why am i so disorganised and messy?

Question

hi, im 16 years old doing my As levels. i have always been a bit messy and disorganised but lately its got to the extreme. all my folders are a complete mess, im behind in my schoolwork, i cant concentrate, im always tired and get distracted far 2 easily. im trying to organise myself but somehow i cant!! everyone else in my year seems to be doing fine while my grades are going downhill! whats wrong with me!!??!

(oh and no i dont smoke weed or do drugs, i like getting drunk on the weekends tho! but thats only one day a week or one day a fortnight!)

Answer 1

Some people just ARE messy and disorganised, and always will be.
As a teenager, you may be surprised to know that the changes occuring to you are not done just when you finish with puberty, it takes a long time to get all the organised, finalised emotional and cognitive things hard wired and in synch, so, you MAY grow out of it, as things settle down for you.
That said I'm 31 and totally messy and disorganised, it's just part of being me!

Answer 2

Think like a surgeon. Your folders are your tools / instruments. They need to be neatly laid out so you can put your hand the right one straight away with no messing or loss of time.

When you HATE the mess enough, & are so tired of it... you'll change.

(Getting drunk, even only at the week-end rings warning bells in my head. That could indicate a binge drinking habit. I know boozing is fashionable but if I were you I would kick that habit before you lose control altogether. That stuff causes bad personality changes- you need to find who YOU are, & work on IMPROVING your life, so you are happy. That stuff will only blur everything so you get confused & lose your way. If you want to RELAX, have a SMALL tipple, then say "no, thank you" to any more! Stick to orange juice- that is good for you.

Answer 3

mmm, i have a daughter like this... he schoolwork is fine, in fact she excells... but her bedroom is a toxic no go area... and she always seems to have a guitar in her hands.. and pictures of snort cocaine...oops kurt cobaine, adorn her rather black bedroom...

all we can see is the 250watt amp rising out of the clutter.. oh her guitars hang on the wall..well out of the way... her keyboard is jammed into wherever it wont fall off, and for some reason she seems to think her washing gets collected and returned by the woman who does...

and to be honest, neither my wife, nor i were any different at that age... and we easily got distracted, by discovering the opposite sex, or teh playstation Xbox just another game scenario...

for me back in 73, it was heavy metal rock concerts and newcastle brown ale... oh and motorbikes... i left school with nothing, not even a CSE... now im fast apporaching 50.. (where does the time go) and i have A levels and a degree.... and i teach.

i have to say this, but i found getting my A levels in one year at age 34, a whole lot easier than when i was 16... my degree took a little longer.. 3 years longer... but i was 40... thankfully having academic qualifications back in 73 wasnt a prerequisite to get a job... you just had to turn up... finish of friday and get a start on monday... unless you were all out on strike...

and thankfulll i followed my dads advice... get a bloody job! and i began making sparks... im a welder, then i stuck two bits of metal together at a bench all day... nowadays i build huge structures...and i need my maths, and my english, and my physics... my kids think im a mathematical genius, just because i can add subtract divide and multiply in my head... yet my father couldnt read and write, and he worked on the prototypes of the concorde and the sea harrier... and he could turn, by hand to 4 tenths of a thousands of an inch... now my dads gone, they have to use computers...

i think the point im trying to make is, dont worry too much, just be aware of whats going on... academia whilst desirable isnt a requirement... job satisfaction arrives in many guises... all jessica wants to be is a rock star... bless her... which is why she does bussiness studies alongside her music...

Answer 4

Well, micky 45 may have said it best, but as a mental health practitioner with 20+ years experience, I have to be concerned about any possible marijuana or other drug or alcohol abuse. Don't take offense at that. It's just a professional concern that I have had to have during my professional life, and if I failed to address that, then I could be sued, and I'm not in the mood for that. But then, back to the beginning of my answer, micky 45 answered with a MOST RELIABLE answer, and my 22 year old son and 21 year old daughter are living proof of it. I cannot believe how messy my two children were in their teen years, and, as my son was in the Army over the past 4 and some-odd years, I cannot believe he was not courtmartialed for the unbelievably messy "apartment" they gave him to live in. And he definitely does NOT use drugs. I pray somebody in the Army is more organized than my son because if they aren't, we'd be in jeopardy of losing the war in Iraq, which we are definitely winning now. Maybe with age comes organization, . . . , maybe. I can tell you that now, as a parent, I like to think I'm much neater, but, I truly have to admit it's my wife who "keeps me in line". If the condition of my desk at present is any representation of how I would keep my house if I were single, well, thank God, literally, that I'm married. You do need to know, however, that messiness breeds bad school performance, so, just remember that your school performance, while still a normal measure for being 16, can be a consequence of a messy room and desk. Staying "neat and organized" isn't one of those things we wake up out of bed in the morning just dying to do. We have to train ourselves to do it. You will, one day, when you're old enough to be sick and tired of what you do now, but get organized soon so your school work won't suffer irreparably. As I once saw in a sign: "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." And once your school years are over, they're over, and you won't get a second chance. God Bless you.

