A Better Option for Your Studying. A Messy Desk or a Minimalist Desk? You may not be entirely thrilled about an idea of cleaning your messy desk. But what if it`s going to help you get better at studying?
Einstein was known to be the messiest hoarder ever. His students and journalists who were interviewing the super genius were always wondering how he could even find any file, document or lab report. Albert Einstein himself was reluctant to discuss the matter claiming that it was the only way he could work. This man is still holding the record of having the highest IQ among the human beings and, needless to say, this is quite impressive. But does it have anything to do with his desk?
Even if this factor may have any impact, it`s most likely to be a minor one. However, it still exists and psychologists claim that a clean or a messy desk may actually influence your creativity, logic, and overall academic performance. There are those situations (which are familiar to absolutely every student) when you don`t feel like doing homework at all, no matter whether your desk is neatly organized or it looks like after a little tornado.
It seems like a cleaning session isn`t going to work when your good mood is currently in the dumpster. No, we`re not talking about the cleaning, but about your home assignment.
A Messy Artist VS a Neat Scientist
There is this pattern that psychologists have noticed. People with extraordinary skills or talent in a certain sphere tend to have peculiarities. To put it simple, most of them are massive weirdos. When you`re such a gifted person, it can be hard to put up with all the social prejudices, norms, and stereotypes. Remember the trick that Van Goth pulled off when he cut off a piece of his ear (no, it wasn`t the whole ear, but just a lobe) and sent it to a prostitute? There are many examples of people who have astonishing artistic inclinations and don`t seem to be thrilled about the order of any kind.
They are way too free-spirited to follow all those rules. So, you`ll never see the order on the desks of those people. On the other hand, if we take a look at the scientists who are engaged in physics, mathematics or chemistry, you`ll see that their lab tables and desks are organized in a way that Monica Geller will cry her eyes out because of jealousy. Those scientists keep it all minimalistic not just because it`s demanded due to the specifics of their work (you can`t really put a laboratory flask with a radioactive material anywhere), but because their brain works this way.
Their brain is in love with order. What is more, it`s been proven by both psychological and neurological research that some people feel satisfaction because of neatly organized stuff, and their bodies release endorphin, which is a happy hormone. Now, what does all of this scientific jibber-jabber have to do with your student desk? Hold on, we`re getting there.
People Are Judgmental Creatures
This is not flash news. Unfortunately, because of people`s perception of order, they are going to disapprove of your messy choices. Social consciousness is generally against any kind of mess (whether it`s minor or global). A disorder is often seen as the first sign of anarchy and chaos. That`s just the basics of human psychology we`re discussing here. Would you judge a person who is wearing a stained jacket? Will you disapprove of someone`s lifestyle if they only clean their house once a month? Even if you consider yourself to be an open-minded person, you still can`t say that hygiene and cleanliness aren`t important, right?
Now, let`s take a look at statistics data which will show us how people perceive the fact if someone has a messy desk. 59% of interviewees said that it`s okay to have a messy desk and there is no judgment here. 32% admitted that they disapprove of this. Why? Because based on your desk, people who surround you question your organizational skills and effectiveness. Only 9% agreed that having a messy desk was perfectly fine. Only 9%, that`s not much! So, your professor will subconsciously judge you after taking just one glance at your desk. No matter how smart or skillful you`re, this can become a certain kind of obstacle on your way to good grades.
Logic Isn`t a Big Fan of Mess
A minimalistic desk will be the most suitable for those who are studying sciences. When you`re conducting research, calculating the results or trying to solve an equation, your brain works using all its intellectual capacity because those activities do burn a lot of energy. That`s why it`s important to limit the access of any distractors that can be spotted within your sight. Whether it`s sound, light, a pile of papers mixed with candy wrappers and apple cores, all those may work as major distractors and make you deconcentrated. This is not something that you would wish for when you need to be fully focused on a scientific task.
So, in case you`ve been wondering, we`ll give you a definite answer. Yes, a messy desk generally works as a subtle indicator of creativity. It`s mostly applicable to people who are engaged in artistic professions like painting or writing. Those who often use logic as their main brain tool will work or study in a much more productive way if they keep it all minimalist and neatly organized.
