How I Organise My Brain (While Matching My Kleenex Box)

A foggy head, a failing voice, and a pile of pastel stationery — this is how I attempt to organise my brain when everything feels a bit wobbly. From colour-coded calendars to micro-rewards and one-task days, it’s a system that works (mostly), even when I don’t.

It does involve colour-coding!

I love being organised. I really do. But my brain? It doesn’t always cooperate.

Some days, I’m a human Trello board. Other days, I’m a tab gremlin who can’t remember why I opened the fridge.

This week, a cold didn’t help. You know the kind — foggy head, low energy, the overwhelming urge to wrap yourself in a duvet and reject all forms of structure. But even in the sneezy chaos, I tried to keep things moving.

So this post isn’t about how to be perfectly organised. It’s how I manage the mess in a way that (mostly) works — and still leaves room for coffee, curveballs, and the occasional existential wobble.

🧠 The Tools I Actually Use

Let’s get one thing clear: I’ve tried everything. Bullet journals, Notion setups, whiteboards, colour-coded apps with animations so calming they make you forget what day it is.

These are the ones that stuck:

🗓 Google Calendar + Time Blocking
I block out everything — work, admin, writing, naps, snack windows. If it’s not in the calendar, it doesn’t exist. And yes, I colour-code. It’s visual dopamine.

📝 Google Keep for quick thoughts
It’s messy. It’s ugly. But it’s fast, and that matters when I’m halfway through brushing my teeth and remember I need to order more duck meeples.

📓 A physical notebook
There’s something about writing things down that clears the chaos. I use one notebook at a time and allow it to be a hybrid of scribbles, plans, and mildly aggressive reminders to breathe.
It also allows for the occasional shopping frenzy for additional stationery — and sometimes the iPad, though easy, just doesn’t hit that purchase button high quite the same.

🔁 The Routine (Ish)

I do a brain dump most nights — everything buzzing around in my head. Then I:

Put key stuff into my calendar
Group tasks by type (creative, admin, life)
Set 1–3 priorities per day
Leave blank space — because no day goes as planned, and that’s just reality

🍪 The Things That Keep Me Going

Snacks. Obviously.
Theme music. If I need focus, I put on dramatic instrumental scores like I’m preparing to storm a castle (or send an email). Spotify is my friend.
Micro-rewards. One blog draft = one coffee or one dog walk. That’s the deal.

🤯 When It All Falls Apart (Because It Does)

Sometimes nothing works. Especially when your sinuses are staging a protest. And on those days, I do one small thing — just one — and call it a win.

That one thing could be:

Answering one email
Updating my list of to-do’s (sometimes a sneaky one gets past without the highlighter!)
Organising a single tab into the “I’ll deal with this eventually” folder

Progress is progress, even if it’s slow with a Lemsip.

💬 In Case You Needed to Hear This

Your system doesn’t have to be aesthetic. It doesn’t have to be perfectly efficient. It just has to work for you. Even if it looks like a glitter bomb went off inside a spreadsheet. And honestly? That’s never a bad thing.

And if you’re still figuring it out — same. Welcome to Claireity.

📣 Over to You

What’s your “keep-my-brain-in-one-piece” tool or ritual?
Share it in the comments or send me a message — I hoard them like stationery I’m too scared to actually use.

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📞 Call me: +44 (0) 7812 007182
📨 Email: claire@claireity.co.uk — you choose, I’m easy.

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