This past summer, my grandma and I finally took on the project we’ve been talking about for years: painting my room. I had never done any project like this before, and I thought it was going to take at most a week to clear out my room, prep and paint the walls, and put everything back together how it was previously. But now, three months later, there are still paint cans and unhung posters, and my shelves have yet to be put back up again and are lying around. The paint is done and dry, but the evidence of the project is still all around my room.
I have always been a procrastinator. I have never truly been on top of all my work, regardless of whether it’s school, work, or personal projects. However, these five tricks allowed me to get my room back in order extremely quickly.
Honorable mention: Putting all devices in a separate room
This tip is very common, so I feel like it doesn’t need a place on the list. However, it is still important to mention, because procrastinators like myself know and understand the feeling of temptation when your devices stay in your room while trying to be productive.
Playing music from a CD player
Even though it may be outdated, playing music specifically from a CD/record player helps me keep my phone out of my room. If a song I don’t like comes on, there is not a handful of notifications waiting for me to get distracted with on my phone because all I have to do is press the skip button on the player and move on. I also think it just makes the whole process of cleaning up more enjoyable. It allows you to explore new music; my dad has a tub full of old CDs that sometimes I will go pick out to listen to something new. However, this may not be an option for everyone.
Let natural light in
I have always hated the big light. I have numerous lamps scattered all around, as well as LED lights hung up on the top of my walls. Many times before, I have tried to clean my room in the darker hours, but I have always stood defeated; I think the reason is because of the lack of natural light. Natural light is a motivator for me because it illuminates the entire room. Additionally, sunlight exposure improves my mood through serotonin production and vitamin D, ultimately motivating me to finish the job.
Make a physical checklist, don’t move on
Until I started using this trick, I would get overwhelmed with how many things were going on at once. This would result in my giving up on finishing cleaning my room because I would think about everything I had to do all at once. I would start by picking up my floor, but then I would walk by my laundry basket and see I had clean clothes to put away. When I get to my closet to put the clothes away, I realize how messy my closet is, so I put the clothes down and start clearing out my closet. But, then I find something in my closet that goes in my side table, and then I walk past the floor where I started and give up. I started experimenting, and found that the best thing for me to do is to write a physical checklist on a piece of paper (the paper reinforces the “no devices” rule) and not move on to the next point until the one above is finished. Staying on one point at a time is crucial to keeping everything moving smoothly. It allows you to focus on one thing at a time, preventing any chance of feeling upset.
Talk
Whether it’s about my day, something that makes me upset, or singing along to the music playing from my CD player, there is always something coming out of my mouth when I’m cleaning. I often find myself having full conversations with myself, and, honestly, it’s very therapeutic. Sometimes I may even call a friend or have my sister just come and sit on my bed while I get some things done. When I am talking, the cleaning becomes a mindless activity and less of a task to complete.
Get comfortable
Every time I start cleaning, I need to have a full stomach and a cold La Croix with me in the room. I also need to be in comfortable clothes and have no deadline. If I am stressed out because I have to be somewhere in 45 minutes, there’s no way I am going to be able to check a sufficient number of things off my list. Comfort is one of the most important things to remember when it comes to cleaning that people tend to look over. If you are not relaxed, then there’s no way you’re going to be motivated to continue cleaning.
Implementing all of these tips into my daily routine has significantly improved my tendency to procrastinate tidying up. Because of this, the paint cans are out of my room, posters are back on my wall, and shelves are holding everything they previously did.
