Do this one thing to prepare for next month’s Mercury retrograde

Beginning October 21, we’ll all be under the influence of Mercury retrograde’s pre-shadow or retroshade.

This two-week period is a precursor for the main event of Mercury retrograde, which begins on November 9 in the free-wheeling, free-speaking sign of Sagittarius.

“The countdown to chaos is on as mix-ups, misplaced items, and messy energy start creeping in,” Cindy Cavota, productivity coach at Headway, told The Post.

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When does Mercury go retrograde?

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Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow on October 21, 2025, at 7:11 am EST at 20°42 Scorpio.

Mercury officially stations retrograde on November 9 at 2:01 pm EST at 6°51 Sagittarius.

Our planet of the mind and the mouth stations direct on November 29, but won’t clear its post-retrograde shadow until December 16.

How to deal with Mercury retroshade?

Before this transit reaches its fever pitch, Cavota shared that doing something as small as organizing your desk can provide the kind of clarity and satisfaction that will subtly bleed into life’s bigger arenas.

Recent research revealed that 86% of people believe their workspace has a “huge” or “moderate” impact on their happiness.

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Because Mercury rules the mind, keeping your workspace free and clear invites the same qualities to reflect in your cognition.

“These small but powerful tweaks can reclaim hours of your life and keep you sharp when everything else feels scrambled.”

Read on for her tips on how to keep your s–t straight and your mind right.

Group items by category

According to Cavota, mixing is for drinks, not drawers.

“A desk drawer that contains pens along with chargers, sticky notes, and snacks should not be mixed together.”

She recommends designating individual drawers as a home for a specific set of items, be it stationery, tech, candy or personal belongings.

She promises that following this method will give you an hour of your precious and egregiously misspent life back every month.

Use drawer organizers

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Divide and conquer during Mercury retroshade, insists Cavota.

She recommends investing in dividers to turn a single drawer into a four or six-section situation.

“Once you organize your space, you will know exactly which section contains your highlighters and USB sticks instead of having them scattered across the drawer.”

Scattered highlighters, broken dreams, folks.

Apply the “everyday access rule”

“Store your everyday use items, such as pens and notebooks, in the first drawer at the top and your less frequently used items, such as spare cables and tape, in the lower drawers,” shared Cavota.

I also recommend similarly organizing your social circle.

Limit duplicates

“Having 50 pens on your desk is unnecessary clutter,” said Cavota.

She notes that any excess in or around your desk eats valuable space and creates confusion when you need to locate a particular item.

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Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.