do you think your body and mind live in an artistic mess?
If you decided to open up this article you were probably born into the same boat as me. Naturally disorganised, all over the place kind of person. Although, honestly speaking I used to be a very organised kid, don’t know what happened there. I guess I got overwhelmed with life lol. SO, if you are here looking for advice on how to start flowing easily through life and make sure to stay on top of things, I got you. I was there and frankly, still sometimes am. Here I share 3 habits that help me be more productive and build organisational skills.
I think that the information you will read today may either stun you and leave you a bit overwhelmed or you will see it as ‘great, only 3 habits I need to establish’. The truth is, it’s neither easy nor difficult, it all depends on how enjoyable you make it. I know that for us disorganised people it may seem like organisational skills are a fairytale. We don’t go into panic mode if some of our stuff doesn’t have its own dedicated space. We may think that we live in an artistic mess when it comes to our space and schedule, but the truth is we secretly admire people that have their shit together.
Becoming more organised and productive when you are a mess in your life doesn’t have to be torturous. In fact, at the moment I don’t really see myself going back to how it was before I had these 3 major habits established. I genuinely believe that I have become way more productive, sharp-minded, and organised. It happened not only in my physical reality but in my inner world as well when I included these 3 things in my day-to-day schedule. Most importantly, I became happier as well. And that’s the goal here.
Habit no. 1
make sure you have a morning routine that you follow every day
This is my first piece of advice. My morning routine is ESSENTIAL to my productivity because it sets a completely different tone for my day. When I was in school and in uni I was that person who wouldn’t even make their bed in the morning. I would wake up, do my make up, have zero time to eat, and be late half of the time. Now I have a morning routine that I ALWAYS follow unless I am staying at a hotel (cabin crew here!). However, even when I wake up at a hotel, I still make sure to follow most of the steps.
Why is having a morning routine so important you ask? Well, I’m sure you have heard it from someone already but it definitely motivates you to accomplish more. When you make your morning routine a habit and you follow a structure, you instantly feel like you actually want to stay on the same wave. We as human beings feel good about ourselves when we manage to finish a task and you feel the same way when you complete your morning rituals. You basically give yourself a big pat on the back, and it’s actually extremely important. Morning routines are essential to being productive every day.
some tips!
I personally have a morning routine that takes me anywhere from 30 minutes up to 2 hours depending on how much time I have in the morning. And it’s essential to have that flexibility because it gives you a better chance of sticking to it. For example, if I have to wake up at 3 AM for my flight and I know that my sleep is just as important, I will choose to wake up later and do only 10 – 15 minutes of meditation as opposed to 1 hour. Additionally, I will not do any scripting or journaling because it does take time. However, I will always do my affirmations, Tarot, heat up some water with apple cider vinegar, make my bed, etc.
When I have more time in the morning, it can take me up to 2 hours because I meditate longer. I also do my scripting or journaling, my Tarot readings may also be longer. One very important thing is that I don’t get into any work, I don’t open up my laptop or my phone before finishing my morning rituals. I only use my phone for meditation and in some cases, for my readings. I don’t check my messages, Instagram, or anything else. That being said, my routine is flexible but it’s still a routine and I make sure to follow it.
you can start with something short and sweet
When you first start building your morning routine, it doesn’t have to be lengthy and overwhelming. I definitely didn’t just jump at everything right away. Start with making sure you don’t check your phone for at least 20 – 30 minutes.
For starters, always make sure to make your bed when you wake up because it instantly makes you feel more productive. It also gives you a sense of control. After that, make sure to drink some warm water to gently wake up your digestive system. Warm water with apple cider vinegar is also a great idea, just make sure your body reacts positively to it. After you have a few simple steps established, consider adding affirmations as you can practice them even while laying in bed. When you feel comfortable with what you have going on, add meditation, and always remember the importance of skincare. Over time you will build a morning routine that you enjoy and look forward to.
The trick is that you become used to the structure and you make it a habit. And when you make it a habit that you enjoy, you have the motivation to keep it up for the rest of the day. I’m sure you will notice that you start mapping out your entire day at some point.
Habit no. 2
make sure you have a nighttime routine as well
This is something that I definitely worked out way later than my morning routine. In a way, I feel like it’s actually more difficult to stick to an evening/night routine. And I actually see fewer posts and hear less talking about it as well. However, I really think that your night routine helps you set the tone for the upcoming morning.
