Ready. Set. Go!

Too many times we neglect to do VERY SIMPLE things that can make our lives SO MUCH EASIER. When chaos abounds, I always say, "back to basics."

One of the most basic things a student can do to help with organization is to neatly pack up their backpack or bag the night before. It's too easy to forget an essential item during the morning rush.

If you really want to be an organizational pro, take it one step further... create a designated spot for your backpack to sit in or hang on each night after packing it up. Not only will it be packed with everything you need, you will know where to locate it each and every day. This wire basket (see pic below) is near the front door making it easy for the student to grab on the way out of the door.  You may also consider writing a packing list and having that handy each night if you frequently forget to pack certain items.

Make your mornings easy by packing up the night before!

Feeling Out of Control? Try Structured Journaling!

Often times when we feel stressed and overwhelmed all sorts of thoughts swirl around in our head. Instead of feeling like your mind is all over the place, take charge and get your thoughts down into ONE place. To avoid an unorganized journal ramble that may make you feel even more stressed, consider structured journaling.

Structured journaling is identifying your thoughts in an organized way. Each day, or night, you will use the same template to record how the day went. You can design your own template to suit your needs or you can use the one seen in this picture. Simply download by clicking here.

Another benefit of structured journaling using the same template, is that you can see change over time and/or identify patterns (for example, Do you rate every Monday lower than the rest of the days in the week? If so, why could that be?)

If the thoughts in your head feel all mumbled, try structured journaling!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Hung UP on Clothes!

Picking an outfit for the day seems like no big deal until it's early in the morning and you discover your best jeans are way too dirty, you can't find your favorite sweater, and everything else is crumpled in a ball in the hamper.  Now you're in a rush and crabby!

Make your life SO much easier by taking time to pick your outfit out the night before. And not just in your head. Actually, place the outfit (everything...from underwear and socks to pants and top) on your dresser OR, even better...hang it from a hook dedicated only to your next day's outfit!  That's right, screw in a hook that is used solely for the purpose of hanging tomorrow's outfit!

Getting dressed in the morning will be SO easy!

TO DO List Idea #1

Making a TO DO list is helpful in the following ways:

• helps you process what you need to do
• allows you to keep track of what you need to do
• offers you the opportunity to prioritize what you need to do

There are so many ways to create TO DO lists. This POST-IT note to do list allows you to move the post-it notes around as priorities change. The BEST part is that as each task is completed, you can remove, crumple up and throw away the post-it note!