Happy Halloween, YH readers! It’s that time of year again when you probably can’t stop stressing about a costume (that doesn’t scream “basic”), your fuzzy socks are purple and orange, and you’ve been clearing your evening schedule for ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween classics. Because of all the fun and freaky festivities October has to bring, it’s A LOT harder than usual to stay focused on everything else going on in your life… like, I don’t know, school… making money… getting enough sleep (that is, if you even can fall asleep after watching I Know What You Did Last Summer)… etc., etc.  Since the whole month of October practically brainwashes us to crave nothing but candy, cuddling, and costume partying, I’m giving you 5 short 'n’ sweet ways to stay focused on your life until the real party starts on the highly anticipated night of October 31.

Get ready to kiss your Halloween Town-addled brains goodbye once you roll over in your regrets on November 1st with a little “spell” cooked up by yours truly – Hocus Pocus, Focus Focus!

1. Tackle the big stuff first

This is something that really helps me not only be productive but actually stay focused throughout the day. Also, you’ll find that handling your biggest to-do’s before the things that aren’t so pressing relieve a lot of pressure. So wake up in the morning, start AND finish your biggest daily must-dos, and then move on to other things -- like the “you” things, for example -- to finish out the day.

2. Put it all on paper

Every night before I go to bed, I make a to-do list of the things I have to do the next day. I put the most important tasks at the beginning and the less important towards the end so that I know what my day is going to look like before it even starts. Nothing helps me conquer my life more than to-do lists. In fact, my A.D.D. mind would be lost without them, and I bet I’m not the only one. Making lists is also a great way to…

3. Stay organized

Nothing makes me more out-of-focus than being unorganized. Being unorganized is like living your life in chaos 24/7, and that is just one anxiety attack away from a big bowl of candy for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. #Yikes. So keep your life in order, in order to stay focused. 

4. Keep your eye on the prize! (…or candy)

Figure out what motivates you and use it to your advantage. Is that hot Halloween costume something you're dying to impress your crush in? (Work out and save the candy for the 31st!) Or is it just the fact that Hocus Pocus, AKA Best Halloween Movie of All Time, comes on at 8:00 and you can’t miss it (for the hundredth time)? Either way, find something that motivates you to be productive and focused throughout the day so that you CAN rock that costume or drool over Thachery Banks! #Swoon

5. Sleep

As tempting as it is to binge-watch the ABC Family movie specials that go from 5pm from 12am, resist it. Sleeping at least 8 hours a night makes ALL of the difference in your productivity throughout your days. Getting a good night's sleep helps you lose weight, reduces stress, and most of all… helps your maintain FOCUS!

What are some ways YOU like to stay focused?

(Photo via WENN)

- Jana Rosenberg, YH Contributing Writer