Declutter Your Space to Free Your Mind

Having books everywhere, piles of clothes and random items everywhere isn’t just distracting- it can actually make it hard to focus. If you want to free your mind, you need to declutter your space. This way, you’ll be able to pay attention and retain more of what you’re learning.

Even if you think you thrive in a messy environment, I encourage you to see how you feel after organizing or tidying up your space. Your brain will thank you!

What clutter does to your brain

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You might have the voice of a parent or grandparent in your head telling you to clean up, but it turns out it’s not just them; research from Princeton, The Journal of Neuroscience and more credible sources talk about the issues with having too much clutter.

Your brain perceives clutter as multiple stimuli that are competing for your attention. Therefore, someone who has lots of stuff around actually makes their brain work harder when completing a task because it doesn’t know what to focus on. You might not feel it, but it affects how your brain processes the world around you.

Declutter to learn better

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Too much clutter can put a lot of stress on your brain. If your brain is stressed, you aren’t able to focus as efficiently or effectively. Therefore, by decluttering, you’re actually freeing your mind to be able to focus on what it needs to.

This way, studying and learning is much more relaxing and rewarding. In addition, this research shows that clutter can actually also be demoralizing and depressing to your brain. By clearing your space, you’ll feel calmer and more prepared.

Where to start

If you’re messy by nature, it might be hard or overwhelming to know where to begin! First, it’s recommended to have a place for all of your things. If you don’t know where something goes, you’re not going to be able to put it away! Storage solutions can be as inexpensive or luxurious as your budget allows, so don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune if you don’t want to.

Also, try and keep as little on your desk or workspace as possible. A clear desk will better help you focus, so try not to decorate your desk with too many items. A few decorative items and some useful utensils are always a good idea, but you shouldn’t have all of your possessions where you’re trying to focus.

Finally, try and dust your area when you can. If you start making organizing a habit, it will be much easier to continue. You’ll be shocked at how much better you can focus on Spanish in a tidy area!