Life Categories – One Way to Free Up Brain Space
- Sarah Zeilstra
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
What Are They, Why Do They Matter, and How Can They Increase Productivity?
🧠 I’ve always believed there’s only so much room "upstairs" when it comes to managing an endless list of tasks. My students laugh when I tell them I’m running out of "brain space," but it’s a real struggle for many when balancing multiple responsibilities.
During last week's coaching sessions with my college students, we discussed "life categories"—a simple yet effective way to visualize how we spend our time outside the classroom.
When your primary job is being a full-time 🎓student, it’s equally important to have a system that helps manage non-academic tasks. Doing so can significantly impact productivity and overall success inside the classroom.
Starting with an Analog Approach
✍️ We begin with a handwritten version of life categories first. Research supports that writing by hand enhances learning and memory compared to typing.
A study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences examined the impact of handwriting versus typing on learning and retention. Researchers found that handwriting improves memory retention and understanding due to the complex motor movements involved, which facilitate deeper cognitive processing—a concept some refer to as embodied cognition. 🧠
While we live in a digitally driven world with many productivity tools, I’ve found that having students first write out their life categories by hand helps them grasp not only the tasks but also the time commitments involved and their impact on academic success.
Once we outline our life categories, they serve as a "life dashboard." I personally redo mine every semester to align with my teaching schedule and evolving responsibilities, giving me a chance to reassess and adapt.
Digitizing Your Life Categories Dashboard
Once students have a clear understanding of their life categories, we explore digital options to keep them organized. One tool I recommend is Google Keep.
It has a clean interface, syncs seamlessly across devices, and is a familiar tool for many students who have used the Google suite throughout high school.
Final Thoughts
💡 Whether you use Google Keep, another digital tool, or stick to an analog system, organizing all areas of life on a single dashboard has immense benefits.
When we streamline non-academic tasks, we free up valuable brain space 🧠for academic priorities like writing assignments, studying, and completing projects.
🗝 The key is consistency—choose a system that works for you and use it regularly. The more we offload tasks into an accessible system, the more mental energy we preserve for the work that truly matters: passing courses, building skills, and graduating successfully.
What would your life categories be?
✅ Create your own dashboard and see how it improves your productivity.
🎯 For more in-depth support and guidance in creating a system that helps you achieve success in college, consider executive function coaching and book a free 30 minute consultation
About the author
Founder of Student Success Coaching, and creator of the Courseload Management Coaching Program, Sarah Zeilstra brings over 25 years of experience to the forefront of higher education, specializing in empowering students to master their college experience. With a dynamic blend of expertise as a professor, coach, and speaker, she has become a trusted mentor and advocate for post-secondary learners. Sarah is renowned for her innovative and personalized approach to teaching, which focuses on fostering internal accountability, enabling students to confidently tackle their academic workload and mitigate stress. Her dedication to student success goes beyond the classroom as she continues to refine transformative strategies tailored to the unique challenges of college life. Sarah's philosophy that a positive mindset catalyzes the development of skill sets shines through her mentorship, as she works tirelessly to guide students towards unlocking their full potential. Her passion for education and commitment to her students' achievements make her an invaluable guide in the journey towards academic and personal growth.
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