How to Stay Organized and Motivated

By: Meredith Welborn

For most people, it is about that time of year when new year’s resolutions start to dwindle and the novelty of a fresh start wears off. You start to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, a little lazy, or just generally down. Here are 5 tips to get out of the rut you’ve most likely fallen into:

1. Make your bed when you wake up.

SMU LOOK motivation
Photo credit: Houz Buzz

I know there are mornings when this is just not going to happen. When you can, making your bed can truly make you feel more motivated and put together. Accomplishing small tasks like this make you feel like the big ones won’t be as difficult to achieve. Also, what’s better than coming home at the end of the day to a perfectly made bed?

2. Drink A TON of water not caffeine.

SMU LOOK Motivation
Photo credit: Healthline

Drinking a lot of water can help clear up your skin, relieve headaches, and make you feel more awake. Caffeine can actually make you more stressed out. According to an article written by wellness coach Elizabeth Scott, drinking too much caffeine can both increase the hormone “cortisol,” that makes you feel stressed and decrease the hormone “adenosine,” which calms the body. Stress makes you overwhelmed — not motivated.

3. Make a to-do list for the day.

SMU Look Motivation
Photo credit: Hubspot

When you’re busy and feeling overwhelmed, it is best to write down all of the tasks you have to accomplish. This way, you don’t have to keep all of this information stored in your brain and can focus completely on each to-do when you need to do it. A to-do list will also make sure you are organized for the day.

4. Work out if you have the time — even just 30 minutes.

SMU LOOK Motivation
Photo credit: Fitness Magazine

It is a general rule of thumb to get your heart rate up for about 30 minutes a day. Working out also does not mean you need to go to the gym. You can get your 30 minutes in by doing jumping jacks and burpees in your dorm room. However, we are lucky because of how many different ways you can work out here in Dallas. Whether you walk the Katy Trail, take a class at SoulCycle, or hit Dedman, getting a workout in will make you feel accomplished and even more motivated.

5. Journal when you wake up or before you go to sleep.

SMU Look Motivation
Photo credit: Karma Bliss

Similar to putting together a to-do list, when you feel overwhelmed, having a physical place to put your thoughts can be very cathartic. Journaling can help reduce stress because once you write down how you’re feeling, you can theoretically put your thoughts away. Once your worries are off your mind, you have more time and energy to put into what you actually need to accomplish.

You May Also Like