A GUIDE TO ORGANISING YOUR LIFE AS A STUDENT

The lockdown is officially easing in the UK and there’s never been a better time to set your intentions for the remainder of the year. For some, this might look like working towards fitness goals. For others, it could be something as simple as reading a set number of books throughout the year.

Whatever your goals are, we can likely all agree that they’ll be much easier to reach if you get yourself organised first! Here at  Abodus Student Living, we’re big fans of smart hacks to help you through your studies and day to day life as a student. Check out these five easy steps to get you well on your way to an organised life!

Plan everything

The first step to getting organised is to get all your plans written down in one place. Whatever you’ve got on, you don’t want to miss it, so be sure to get a good diary to store all your plans in! A multi-purpose diary like this one from Ultimate Planners is great, as it allows you to keep all your plans in one place, from your work schedule to your studies and even your finances. Having everything in one place allows you to digest it all at once, and it cuts down on the clutter— both physically and mentally! Our top tip is to sit down at the end of each month and fill in your diary for the month ahead, prioritising your to-do’s. Keep your diary in plain view and check it daily so that nothing falls off your radar. You can also keep a daily or weekly to-do notepad at your desk or study space if it is more easily digestible for you. Here’s one of our favourites that won’t break the bank. If you prefer to do things digitally, you can utilise your phone’s notepadd app, or even download one from your app store like this one from Any do.

Develop habits and routines

Developing good habits and getting into healthy routines is key to productivity. And if you are productive, you will most definitely find yourself closer to those goals you’ve set for yourself this year! Get yourself into a solid daily routine and try to stick as closely to it as possible. Aim to wake up and go to sleep at the same times each day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, limit screen time for an hour before bed and read a book instead. You can also drink a mug of chamomile tea and do some meditation. If you aren’t sure where to start with meditation, apps such as Calm are a great guide for beginners.

Meal planning and prepping on a weekend for the week ahead ensures that you are filling your body with great nutrients on those days that you are busy with lectures and work. Check out this free meal prep and shopping list duo if you’re wanting it all in sight and in one place. Lastly, get in regular daily exercise, even if that is just a half-hour walk in the fresh air. It will raise your energy levels, and it is also great for your mental health!

If you’re wondering how all these ties into getting your life organised, that’s a simple explanation: When you have set habits and routines, it makes it much easier for you to schedule the activities and appointments that don’t happen every day into your everyday life. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of doing all of this at once, remember that this is all part of the process of you getting your life organised and that getting organised, just like any process, won’t happen overnight. There is nothing wrong what making small changes slowly. They will all add up to a major change which will result in your overall goal – to get your life organised – over time!

Set deadlines and stick to them

This step is vital in getting and keeping yourself organised. Whatever you’ve got in your diary – especially those prioritised to-do’s – needs to have a deadline attached to it. Not setting a deadline is essentially setting yourself up for failure. Results are easier to achieve when you have a tangible timeline attached to it. Saying that you’ll work towards a goal and saying that you’ll work towards reaching a goal by a specific date can make the difference between success and failure. And while you don’t have to reach your goal by the specified deadline you’ve given yourself, you are much more likely to reach it at some point versus giving up on it if you have a deadline attached to it! While it is easy enough to set your goal in your diary or on a wall calendar, you want to make sure you’re reminded of it daily, so why not create a vision board like this one from Spiritually Inspired? If you’re having trouble getting started, watch this YouTube video from OhhMyAnnie on how to create a vision board that works for some inspiration. Again, if you’re wondering how this fits into getting yourself organised, that’s easy: You have to set aside time each day to work towards your deadline(s), which means you will be working this into your daily routine. To ensure that you never miss off working towards this deadline, be sure to set aside some time towards it each week – and don’t forget to pop it into your diary!

Keep your living space calm

We just can’t think of anything better to set the tone of getting your life organised than a calm living space. When you’ve got a space that is warm, cosy, inviting and most importantly, clutter-free, it is so much easier to crush your goals! How much more pleasant of a process is it to sit down and fill out your diary in a clean, tidy space than in one full of clutter and chaos? In fact, maybe this should have been step one, as it truly does set the tone for every other step in getting your life organised! Purge your space regularly, with The Minimalists’ “one in, ten out” rule, and make sure to clean as you go. If you’re unsure on where to start with organising your living space to give off some zen vibes and achieve your organisational goals, check out our blog on organising your flathere.

Find balance

When you are organising your life, especially with end goals in mind, be sure to find a balance around your schedules and routines. Do not overcommit to any activities or tasks, and if you ever feel overwhelmed, do not be afraid to say no. Here are some top tips if you have a hard time telling people no. Above all else, remember that this is why you have developed habits and routines, why you keep your diary up-to-date and why you have set deadlines for your goals – So that you know just how much you can afford to take on, and just how much extra you can handle committing yourself to. On this note, if there are things that you need to get done, but that you cannot possibly juggle on your own, it is totally okay to outsource or delegate some of your responsibilities, or even to ask for help flat out. If ever in doubt, just remember the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” If you can get more done (at just as good of quality) with less, why wouldn’t you? Some people are more skilled at things than others, and that’s okay! And if you still aren’t sold on this idea, here’s an article outlining why outsourcing your responsibilities can be so beneficial to you.

With these five basic steps in your back pocket, you should feel ready to tackle organising your life, and to meet (and hopefully exceed) the intentions that you’ve set for yourself!

Guest Blog by Abodus