’t have the materials. And those materials come in many forms: a planner, a calendar, sticky notes – it’s all a matter of what works for you.
Feel like you’re wasting paper?Try a whiteboard for your lists. There’s nothing more satisfying than erasing items one at a time until everything’s cleared.
Add Some Life to Your Office Space
This isn’t an organization technique – it’s a way to improve your mental state. You could take this literally, and grab yourself a potted plant. If your office lacks much light, a shady plant is great – alternately, it’s hard to kill a cactus.
Of course, pictures take a lot less effort. You could hang up scenic photos, an image of your favorite painting, or even a movie poster of one of your favorites.
Adding life could mean adding bits of your own life, too. Try dedicating a space in your office to some personal effects. Photos of hobbies, a statuette of a musical instrument you play. For me? It’s a small shelf just above my desk with a handful of my favorite novels that I’ve read dozens of times.
Get creative with your space, and it’ll be a much nicer place to be.
Still don’t like the idea of standing? You can at least make sitting healthier and more comfortable. If your back is hurting while you work at your desk, it could mean you’re not sitting correctly. Sitting properly depends on a number of factors, and it can at least be partially addressed by getting a better chair. So, make yourself comfortable in your office – it’s good for you.
Is your office space hurting your productivity? Pick at least one of these simple upgrades to implement into your own office!
Meet the Author
This post was written by Issac, a Director at 3 White Hats, a New Zealand based online marketing agency.
When it comes to your financial life, you need to get organized. If you lose this organization, you could find you are getting yourself into a difficult situation without even knowing it. So, in this post, we are going to be looking at four steps that you can take to have a more organized financial life.
#1 | Draw Up or Revise Your Budget
First of all, you should make a detailed budget of all your incoming and outgoing money, as thoroughly as you can. Note that your budget is a flexible thing, and once you make it, it is not set in stone. After all, there are all kinds of circumstances that could befall you. So, you need to be ready for all the financial events that could happen at any point during your day to day life. A good budget is one that can be adapted whenever you need to.
Be sure you have a budget all figured out before you move on. Try using Mint.com to organize your finances and track your money automatically and securely.
#2 | Keep Bills in One Place
Even though most bills are now handled electronically, you need to make sure that they are all being sent to the same place, and that you keep them together. This way, you can stop things from getting confused and chaotic. You should also highly consider paying your bills as soon as you receive them. The last thing that you need in your financial life is to pay unnecessary late fees and fines because you forgot about it.
#3 | Sort Out Your Tax Situation
If you only work for a single employer, your taxes are usually relatively straightforward. But if you run your own business, work as a freelancer, or you receive any other forms of income, you need to be much more organized. You may need a 1099 form 2016 on which to declare everything. You need to be thorough with taxes, so you don’t pay any additional fines. Many people find it useful to employ a professional accountant or financial advisor. This way, they can ensure that your financial files are comprehensive and accurate.
If you have a detailed budget, you shouldn’t find yourself with any unexpected spending surprises. Regardless, everyone should get into the habit of checking financial accounts on a regular basis. Doing this will ensure that you are not the victim of any fraudulent activity.
When you are looking at your financial life, being organized is one of the most effective things that you can do. This way, you know exactly where every penny of your money is going. Many people tend to bury their heads in the sand if they encounter any problems. But you need to be proactive and tackling them head-on!
This post was written in collaboration. This means that while I have edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation.
Millennials live in a time full of financial challenges; there’s no denying that. Whether we are just not trusted, or if it’s because the cost of living is always on the rise. Regardless, it’s a challenge. But, there are ways to become a financially strong millennial. For any millennial out there, wondering how to take hold of your finances, this post is for you!
Organize and Economize
If you find yourself struggling with your finances, then the first tip we have for you is to begin organizing and economizing. Organizing is as precise as it sounds, take to recording absolutely everything that takes place regarding your expenditures or outgoing money and incoming money, all of it. This is for several reasons. The first reason is that it helps to keep a tighter hold on your finances and ultimately stop your spending from spiraling out of control. And second, financial records provide evidence if you find yourself in trouble. My favorite way to organize my finances is Mint. Mint gathers information from all your financial assets, helps you create a budget, and work toward saving goals while providing you with useful spending and income trend information. I have been using it for over seven years, and I don’t know what I would do without it.
One way of organizing your financial information is generating payroll check stubs on a site such as PaystubCreator.net and then keeping them in an organized fashion. You could also be keeping all the invoices you receive, both in the world of bill paying and in the world of income, so that you can always prove you have both paid debt that you owe and have been paid.