I have noticed that the most difficult part of the morning routine is to actually wake up and START it. With the night routine, it’s difficult to stick to a certain structure because usually, we go to sleep later than planned. We are glued to our phones or laptops because it’s easy and it’s a habit in its own way. Our valuable time gets scrolled away because we didn’t have time for it during the day. We keep messaging people as if we can’t just tell them ‘goodnight’ earlier in the evening. We keep watching episode after episode of our new favourite TV show. I know, we’ve all been there. And there’s nothing wrong with occasionally falling asleep to a movie (especially if you’re cozy with your partner). However, make sure that 9 times out of 10 you actually have a routine that you follow.
some tips!
An evening/night routine can be as short or as long as you make it to be. My night routine is definitely easier in steps than the morning one. The most important thing that I do is that I put down my phone AT LEAST 30 minutes before bed. Usually, I try to make it 1 hour.
If there’s any mess in my room, I make sure to put things back in their dedicated spaces so I can wake up to a tidy room. I put on some meditative music, do my skincare, turn on my diffuser and grab a book and then do some scripting/journaling. That’s it. I always read at least 1 chapter unless I’m super sleepy. If you don’t enjoy reading, try journaling. If you don’t enjoy that, maybe you enjoy drawing? Maybe some stretching? Whatever it may be, do it. Just make sure your phone or laptop are not participating, because I mean, blue light, hello? Try it, I promise you’ll see yourself being more productive the next day.
Habit no. 3
keep your space organized and don't delay
Now this one may seem a bit out there. You’re searching for advice on how to be more organised and productive, and I’m telling you to just be more organised haha. However, this is going to make more sense in just a moment. One of the key things that changed within my lifestyle is the fact that I do not delay putting things back in the right place anymore. Every time I make a mess while getting ready, I clean up that mess on the same day if not right away. That may seem scary to us disorganised people but once you make it a habit to just KEEP your space clean and tidy, you will instantly see how your mental state and productivity change. In essence, your surroundings inspire your inner world and vice versa.
how can you get inspired to do that?
What worked for me, might not work for you, however, I am more than sure that my experience will serve you as guidance for getting inspired. I used to dread cleaning up and tidying up but now it’s almost effortless. Mainly because I keep things clean on a day-to-day basis and just have a slightly bigger clean-up once a week. I UNDERSTAND that some people may have big houses, kids and a lot of things going on. You don’t have to keep your entire house perfect all the time, that’s just not realistic. What is important is your workspace and your bedroom.
What inspired me to keep my space organised and therefore, be more productive was making my bedroom cozy and getting some awesome cleaning products. I live in accommodation which is provided by the company and I know that in the next few years I will fly back home. For this reason, I didn’t want to buy a bunch of things that I will not be able to take home. Still, I wanted to make sure that I actually enjoy being in my room and find it relaxing.
I finally made a vision board, bought the cheapest table from IKEA which now serves as a place for my books and my only plant. I use my ring light as a lamp in the evenings because it has a beautiful night mode. Everything I now have in my room makes me want to take care of it. Most importantly, I didn’t have to spend a lot of money to do that.
As for the cleaning, I got plant-based, ammonia-free cleaning products which I am always excited to use. The bottles come from recycled plastic and the liquid is colourless. Finally, they never cause any irritation. I know that this may not sound exciting for everyone, but if you’re interested in clean living, getting products that you actually enjoy using might be fun.
After you start embellishing your space and taking care of it at the same time, you will get into a continuous loop which will form a habit. You will want to keep your space tidy because you invested your love into it. Similarly, you will want to keep investing your love into it because you keep it clean and respect your space.
what happened when I got these 3 habits established?
Honestly, I didn’t start doing all of these things to be more productive. I started working on these 3 habits because I wanted to be healthier and feel happier. Surprisingly, the productiveness that came afterwards was a positive side effect and I 100% know that these 3 habits had a massive impact on that.
When I had my morning and nighttime routine established, plus kept my space organised and clean, I instantly noticed that my productivity levels went way up. I got way way way better at building a schedule and actually sticking to it. If I say I will work on my blog tomorrow, I will do it. If I have a workout scheduled, I will do it. Waking up early every day of the week? Sure, I got it.
I get motivated by my space, by the habits that form the beginning of my day and the end of my day. For me, that is the KEY to being more productive in my life.
important!
Just remember that you don’t have to be perfect. In fact, I highly encourage you to stop chasing the image you have in your head. You don’t have to be your most productive self every day of the month. There will be days when you will be sad, hormonal, angry, or just lazy. And that’s okay. Enjoy those days as well, listen to your mind and body. Be happy in your mess, just don’t forget to come back and pick up that mess tomorrow.
Namaste. I am proud of you.
