The positive affect of a well-organised workspace on learning outcomes

The environment you study in can have a tremendous effect on your productivity and learning. When you study in a clean, organised workspace, this can influence everything from your mood to your motivation to your well-being. For many years, researchers have been studying the many benefits of a well-organised work space. This applies not only to people working, but also to students trying to tackle an assignment, or writing for an exam. In this article, educational writer Connie Elser explores the benefits of having a well-organised workspace in more detail.

1. Improved time management

When you have a messy, cluttered workspace, it is hard to find what you need. This will cause you to unnecessarily spend time trying to find something, time that you could spend on learning.

If you want to boost your time management when you are learning, this is where you begin. A tidy learning space will help you save time, and you can complete your tasks more easily and with fewer errors. Here are some ways to declutter your learning space to improve time management.

• Organize your surroundings
If your learning space is well-organised, you can easily find the study materials, your schedule, the books you need, and so on.

• Install some planning tools
In addition to keeping the space neat and organised, you should consider tools like calendars, planners, and tasks lists. You should integrate these into your workspace in a way that you can always see them. For instance, put them up on the wall or get a chalk board in front of you where you’ll mark your tasks.

Keep in mind that a messy desk isn’t the sole reason for falling behind on deadlines. Sometimes, you’re faced with impossibly tight deadlines while already juggling a heavy workload. Or perhaps you’re just not at your best — after all, constant focus on academics is unrealistic.

In these instances, turning to a professional writer from Edubirdie to “write my paper for me” can really help. This way, you can ensure that you meet all your deadlines and still have time left to study for tests, relax, or indulge in some much-needed fun.

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2. Increased productivity
A clean, well-organised workplace often leads to more productivity. People who aren’t surrounded by mess, can find their papers and books easily, and have the ideal lighting and tools around them are more likely to be productive and focused on their work.

3. Improved wellbeing
Studies have also shown that your surrounding can affect your mental health and wellbeing. There is a link between physical clutter and stress – and even depression. People who live in highly cluttered homes are at a higher risk of depression compared to those who live in a clean, organised environment.

When you need to focus on a task like studying, this is even more important. Clutter can cause you to lose focus, make you distracted, and simply annoy you.

4. Boost in concentration
Do you feel like you aren’t focused on your learning when you sit down to study? One of the reasons for this can be the cluttered environment. One of the main benefits of a well-organised workspace is that it boosts the person’s focus on their work. Some studies have even found that this improves your memory – so it’s a win-win, basically.

5. Reduced stress levels
When the place where you study is tidy and clean, this can do wonders for your stress levels. Imagine studying in a cluttered space. You will constantly think of the things you need to do while you are studying, giving you an overwhelming feeling and increasing your stress levels.

On the other side, a neat workspace will make you feel more in control. Everything is in place, so you can focus on what you have in front of you – your tasks and learning materials.

6. Cleanliness
Did you know that the average office desk contains 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat? Surely, most of it is harmless, but too much dirt and dust is seriously bad for your health and wellbeing. A messy, dirty workspace can cause illnesses like strep throat, E.coli, and more.

If you want to avoid bacteria accumulating in the place where you spend hours almost every day, you need to keep it clean. Remove the clutter so that it doesn’t physically affect you by exacerbating respiratory problems or triggering allergies, for instance.

The bottom line
An organised, tidy workspace can offer a student many different benefits – these are just a few of them. So, it only makes sense that you need to make some changes to your learning environment. This will keep you healthier, more productive, less stressed, and more focused.

About the author
Connie Elser is a writer creating educational materials for students. She also freelances as a tutor, providing students with guides to help them understand the most complex subjects.