Economizing refers to eliminating unnecessary spending and utilizing a budget. Before making a purchase, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, ‘do I really need this?’ and if you do need it, ask yourself ‘is there a cheaper alternative that will work just fine?’ Another way to economize your finances and eliminate splurges is to go shopping with a list, never deviating from this list no matter the deal or discount. It’s hard, don’t get me wrong, I struggle all the time! But it is doable!
Get Ready for Retirement
Even if your planned age of retirement is well over four decades away, it’s still important to start planning and saving for it now. This is because believe it or not, as millennials, we are in an ideal position to do so (at least compared to past young generations). Starting your retirement fund now is important because your money will grow and accrue interest and the longer it is growing, the more money you will have when you go to retire.
Specifically, what you should be doing is beginning to contribute to a Roth retirement fund option. This is a fund that both you and your employers will contribute to, meaning money will be growing within it whilst you work. A good piece of advice is to match whatever your employer contributes. If your employers do not contribute then it is up to you to save, add it to your new budget!
Now that you have a better idea of how to begin your journey toward financial strength, get going! Start organizing your financial life with the use of budgeting, shopping lists, filing systems, or whatever else works for you!
This post was written in collaboration. This means that while I have added to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation.
If you are anything like me, you have WAY too much clothes in your closet and you just simply can’t part with it. I am no minimalist, I respect minimalists, but I couldn’t do it. And when you have as much stuff in your closet as I do, maximizing space is super important. This post is kind of a closet tour/analysis of my closet organization. I am going to show you how I’ve decided to organize my things and how it needs to be improved. The hope is that you will learn not only from my organization but also from my mistakes as a fellow clothing and shoe hoarder.
Closet Overview
I have been blessed with two large closets in my current apartment, and in reality, this was one of the main reasons I chose this apartment complex – immense storage for my stuff. Because of this, my closets are for more than just my clothing and they allow me not to need a dresser. So, don’t think that because I am not using a dresser, that you can use one to optimize your organization.
It is important to note that just because I organize one way doesn’t mean that it is the best way for everyone. We all optimize our space differently and that is okay!
My Clothing
The bulk of my closet is filled with my clothing which I have strategically organized. I should also note that I frequently change and alter my strategy. I generally like to keep categories and subcategories. These categories and subcategories have designated a color (the color of the hanger). Please excuse the difference in the type of hangers, I am currently migrating from the plastic hangers I got at my high school graduation party to some nicer velvet hangers. My clothes are also organized by the color of the clothing.
The left side of my first closet is reserved for my nicer and more professional clothes. I have my suit jackets and blazers on the far left with pink hangers. Next, on black hangers, are my dress pants followed by pencil skirts and other skirts.
Directly after my skirts, I have sweaters and sweatshirts. This does not include any casual sweatshirts or hoodies. My sweaters are broken into two categories: open front or button-up and pull over. Nearly all of my sweaters have pink hangers currently; though, the sweaters that could be considered nice but also casual have white hangers.
Next are my blouses and shirts. These are organized by length of sleeve beginning with long sleeve and three-quarter sleeve down to tank tops. The button-up blouses have black hangers, tank tops have an orange hanger, shirts that can be both nice and casual have a white hanger, and everything else has a pink hanger.
And lastly, my dresses all have pink hangers and are organized by color, they have no subcategories currently.
My Casual, Everyday Wardrobe
On the right side of my first closet is where I keep my casual, everyday clothing. All of my tops are hung up and I have a shelf for my bottoms. From left to right my shirts are organized: playsuits (not currently assigned a color because I am swapping between hanger styles), casual skirts (pink hangers), tank tops and crops tops (orange hangers), text t-shirts (green hanger), plain t-shirts (white hangers), long sleeve t-shirts (blue hangers), and sweaters or hoodies (green or white hangers because I ran out of white hangers).
On the top shelf, I have my shorts organized in piles. Each pile is a different subcategory: capris and yoga capris, colorful or patterned, high wastes, and jean. On the second shelf are my jeans. These are in three subcategories: colored, light wash, and dark wash. And finally, on the bottom shelf is my elephant pants and leggings.
Closet Number Two
In my second closet, I have more sweaters and hoodies that I generally don’t wear hung up. I also have piles of winter clothes folded on the shelf above. These items include fleece-lined leggings (I have a nice collection of these), sweatpants, and under armor.
I have been perfecting how I organize my clothing for most of my life—it’s something I enjoy. That being said, I have no current plans to change my methods and I highly recommend them, but, I am sure I will continue to tweak it.
My Shoes
My shoes are organized similarly to my clothing in that I try to keep them categorized. My heels, sandals, tennis shoes, and flats are in various hanging organizers, while my boots are on the top shelf. On the dressier side of my first closet, I hang my heels next to my dress pants. Above the clothing, you can also find my shorter dress boots.
