According to 2016 research, it was found that clutter and messiness had a negative influence on the personal well-being of respondents. From this, it can be concluded that the disorganization in the environment negatively impacts the mind or hinders the organization of the mind. Hence, it is crucial to find ways for organizing it. 

The benefits of an organized mind include increased relaxation, upgraded productivity, improved direction of life, enhanced physical, mental and emotional well-being. A disorganized mind on the other hand creates a lot of obstacles for any individual. Its cons include poor sleep quality, irrational fears, poor decision making, low confidence, and lower life satisfaction. 

Build a Habit of Meditation

It often happens that worries from the past and unknown fears of the future keep disturbing one’s mind. Meditation is about being in the present moment by training one’s focus and concentration. During a meditation session, an individual can be asked to focus on their breath or any outside object to maintain their focus. Some forms of meditation also include physical movements for this purpose e.g. yoga and qigong.  

“If we chew every morsel of our food mindfully, we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy and that is meditation.” -  Thich Nhat Hanh

Set priorities

Setting priorities is important to avoid chaos and confusion on a regular basis. It can be done by using to-do lists and productivity tools like the Eisenhower matrix. The matrix is about setting priorities based on four criteria- urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. Based on this, one can form four quadrants. The first quadrant has urgent and important tasks which should be done quickly. The second quadrant has ‘not urgent’ but important tasks which should be scheduled. Furthermore, the third quadrant has urgent but unimportant duties that can be delegated to someone else whereas the fourth quadrant consists of the workload that is both unimportant and not urgent so it can be set as a task for later. 

Use SMART goals

Using a SMART goal strategy means creating goals that are realistic and practical. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-specific goals. It is a kind of approach that is long-term and sustainable. It encourages the user to start small and then gradually build up the pace for moving forward consistently. For example, somebody wants to start their business so their SMART plan would be:

Specific (S): They want to sell homemade ice cream.

Measurable (M): They can prepare one-liter ice cream in a day that gives 6-liter ice cream per week (one day is taken off).

Attainable (A): They will promote themselves through social media platforms and with the help of family and friends. After six months, they will use paid promotions and use the help of marketing professionals for more growth. 

Relevant (R): The business will help them become financially strong and stable. 

Time-specific (T): If everything goes according to the plan, they will have 24 liters of ice cream to sell in a month. 

Organize the Environment

A disorganized surrounding points to a disorganized mind. So, it is important to take care of the environment as well. For example, if someone’s bedroom is disorganized and there are scattered clothes, books, shoes, paper, and other things, an individual should organize it first. Then they should move onto other spaces like the kitchen, dining room, and store. Similarly, the skill of organization should be applied in the workplace, or else it sends negative messages to the co-workers and reduces productivity overall. 

Lack of organization has negative consequences for instance:

• Increased weight
• Reduced decision-making ability
• Decreased productivity
• Lowered quality of relationships
• Increased level of stress in life

According to 2013 research, the association between accuracy and the personality trait of conscientiousness was studied in people. Conscientiousness is one’s ability to work hard, be punctual and diligent, and be responsible. The participants were observed in two kinds of environments - tidy and messy. It was found out that those respondents with high conscientiousness traits made more mistakes in the messy environment as compared to those participants with low conscientiousness.  Hence, organizational skill is imperative for higher productivity.

Practice Self-Care

Practicing self-care is important to have an organized mind. It can be done on different levels such as emotional regulation and thought management. Emotional regulation is important to deal with stress, anger, and fears within. It is clear that stress reduces focus and impairs the ability to be productive. Moreover, thought management is required to deal with one’s negative thinking (biases), and reduce overthinking. Hence, daily self-care is crucial to maintaining a healthy and organized mind.

Mental and emotional care is not enough so physical care is also crucial that includes taking care of the body by eating healthy meals, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, and bathing. It is well known that our bodies and minds have a strong connection with each other and neglecting any of them can result in a decline in health. Hence, regular self-care is critical to organizing the mind.

Final Remarks

In a nutshell, there are several benefits to having an organized mind such as better sleep, more productivity, less stress, better relationships, and improved decision-making ability. The techniques and strategies shared in this article are not the only ones but they are some of the best ways recommended by experts. Organizing the mind is about personal development and it takes effort. It can be a frustrating task for amateurs but with time everything becomes easier. Hence, one should not give up early. 

Read more: How To Meditate With Anxiety And Crucial Life Challenges?