Why Keeping Your Room Tidy at University is Good For You
Updated: Sep 29
University is a time of learning, growth and exploration. It is also an eye-opener, a bit stressful and suddenly filled with responsibilities. Like, not blowing your student budget in the first week on clubbing and fast food, and making it stretch to the end of the month. EACH MONTH!
Is keeping your room tidy a ruse or good for the soul?
As a student, you will have to juggle multiple tasks and roles, such as studying, working, socialising, and taking care of yourself. In this busy and demanding environment, with no parents to nag you, it can be easy to neglect your living space and let it become messy and cluttered. However, keeping your room tidy at university can have a positive impact on your wellbeing and performance. Hear me out! We will explain WHY you should keep your room tidy and how it can benefit you in a number of ways.
Practical tips to help you keep your room tidy
Keeping your room tidy can improve your mental health
Research has shown that living in a cluttered environment can increase stress, anxiety and depression – all key elements of mental health. This is because clutter can overwhelm your senses, distract your attention and interfere with your ability to relax and concentrate.
On the other hand, living in a tidy environment can reduce stress, improve mood and promote happiness, by creating a sense of order, calm and control.
Ever seen how zen Marie Kondo is when she talks? The queen of tidying and organization has proven, through her Konmari method, that by removing or managing clutter, we can directly reduce any stress stemming from mess. This, in turn, can help us feel happier, less anxious and more confident.
By keeping your room tidy at university, you can create a positive space where you can relax and recharge after a long day. This also helps create space for you to focus on your studies.
Keeping your room tidy can increase your productivity
A study undertaken by the University of Arizona found that employees who work in a clean and organized environment are up to 15% more productive than those who work in a cluttered and messy environment.
This is because clutter can impair cognitive functions such as memory, attention and decision-making and increase mental fatigue.
Conversely, tidiness can improve cognitive functions such as creativity, problem solving and planning. This is because tidiness can free up mental resources, facilitate clarity and stimulate inspiration.
By keeping your room tidy at university, you will optimize your brain power and efficiency for your academic tasks.
So, in a nutshell, better grades in return for picking up your dirty laundry and putting your shoes under the bed. It’s not much to ask really, is it?
Keeping your room tidy can improve your physical health
Evidence suggests that living in a cluttered environment can affect your physical health in a number of ways.
Clutter also increases the risk of injury by creating tripping or fire hazards. Yes, flinging your t-shirt across the room – missing the laundry basket and hanging over the radiator COULD cause a fire!
In addition, having a cluttered environment can be synonymous with a lazy lifestyle including being more likely to eat unhealthy food or poor eating habits.
In contrast, living in a tidy environment can protect physical health in a number of ways. For example, keeping your room tidy can help improve air quality and flow by reducing the amount of surfaces that will gather dust, dirt and germs. By keeping your room tidy at university, you can protect your health and well-being.
Simple and practical tips to help you keep your room tidy:
Now that you know WHY you should keep your room tidy at university, you may be need a bit of a boost on HOW to do it.
Make your bed every day: Have you seen the motivational speech by William H. McRaven where he emphasizes the fact that making your bed every morning is a good way to start building the habits and self-discipline you need to do well in anything.
Do your dishes: Dirty dishes can pile up quickly and create unpleasant odours and pretty disgusting for others, particularly when you are sharing a kitchen. Make it a rule to cook, eat, and wash up immediately. Leading by example should encourage others to do the same.
Use storage solutions: Use storage solutions such as under-bed storage containers, hanging shoe organizers, and storage boxes to keep your belongings organised and out of sight.
Take out the rubbish: Regularly removing the trash from your room and common areas will avoid unpleasant smells and clutter. Make sure you recycle!
Set aside time to clean: Cleaning your room each week is good for the soul. Do you know how many calories you can burn by vacuuming the floor, dusting the furniture and wiping down surfaces? No, me neither! But all that bending, scrubbing, and arm movements with a vacuum gets your body moving, produces endorphins and can reduce stress & improve your sleep.
By following these tips, you can keep your student room tidy and organised. You may also find that a clean room can improve your mood, concentration and creativity. So why not give it a try? You might be surprised at the difference it can make!
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