Beside my bottoms shelf, you will find a hanging organizer that hold my tennis shoes and another hanging organizer with my flat sandals. Above the everyday side of my closet are my combat and taller boots. And finally, on the back of my bedroom door, you will find an organizer that holds my flats.
Accessories
My accessories are not in one place. They are scattered around my room. My bags are hanging on a rack that I made with my grandpa. On top of my bags, I display my sunhat.
I hang my belts off of a metal shower curtain ring above my dirty laundry. And my scarves are hung from a scarf organizer in my second closet.
Bedding
In my second closet on the top shelf, I have a massive pile of blankets and bedding that I do not use on a regular basis. I keep these items in my bedroom closet because I do not have a towel closet to store those kinds of items in. I actually have an antique hamper in my living room where I store more of my blankets.
Beauty Products
I have more products than I have space. So, I store a lot of these products inside and on top of two-drawer shelves in my second closet. There might be a better way to store these products, but I have owned these shelves most of my life and cannot be bothered to purchase a replacement.
Art Supplies
The final part of my closet lies on the ground in my second closet. This is the least organized part of my entire apartment and I need your help! If any of you guys have any suggestions for organizing my mess that I call “art supplies” please let me know in the comments below! Instead of explaining how I’ve chosen to organize this part of my closet, I’ll just show you.
That’s it, guys! What do you think? Any suggestions? How do you organize your closets!? LET ME KNOW!!
As a college student, it is essential to pack our bags strategically because you have to carry it around with you all day. Without an alternate place to store all of your things (like lockers for high schoolers), you need to maximize the space in your backpack while still having everything you need for class and the day as a whole. Below I talk about my backpack essentials!
The Backpack
Naturally, for this post to make any sense you’re going to need a backpack or another larger bag of your preference. I have a bad neck and back, so I opt to use a backpack with good support to lessen my physical discomfort. I also find it to be essential that your bag of choice has many pockets to aid in the organization of all of my things.
My current backpack has lost its support and needs to be replaced, however, I cannot seem to find one with pockets that I like within a decent price range. It has two large compartments, a medium compartment with smaller zipper pouches in it, a small front compartment and two water bottle compartments on the sides. I utilize each of these sections.
Everyone is different, so when choosing a bag, make sure it suits your needs!
Textbooks and Binders
In many cases, the largest contents of a backpack are the textbooks, notebooks, folders, and binders. I generally take one to two textbooks at one time because of their weight and how it affects my neck. If you can fit and can carry more than two and you’d like to, go for it!
In addition to the textbooks required for my classes, I take the binder that is associated with the class I will be attending for the day. I use binders instead of notebooks and folders for multiple reasons. The first reason is that I have hundreds and hundreds of pages of loose-leaf notebook paper and absolutely no notebooks. So, having a binder gives me a place to keep the paper.
The second reason I use binders instead of folders is that the binder organizes everything I will need for the class including the loose-leaf paper, handouts, a folder for the handouts, folder compartments for projects that need to be turned in, and a clear area to put the syllabus or course schedule on the front. This way I am not digging through a cluttered notebook to see what is due next. The downfall of using binders are the bulk. Again, use what works best for you!
Planner / Scheduler
My next backpack essential is potentially my favorite part—my planner. Personally, I use a bullet journal (check out my bullet journal here}}). I keep my journal in a pouch to protect it from spills and page damage, though this is not necessary.
I HIGHLY recommend that you get an agenda or planner if you don’t already have one. It is essential to keep all your due dates, classes, appointments, and other events organized in one place. Plus, there are a million different types of planners so you are bound to find one that you really like.
Laptop
This next backpack essential isn’t really essential but for some people, it is immensely useful to have on you. I keep my laptop on me because I work on campus and use it at work. However, it is also extremely helpful in between work and class when I do not have time to go all the way across campus to go to the library, or if there are no computers available in the student lounge in my building. I am able to pull out my laptop and work on homework or even complete blog work in my free time instead of sitting around playing on my phone. If you choose to carry your laptop around you need to be mindful that it takes up a lot of space, requires protection, and will probably need you to have a messy mop of cords in your bag too.
Writing Utensils
You can’t be expected to take notes in class without writing utensils, so these are a MUST. I keep my pens, pencils, and highlighters in a zipper compartment in my medium zipper section, though you can also opt to keep them in a pencil case or makeup bag. I always keep a plethora of colors on my person because I like to take notes in color, but this is not something that you need to have, a few black pens and a pencil are good enough.
Water Bottle & Snacks
One of the most important parts of the college student’s backpack is a water bottle. By keeping a water bottle on you, you are more likely to stay hydrated without having to use public water fountains. Water is good for you, so don’t forget to bring your water bottler!