Answer 5

i might want to describe myself as imaginitive; I act, I draw and that i write yet, i'm truthfully organised and by no potential in any respect messy. I even might want to be organised or i might want to by no potential end any of my imaginitive products, even if that be attending to entice close lines for my next play, making waiting a plot or growing to be communicate, or drawing sketches. i don't think of being imaginitive is a criteria for being disorganised and messy. you won't be able to generalise.

Answer 6

i read somewhere that being untidy is actually a sign of good mental health, in that you're developing your own system of organisation that suits your individual brain, rather than trying to fit yourself around some externally imposed system of order.

Having said that, you sound unhappy with how it is for you. Sounds like you could be suffering from stress and anxiety about your exams? Do you have anyone at school to talk to about your concerns? Are your family supportive of you?

Good luck.

Answer 7

Exam stress
It is important for anyone studying for exams to try and stay as relaxed as possible and to keep their stress level to a minimum. Nobody can be perfect and all anyone can do is to do their best.
You will find it will help to prepare a revision time-table and set out what topics, subjects you want to cover each day.
The best way to study is usually in short periods and build into your timetable periods of relaxation, periods to eat, and time to enjoy yourself.
Make revising easier by highlighting the most important areas which you need to study and make notes of anything you don't understand or are unsure about and discuss this with a teacher or friend. It may also be helpful every so often to meet with another student and both discuss the subject and test each other. You can also give each other moral support.
Make sure you get a period of exercise each day, - aerobics, walking, cycling, swimming, dancing - anything to get rid of the stress in your body.
Make sure you get fresh air each day - even a ten minute walk in the park, round the block or spending time in the garden will help.
Some people find it motivates them to study if they set aside some study time a few hours before a favourite programme they want to watch - it helps knowing that after your study you have something you are going to enjoy.
In your relaxation time - don't even think about work and exams - go out with friends and enjoy yourself, listen to music, do whatever you enjoy and whatever helps you to feel relaxed. That way you will feel more motivated to continue revising after your relaxation time.
It is important to eat healthily - little and often. Make sure that you always eat breakfast otherwise you will feel listless and lack energy throughout the day and will not be in the right frame of mind to study. The better shape you are in physically the more alert you will feel and less stressed.
If you do find it difficult to concentrate it would be better to have a break for a while and then go back to it later.
Never go to sleep straight after revising - you need to have some relaxation before the end of the day. Maybe have a relaxing bath before going to bed and try to get to sleep at a reasonable time so you are not feeling tired the next day.
If you establish a routine you will find it easier to revise for exams and it is far better to do some study each day than leave everything until the last minute which will only make you feel more stressed and anxious.
Before the day of the exams check you have everything you need - pencils, pens, rulers, etc.
On the day of your exams get up early so you can take things at your own pace - don't rush and get panicky about being late.
Read through the whole exam paper before starting the exam as that will give you an idea of how much time you will need for each question.
If you can't answer a question - don't panic - go onto the questions you feel more confident about and go back to the more difficult ones afterwards - you may find when you go back to the question that it is easier to answer.
If you find yourself getting stressed and panicky, take some deep breadths and slow your breathing down and this will help you to calm down.
After the exams don't give yourself a hard time about the questions you feel you didn't do okay on - give yourself a pat on the back for getting through the exam and for all the questions you feel you did do alright on. Then relax - go out and enjoy yourself.
Remember at the end of the day you can only do your best. Nobody can ask for more than that!
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Agencies which can offer support and information
SupportLine Telephone Helpline: 020 8554 9004, email [e-mail]

Childline: 0800 1111, www.childline.org.uk

Useful websites
www.channel4.com/health - includes information on exam stress

www.examaids.com - practical exam help for 10-13 year olds

www.There4me.com - website for 12-16 year olds - confidential online advice

www.worriedneed2talk.org.uk - website for young people

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Answer 8

There to much on your mind. I'm around your age to, but just take 10min. out of the day to organise yourself, and stay after school to talk to your teachers, but as soon as you get home do all the homework you can until dinner time. During dinner time take a short 30 min. break, then get to work. It might be stressful to get caught up, but it will be worth it later. But if your taking ap. or hon. classes talk to your Counsellor to see if you can change your schedule. And remember DO NOT study with your friends. It will not help you get caught up!lol

Answer 9

hi young man you are allowed to be messy,maybe you should set a day aside for cleaning,have you seen a doctor? it sounds like something is bothering you Lot.please free to talk about it to anyone who will listen.i am a mother and i always take the time to listen to my kids.are you having a problem with drinking?do you have a mom who loves you? were you abused as a child?im here if you ever need an ear..take each day as it comes,everyone is messy at one time or another,be easy on yourself....

Answer 10

How do you know that every one else is doing fine? Sounds like you need a break to clear your head, sometimes if you take yourself away from a situation, just for a little while, you see things in a different light. Stop PANICKING.