5 Steps to Declutter the Clutter

 

Ever open the closet, drawer, or even open the door to a room and just think one word? Junk. We all have been in that spot at one point or another, and most of the time you don't even know how it got that bad! Having a space become disorganized isn't an event that just happens overnight. No no, this is the result of a long period of pushing, shoving, and hiding objects. We can all admit that we have fallen for the "out of site, out of mind" at one time or another. Oh well, admittance is the first sign of recovery right? I've found some tricks that help me when I clean or organize a space. Dedicating 5-10 minutes doing the below steps will not only make your home cleaner, but will cut down the deep cleaning time dramatically!

-Pick a spot! It could be room, closet, or even a corner but pick a spot and don't finish until it is completely clean and organized. I like to start in the kitchen and then work my way towards the bedroom.

- Ask the question "does this make me happy?" If it does, then find it's home. If it doesn't? Well then off to the trash, donation, or recycling it goes. After some time asking me the magical question, I developed a list of things that will never make me happy. Once I see one of these unhappy things I grab and toss!

10 cluttering items that don't create happiness:

1. Old receipts

2. Stretched out hair elastics

3. Socks with holes

4. Earring without a match

5. Empty shampoo/conditioner bottles

6. Dried up nail  polish
7. Stained Clothing
8. Un-needed cords or chargers
9.  Boxes
10.  Expired Food 

-Claim a home! I hear many questions about how to make cleaning a faster job. I can only have one main answer and that is to establish a home for every item in your house (first ask yourself the magical question above before making a home for that object). If you know exactly where it goes, then no time will be wasted finding a spot for it.

-Get Rid of the Dirt! Everything may have a home, but what is clean and organized if there is dust and dirt everywhere?!? When you do clean your space remember to wipe off any dust and vacuum so that it is truly clean.

-Keep It Going!!!-Remember that if you do small pickups throughout the week it will help your home not become too cluttered and such a big project once a week. Three weeks make a habit, try to dedicate a portion of your day to do a three minute run through of each room in your house. It won't take much time and everything will look a lot better!

I Need These Things From My Partner

                            

Sometime's people can understandably just be selfish, sassy, moody people. I can easily fit all of those three descriptions in an hour if I ever felt ever inclined. Well when thinking about who I will be in a long term relationship with, it gets me to think, "I need some things out of this person." I am not saying that I need to have material things or to be taken out all of the time (even though every girl loves to be pampered!). I am saying that depending on the person, they need certain help just to get through life! I realize that I can't always have what I want, but could you give these to me? My Partner, just these for me?

I need to be Touched

Sometimes all someone needs is a hug. I want someone to literally hold me together when I can't. Nothing can feel better than letting someone know that you are there for them, and the easiest way to do that is with a hug.

I need my pace

I believe that being with each other is very important, but being able to be alone is just as important. Just having time to myself helps me be able to recheck myself and organize my thoughts. Girls like to be alone where they can pain their toes and watch cheesy reality TV shows. Having your alone time will help me clear my mind every once in a while, and my partner needs to know that I do need it.

I need him to have an opinion

Men...let's just face it, women love to talk. Well I need you to talk back! I want to hear how you feel and be able to go on with my conversation. I want you to not just agree with me if you don't, but understand where I coming from and keep an open mind. Even if we end up getting into a passionate debate, it's better than just staring the wall.

I need you to push forward

I love progress. I have always set goals and work achieve them. I want a partner that also works to achieve their goals too. It doesn't even matter how you want to progress in your life, but just don't give up. This will push both of us into a better future.

I need you to know I screw up...a lot!

I will pick fights, say the wrong things, have my breakdowns, and mostly I will be completely...human. I know I have OCD and don't know how to handle some situations, but I promise I will always work on them to be better. I need a partner who will be able to tell me, "it's OK" every time I screw up. I need someone who will support my decisions and be there when those decisions don't turn out as planned.

5 Tips for Test Anxiety

I suffer quite a bit from test anxiety and was asked a few times about how I would deal with it. My fear of failure has made my test anxiety so bad that I have become very sick to my stomach. Most of the time I will end up not doing as well on a test that I should be doing and it makes me very disappointed in myself. Test anxiety is a problem that many people have to work to overcome and if not fixed can cause long term stress and even health issues. On my other blog I have made a post about how I work to overcome my anxiety or specifically test anxiety. The original blog post can be seen here, or just look down below!

Although being a little nervous during a test is normal, when a person has a certain fear of failure that nervousness can escalate to test anxiety. I suffer quite often from different types of test anxiety. I will quite often know the material very well but during the test find myself going blank, perspiring, or starting to breath unevenly and heavily. Test anxiety is an overwhelming fearful, stressed emotion towards and exam or quiz. Test anxiety can have many causes such as loss of sleep, lack of preparation, lack of organization etc. However sometimes test anxiety's cause cannot be explained. How can test anxiety be conquered? I learned that it is all a mind game, if I can switch certain thoughts then I can improve my overall feelings and performance.

5 Tips for Test Anxiety:

Give Yourself Time
I find that if I start my studying at least a week before the test I will overall have a better score and piece of mind. Giving yourself enough time before an exam can help with organization, understanding, and planning. Plan out what you are going to study, where you are going to study, and who you are going to study with. Also give yourself a day that is during the professor's office hours to go in and ask questions or grab a better concept of certain areas that are troublesome.

Get Into A Study Group
I never really realized the benefits of a study group until I entered my first Micreconomics class. The intro to the material was very difficult for me to understand, but found that if I was in a study group with others I would walk away with a much higher understanding. Study groups have two main benefits in my opinion: First would be having someone that understands the concept better than yourself; so they can explain it to you. Second is that if someone doesn't understand a concept you can explain it better them and resulting with you both gaining understanding of the material.

Make A List
Many times anxiety has a strong correlation with feeling overwhelmed. Making a list or schedule with times to study and also all the other events that are going during that period can help one feel more in control of what is taking place. Having a list will make you not feel so "scatter-brained" and be able to focus better.

Get Plenty Of Sleep
In college sleep is sometimes hard to come by however, during a exam period it is very important to get a full night's rest. When I lose sleep I find that I lose my patience and focus on concepts and will give up right when I find it getting more challenging. Recharging will help the brain be able to fucus and retain new knowledge better.

It's Only One Test
When it comes down to it, remember that it is only one test. When the test is turned in, you can just put it behind and move forward. Know that you prepared as much as you could have prepared and take a learning experience from it. Future employers will never ask what your score was on your intro to philosophy midterm.

Please tell me what your anxieties are and how you work to overcome them!