Regardless of how long you plan to be on campus, you will need snacks. Snacks are an awesome way to remain focused, refuel energy, and if you’re on campus all day—you will need to eat. I am generally on campus all day because of work and class, so I not only pack a lunch but also keep granola bars and various chips or crackers in my backpack. My small pouch of my backpack is designated for snacks.
Umbrella
It’s not a necessity in some places, but I always keep my umbrella in my second water bottle pouch in case of rain. Where I am from random bouts of rain are not uncommon, and I prefer not to have to run to my car with my bag over my head.
Wallet
If you have any interest in having an ID on you, student card, money card, cash or anything else you probably keep your wallet on you. This is easy to add to your backpack because it probably does not take up much space.
Charging Cords
The final backpack essential is charging cords! This might not be a necessity for you, but if you have your laptop or phone on you, you probably do not want it to die in the middle of the day. I keep my cords in the pouch with my snacks for ease of access.
There you go! Those are my backpack essentials, what do you keep in your school bag??
Do you struggle to get your 8 hours of sleep each night? Maybe your bedroom is a problem. There are several factors that are important for making sure that you get good-quality sleep, and many of them come down to your bedroom’s design. Need some tips and inspiration? Read all about designing a bedroom for a better night’s sleep below.
Tidy Home, Tidy Mind
A cluttered, messy bedroom could sub-consciously disrupt your sleep. Keeping your bedroom space neat is one thing, but if you lack the right storage – you might have no choice but to leave your stuff everywhere. It’s quite simple to go from a messy bedroom floor to clean and spacious bedroom, but you’ll need to make sure you invest in some great storage too.
Build A Comfortable and Welcoming Bed
As the key to a good night’s sleep, the right bed is important. You’ll need a firm and sturdy mattress that supports your body weight, and you might find that you need a bigger mattress than you thought. If you share with someone else, factor that in too, as you may need not be getting the space you need for a restful sleep. Choose pillows that are soft to the touch but offer firm support to prevent shoulder and back issues. Memory foam bamboo pillows are particularly popular at the moment and offer long-lasting support for a good night’s sleep. Crisp, clean cotton bed sheets are also worth investing in, and you’ll notice a big difference in quality if you’re willing to pay out a little bit more.
Lighting is Everything
Lighting, or a lack of it, is essential for sleeping well at night. This isn’t always easy when you live in a busy city that never sleeps. Invest in some good blackout curtains or a blind that will be able to block out harsh lights at night and let you continue to sleep as the sun is rising in the morning. Try to keep your bedroom free from technology, as some things like your phone or your TV can affect your sleep quality. A room that is light and airy is great for relaxing during the day or if your bedroom doubles up as a home office, but making sure you can black out the lights at night will help you sleep better.
Temperature Control
Your body is extremely sensitive to temperature, and if you are too hot or too cold - you might find yourself struggling to sleep at night. Choose breathable materials for your bedding, and keep stocks of throws and blankets which can be added or taken away easily as needed. You could bring in a bedroom fan or air conditioning, but these can be expensive to run as well as cause noise which could also disrupt your sleep. Working out the temperature of your bedroom will take some time, so it could be a case of trial and error while you figure out what you need to do to get a good night’s sleep.
With the right bedroom design, you can help your body to get a better night’s sleep that will benefit your mind and body. Rather than just focusing on color or style, be sure to think of features that will aid your sleep and transform you
This post was written in collaboration. This means that while I have added to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation.
If you read part-one to my 735-mile move, you know that I recently moved from Michigan to North Carolina—and it was difficult. The trip was 13+ hours of driving. If you want to know more about the challenges I experienced when moving long distances, head on over to part one. For this part of my story, I want to focus on the emotional and practical challenges that arose.
1st Month
The first weekend was easy because my family and boyfriend were still in town and we were keeping fairly busy. I was emotionally overwhelmed and found myself getting extra emotional, but in hindsight, the weekend was really good. Even after my family left, I was doing fine. It was very emotional when they left, but I was soon busy organizing and decorating all of my things.
It was the second week where I started finding myself getting lonely and tired of being in my apartment. I decided it was time to start looking for a job. Not only did I need the money, but it would provide me with a social network. Finding a social network to plug into is so important early on because it helps with those pesky lonely feelings.
Finding a job in a new area is very stressful. Not knowing anyone, or having any connections meant that I had to start from scratch. I decided to target cafes at first. First, I created a list of cafes near my apartment and took a day to drive to each and drop off my resume and fill out applications. I got lucky and got an interview that day, ultimately getting myself hired in. This really did help with the lonely.
Read more about coping with the loneliness that comes with moving far away from home HERE!
