Declutter your space regularly.

It’s a good strategy to keep your work space as free of clutter as possible. Clutter can make you feel more stressed, anxious, and distracted- none of which are good places from which to progress on the dissertation. When you finish a section of work, take a few minutes to clear your space of the reference material, notes, etc. that are related to that section. File your articles, skim through your notes, and shelve the books (or return them to the library). This process allows you the opportunity to mentally "wrap up" this section while creating a nicer work space at the same time. While it is tempting to have piles of books, papers, and other materials around you- maybe it feels like you’re working more seriously?– clutter, in the long term, can have negative effects on your productivity and progress. If you ever feel stuck and like you don’t know what to do, start by cleaning up your work space. This might be all you need to get moving again.

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