Every semester, there comes a point when it feels like our lives kind of fall apart. Your room is a mess, your diet consists of chicken nuggets and pizza, and you keep forgetting that something is due until the day before. Trust me, we’ve all been there. However, getting out your semester slump will make you feel more relaxed and on top of things. Here are a few tips to help you pick up the pieces of your life and put them back together.
1. Set Up a Routine
Having a routine will make you more accountable and aware of when you’re getting off track. Try to wake up at the same time every day and schedule your meals at similar times. In the morning, write down what you want to accomplish for the day and go from there. When you have a set plan for the day, it is easier to fit in the extra stuff you have to do during the day, without sacrificing meals, gym visits or homework.
2. Make Your Bed
In college, we don’t have our parents to yell at us to make our bed in the morning. It gets easy to leave your bed a mess. However, making your bed will make you feel so much better about yourself. It makes your entire room seem so much cleaner and put together. Having an unmade bed can secretly stress you out because it gives you the illusion of clutter. Making your bed is also a great habit to develop for adulthood.
3. Eat Like an Adult
I understand that macaroni and cheese sounds better than a salad, but trust me — your body will appreciate the nutrition. When you consistently eat fattening foods, you start feeling worse and worse. Eating a vegetable or a piece of fruit every now and then will make you feel way better. It will also make you feel like a more responsible, health-conscious adult.
4. Get to the Gym
Even if you just go on the elliptical for 20 minutes, it’s better than nothing. Going to the gym is a great study break, and it will also boost your mood way more than just laying in bed watching Netflix all day. Working out can help you handle stress and is a key factor for staying healthy in college. Afterward, you’ll feel more on top of your health and life.
5. Wake up at a Normal Time
It is way too easy to wake up at noon every day, but think of all the time that is going to waste while you’re in bed. Waking up earlier allows you to eat a healthy breakfast, study or have alone time before your day starts. Successful people tend to not sleep the day away. Wake up earlier and get a head start on your busy to-do list.
6. Update Your Phone Already
Everyone is so guilty of this. We see the classic “iOS 9.03 is available for your iPhone and is ready to install,” and you finger automatically presses “Remind me Later.” It’s a never-ending cycle that will cause you so much frustration. Next time you’re about to take a shower or go make dinner, just let your phone update. It does not take that long and you won’t miss your phone too much. You’ll feel accomplished afterward for doing basically nothing, too.
7. Learn How to Say “No”
You promised to go out to dinner with a friend, signed up to volunteer for a club and have to finish a project by midnight. You spread yourself too thin, and now you barely have time to finish your own work. Sometimes you just have to tell other people “no.” It is hard to disappoint people, but it’s harder to juggle a million things at once. Learning how to turn down offers or opportunities for your own sake will help you keep your life on track and together.
8. Stop Putting Things Off
Handle things head on. Don’t just wait until everything piles up on you. Utilize your weekends to catch up on everything before your school week starts. Get your groceries, do laundry, update your voter registration like you’ve been meaning to for months. When you keep waiting to do stuff, it eventually becomes too late. You’ll end up getting way more stressed out, too. Just plan ahead and get to work. You’ll thank yourself in the end.
9. Put Down Your Phone
It’s easy to get caught up in social media and other apps, especially when you need to be studying or getting something done. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook just keep calling your name, and you end up wasting 30 minutes playing Candy Crush. When you know you need to get to work, put your phone on the other side of the room. This will lessen the urge to pick it up every five minutes. It might feel like you’re missing out on important information, but trust me, you’re not.
10. Relax
Scheduling some time to relax and unwind is essential for keeping your life together. At the end of a long day, put a face mask on or make a cup of herbal tea, read a book, or even turn on your favorite Netflix show. Spend 30 minutes to an hour unwinding. It’s important to not only make time for homework and school, but to also make time for yourself.
It’s not too hard to get back on track. If you think you’re falling behind or forgetting to take care of yourself, it’s time to think about the little ways you can help yourself. With these tips, hopefully you’ll be able to break out of the mid-semester blues and get your life together.
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