Bus vs. Driving
The next decision I needed to make was between driving my car everywhere or learning how to ride the bus. I had never ridden the bus at home because they did not come anywhere near my house, also, I have a car and did not feel the need. However, because of having a very tight budget, I was stuck trying to figure out what would be cheaper and more realistic.
I looked up bus fare and routes then calculated how much it would cost me to drive to school for the semester (over $300: gas and parking) and how much it would cost to take the bus ($250). There was still a dilemma because it would be a two and a half hour commute on the bus and a 15-minute commute in my car. Despite being more expensive, I opted to drive in order to reduce my own daily stress and to save myself valuable time. I experience a lot of anxiety in new and crowded situations, especially those that are out of my control. So, it was better than I dip into my financial aid to buy a parking pass and drive.
It sound like a methodical decision, however, I was extremely stressed about it and it affected my health. I highly recommend you look into transportation before moving, so that it isn’t something you need to worry about last minute like I did.
Making Friends
Making friends is actually the hardest part of this move. Remember, moving far away from home all by yourself is lonely. So, making friends is essential. I have managed to get along with several co-workers and classmates. But I am referring to finding a close friend to come to with problems. This is a lot harder because it means trusting a complete stranger with your emotions and inner thoughts. I really struggle with this.
Making friends is something I am still not sure how to do, and I have been in North Carolina over a month now. I will keep you guys in the loop and I learn and improve my friend-making abilities.
Graduate School
Graduate school was the entire motivation for my move to North Carolina. This meant that graduate school took all priority. With two jobs and full-time graduate school, I found myself struggling the very first week. I was faced with a dilemma—I needed money to pay for school, but I needed more time from work to stay in school. After I spent a few weeks thinking about quitting my second job, I decided that this was the best idea for not only my education but for my mental health. I chose to pay for school and some of my bills using my financial aid (despite hating the idea of going further into debt). If you find yourself in a similar situation, always, always take into consideration your mental health and sanity, always.
I had originally expected to work two jobs and then complete my homework in the evening. And with my schedule, I was able to. However, I found myself overwhelmed with no time to myself. The deciding factor was reducing my stress.
Finances and Budgeting
Another huge area of stress immediately after my move to North Carolina was finances. Not only was moving expensive but paying bills without an income is expensive. I felt like I was constantly spending more money than I had to spend. Especially since I did not expect to be paid for my graduate assistant job until the end of September. I had to sit down and create a list of my bills and figure out how much was due and when it was due. I then had to make sure I put aside most of my tips from my serving job. This meant that I had to create a budget that had little wiggle room and I had to stick to it.
Not having a previous conception of my bills, outside of rent and car insurance, before the move I felt underprepared. With the help of budgeting, I never fell behind in my bills; however, I highly recommend that if you are planning a big move, set aside more money than you are expecting to need.
The point of this post was not to complain or to brag, show off, or complain. I simply wanted to provide a reality for someone else who might be preparing for a long-distance move for the first time. There is so much more to the process, that I had realized.
The first thing you need to know about my move to North Carolina is that it is at least an 11-hour road trip…not including making stops. Because of the distance, I had to make most of the arrangements beforehand over the phone or online. For a lot of things, this didn’t really matter much, but for others, it made things feel impossible.
My hope for writing this post is to better inform others of what to expect if they chose to make a long-distance move. I’m going to talk a lot about my struggles and the process. By no means am I discouraging anyone from doing what I’ve done, just know that it’s really hard, be informed.
Getting an Apartment
Getting an apartment was one of the most stressful aspects of the move. Without a place to live, I wouldn’t have gotten here in time for the semester to start, or I would have had to spend way too much money living in a hotel.
Step One: Research
The first thing I had to do was research apartments. This was difficult because I didn’t really know the area, and I wanted to live somewhere safe but also near school and work. Because of these unknowns, I created a list of about 6 apartments that seemed to have what I needed/wanted, had photos that made them seem like they were in a good area, and were within 15 minutes of my school.
Then I created a spreadsheet comparing each of them, and naturally, I had two favorites.
Step Two: Visit
Next, my grandma, aunt, and I took a weekend trip to North Carolina to visit each of these apartments. During this trip, I learned several things.
Nice pictures online, while helpful, can be wrong
Prices are generally higher than they say online
If I wanted to live in a nicer area, I had to be willing to pay at least $100 more each month
An upgraded apartment simply means a new paint job (probably not done wonderfully), new appliances (probably just black instead of white), and new fixtures (whoop-de-doo)
There are more costs than you think: application fee, the fee to hold the apartment, deposit, and additional couple month rent, etc.
I expected this trip to be fun and easy. I was wrong. It was incredibly stressful. My family was immensely concerned about my safety, which isn’t a bad thing. But, the safest places were WAY out of my price range. So, I had to choose from a step down in safety, not necessarily unsafe but probably no security cameras or security workers or gates. A large portion of the trip (and sometime after), my family members kept making comments about where they thought I should live despite knowing that I couldn’t afford it. This stressed me out, because I didn’t even want to look at places out of my price range, yet they wanted to look at all the really nice places. Money is tight, I couldn’t, my choices were limited and I had made up my mind.
Step Three: Getting An Apartment
Now that I’ve finished visiting and all my research, I have to apply. There are application fees, so I couldn’t go out and apply everywhere. I gambled—I applied to only one apartment complex (the only safe one in my price range). I crossed my finger and hoped that they let me in and THEN that they had an open apartment in time.
After the application went out, all I could do was wait. And, my luck, their phone calls were not going through, nor were their voicemails. It took me from the end of April to the middle of June to really get ahold of them outside of them telling me my application was accepted. Getting accepted wasn’t good enough though and I was calling almost daily to no avail. Thank goodness that I decided to shoot them an email.
They responded to my email very quickly and gave me an alternative number to call. They then called me every other day to update me on apartment openings and verify information. June 15th (only 2 months before classes start), they called me telling me that they had an opening. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I was desperate.
I had a month to prepare for the move.
Preparing for the Move in One Month
Getting a Job
Getting a job is really hard to do from such a huge distance. Especially because I was looking for part-time. I had applied to become a graduate assistant at my school and got accepted at the same time I got the apartment, but this wasn’t going to be enough. I needed another job. The pressure was on, but I also felt as if I couldn’t really do anything because of a lack of responses I was getting using online means. I needed to go into the offices and facilities, but I couldn’t. I put this aside until after the move, but I knew I was going to have to kick my butt into gear immediately to be able to pay the bills (Stay tuned for Part 2 of My 735 Mile Move where I talk about this).
Tight Budgeting
This was my first apartment, so I had nearly nothing that I needed. So I had a lot of very strategic spending to do. I did not have a lot of money to spend, but I had a lot of things to buy. I started with the apartment fixings and utilities.
Utilities
When you get an apartment, you have to take care of a lot of things: insurance, gas, electricity, water, rent, trash, etc., most of which you need to have before you even move in. This wasn’t particularly stressful, but it was expensive. I had to make A LOT of phone calls and spend hundreds up front just to be able to move in. Because of this, I had a lot less money put aside for emergencies, and to spend on the apartment.
Buying all Necessities
I started by making a list of necessities like furniture, toiletries, a bed, appliances. Then I got on VarageSale. VarageSale is an app that would be similar to going to garage sales online. I was able to get a few bits of furniture using garage sale at a pretty good price. Including this lamp!
I also got super lucky and one of my grandma’s friends gave me a large amount of free (yeah, free) furniture. This was so amazing because I was so stressed about money and still needed larger items like a couch or somewhere to sit. My grandpa also gave me his old tv, which was very nice.
Planning Ahead
Not only did I have to be careful about my spending before the move, but I had to be saving a lot of money for after the move. I saved up a couple thousand, but a lot of that was gone before I even got to North Carolina. Naturally, this made me even more stressed about getting another job. I needed a couple thousand just in case I couldn’t find a job or an emergency happened, and I barely had this. But I trucked along, spending wisely.
The point of this post was not to complain or to brag or show off or anything. I simply wanted to provide a reality for someone else who might be preparing for a long-distance move for the first time. There is so much to the process.
Keeping your documents organized and easy to find is super important! I mean, some of these are legal documents. That’s not something you want to lose or misplace! If you don’t have a filing system, let’s get you one! Keep reading for the perfect filing system! This article includes affiliate links.
Step One | Find A Filing Container That Works for You
Do you have a lot of filing or just a few papers? Does your filing need to follow you around? Do you want to customize your cabinet? These are some of the questions that you need to be asking when you’re picking a filing system. Here are some of the most common filing system containers, their pros and cons, and some examples as inspiration.
The good thing about Filing Cabinets (next to them being larger in size) is customizability! You can buy these in various colors and styles or you can paint them, and add detailing! Check out these 15 Fabulous Filing Cabinet Makeovers compiled by The Melrose Family!
Filing Box
The next option is the filing box. The filing box is nice because it is more mobile. I feel like I am moving at least once a year, so I have gone for the filing box. I have one that keeps my documents, and a second that stores my spare office supplies.
The filing box option is a little less customizable than the filing cabinet. To make up for customizability, the box comes in a dozen different styles and sizes. Check out some of the adorable and practical options I have found below! I prefer the lidded option, but a desktop option is great if you do not have a lot of filing.
Expanding Filing
The expanding filing sounds kind of silly but is practical for small amounts of paperwork. This option isn’t as sturdy as the other options. But it is perfect for easy-to-grab, often-used documents.
The expanding file can be both mobile and fixed since there are a variety of styles. Some have handles and others snap shut for mobility. Still, others are meant to sit on a desk or shelf. Check out some of the accordion filing systems I have found.
Desk Drawer Filing
This option only works for someone with a desk drawer that would fit some hanging files. The desk drawer is also not mobile and the size depends on your desk. Here are some desks that have filing drawers.
You can also make desks using filing cabinets. Check out this tutorial done by HomeTalk.
Step Two | Organize Your Documents
Organizing your files is the most important part of this whole process and it is the backbone of your entire system. But don’t let that scare you, organizing your files can be made simple with my FREE File Planning Workbook.
The first step here is to make a list of your main categories. These are broader categories that may or may not have subcategories (we’ll get to subcategories in a minute). Once you have made this list, keep a few notes that describe what exactly goes in this main category.
For example, in my main category, Finances, I keep anything related to my money, banking, and loans. Basically, if it involves my money, it’s in Finances.
Once you have your main categories designated then it’s time to figure out your sub-categories. Sub-categories are more specific categories that fall under your main categories. Sometimes you are able to figure out your subcategories by your description (like my Finances example). That isn’t always the case though.
Sometimes it is easiest to figure out your subcategories by looking at all the documents that you plan to put in your main categories. If you see a trend, then it is probably subcategory worthy!
There are cases where a subcategory isn’t necessary. For example, my Taxes file doesn’t need any subcategories because it is already so specific and archive-ready (archiving is Step Four, stay tuned!). Not having subcategories is perfectly okay!
Now that we have all our categories sorted we need to file it! That leads us to step three…
Step Three | Decide How You’d Like to Keep Your Files Organized
You may be thinking, what do you mean decide how to keep my files organized, we already decided our categories didn’t we? Deciding how to keep them organized is another layer and there are a few ways to do this. The first way is to use different colors.
Color Organization
When you use different colors for each main category, it is much easier to navigate your filing at a glance. At-a-glance navigation is so much quicker than staring at your files trying to find something.
Color Coordinated Labels
One way to organize by color is to label your categories in certain colors. This is nice if you already have colored pens or markers to use. If you don’t happen to have colored pens lying around but would like to color coordinate your labels, check out my favorite labeling pens!
Colored File Folders
Another way to organize by color is will colored file folders or hanging files. You are able to assign each of your categories a color based on colored hanging files. Doing this allows for extremely easy to scan files.
A Combination of the Two
You are also able to place only very sensitive file categories in a color such as red, and files that do not get archived (keep reading to learn about archiving files) in another color such as purple or blue. You can then leave the rest of your files in generic hanging files and use color coding on all your labels. This method allows for easy archiving.
Sorting
Deciding the order in which you file your categories really depends on what is most functional for you and your files. Here are three ways to sort your files.
Sort by Topic or Category
Sorting by topic or category is the easiest way to sort your files because you have already organized your files into categories. All the work here is done, just plop your files on in by the categories you’ve already picked alphabetically.
Sort by Relevance*
This is the sorting method I use, I find it most handy when reaching for my documents. When you sort by relevance there are three sorting categories to keep in mind. First, you want to keep your most frequently used categories at the front. This means you refer to them more often than your other categories.
Second, your almost-never-used files go at the back. If you don’t need them very often, you don’t need them blocking the files you do use a lot. These categories might include Memory Items, Misc., and Instruct. Manuals.
And last is everything else gets placed in the middle.
Sort Chronologically
Chronological means that the categories are sorted by most recent at the front and least recent at the back in the order in which they occurred. Timelines are a great example of something chronological. Chronologically is most handy in archived files because these files are kept by year. If your filing categories allow for chronological sorting, then go for it!
One of the most important ways of organizing your files is with labels. There are different labeling products to choose from, here are some of my favorite labels.
When you are writing or typing up your labels, be very specific. The label is only so big and you want your labels to be readable, and being specific makes it easier.
Write one or two-word labels for maximum benefit. Using one or two words allows the label to be kept on one line. This also allows the label to be bigger and more readable. You want your labels to be seen without getting close or squinting, so the bigger you can write them, the better.
Like I mentioned, keep your labelon one line. Doing this allows for greater readability. Sticking to the 1-to-2 word rule makes keeping your label on one line really easy.
Sometimes the words being used on your label are too long and you need to use two lines. FALSE. If the word is too long, shorten it. For example, Instruction Manuals is pretty long even though it’s only two words. You can keep this label on one line easily by shortening it to Instruct. Manual. This shortens it just enough to fit on one line!
You might also shorten your label by taking out small words like the, of, etc. or replace small words with symbols (i.e. and becomes ‘&’, inquiries become ‘?’—get creative).
Label in all capital letters. This, again, just makes the label easier to read at a glance because the letters are all the same height.
My last labeling rule is to use good handwriting or type it. The reality of it is, that if you don’t have good handwriting, then your labels won’t be easy to read at a glance. So, if your penmanship isn’t great, try typing out your labels instead to keep them readable. To make typed labels easier, try these label sheets. They fit into your printer like a normal piece of paper and come with a website that provides the Microsoft Word template.
However, if you have good handwriting, then there is no reason you can’t write your labels out.
Step Five | Archives
The archives are everything in your main categories for the previous years. You don’t want all your finances from 2012 mixed in with your finances for 2017, that will just cause chaos. With archived files, you can be assured that each year’s information is all in the same place, allowing you to go back a year or two if needed, but also allowing you to find this year’s information more easily.
How to Archive
Archiving is super easy. At the end of each year create a subcategory for that year (under the main category: Archives). For example, this subcategory might be 2016. Then you create second level subcategories using the previously determined categories. Are you following me? Perhaps the graphic in my FREE File Planning Workbook can help you to follow along, I’m a visual learner too.
You can choose to keep your subcategories by allowing them to become third level subcategories, or you can choose to remove them all together. This is up to you. I keep my original subcategories, as is depicted on page 10 of the Workbook.
Categories That Don’t Need to Be Archived
I keep a file labeled Information. This file is comprised of mostly handouts and printouts with information that I found helpful or wanted to keep handy. These documents do not need to be archived because they are relevant every year and if they become irrelevant, I probably need to go and find an updated version to replace it.
Another category that might not need to be archived is Instruction Manuals. These are manuals that come with all your appliances, toys, and electronics. These are nice to keep around (assuming you still have that product) in case you need to figure out a setting or learn how the product works. But these, again, are not relevant to only one year. The Manuals are only relevant as long as you have the product, and if you don’t have the product, then trash the manual.
Step Six | The ‘To-Be Filed’ Bin
A To-Be-Filed Bin is a place or container that you keep on your desk or on your filing system. The purpose of the bin is to keep handy documents that you are still using, but that need to be filed when you are done without damaging or losing them. Keeping this bin within reach of your desk or filing system is important to prevent damaged or lost documents. Check out These paper trays.
We live in a fast-paced society surrounded by incredibly busy people. And when you are an incredibly busy person, it is hard to keep everything straight. A lot of the time this internal chaos is the result of poor time management. This article provides 5 tools for improving time management.This article utilizes Amazon Affiliate Links
#1 Sleep
The first step in time management improvement is to get enough sleep. When you are running on less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep your brain isn’t functioning at its highest capacity. Because of this, you become more easily overwhelmed, exhausted, and lazy feeling. Learn more about designing your bedroom to get a good nights sleep here.
When you are able to get 7 hours of consecutive sleep you will feel amazing! You will be more capable of handling the crazy chaos each day brings.
#2 Daily To-Do List
There are a million ways to improve your time management and one of the most common methods is a daily to-do list. While I prefer a planner with everything all laid out in one portable spot, a to-do list is super simple and easy for anyone to use.
A to-do list doesn’t have to be anything fancy or costly. All you really need is a pen and some paper.
When it comes to utilizing a to-do list, I recommend referring to it each morning. Before you get anything done, read over your to-do list and revise it if you need to. Now you know what your goals are for the day and you can get started!
#3 Planner
My favorite time management tool is my planner! There are, again, a million types of planners. You can use a bullet journal, premade planner, notebook, or an app on your phone or computer.
The bullet journal is one of the most customizable planner options. A notebook is very similar though. If you choose to go the notebook route, then good for you! Each person is different and the important thing is that you find something that works for you and your needs.
Premade Planners
The third option is a pre-made planner. There are a million brands and styles out there to choose from. Check out these planners by At-A-Glance, there are some great options!
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Apps & Websites
The final option is phone or computer apps. There are so many apps nowadays that it is hard to keep track. Some apps that I use and love for time management assistance include myhomeworkapp.com, Google Calendar for Android, and Microsoft OneNote.
I like myhomeworkapp.com because it is explicitly for homework and delivers customized notifications to my phone to remind me to get my projects done on time. Myhomework is also amazing because it works on both my phone and my laptop, providing me with access to my homework no matter where I am. Lastly, the myhomework phone app is amazing because it comes with a widget that displays my homework right there.
