No matter where you are in life, it’s no secret that things get crazy — and no one is totally immune to stress and chaos. Here are some of my most tried-and-true ways to make everything feel a bit more Zen when life seems out of control.
1. Set goals.
These goals can be as small or as large as you want! I like to sit down every Monday and write a “to-do” list of everything coming up from assignments, study sessions and tests, to dinners or time for friends so that I know what to prioritize and what I have to get done each day.
If you don’t want to set daily or weekly goals, then strive for monthly. Anything counts, whether you want to finally stop eating out or just reach out to an old friend that you’ve been putting on the backburner recently. It’s good to map out what your days and weeks look like so that you never have to go to bed anxious about what’s coming up.
2. Carry a water bottle everywhere.
I never leave my room without a water bottle that’s chilled, filled and ready to go. I like to set a rule for myself that during each class I should be drinking either one whole bottle of water, or at least half of one. Getting dehydrated is so easy, but drinking enough water is one of the best ways to make sure that you’re feeling refreshed, energized and ready for all aspects of your day!
3. Pick out your outfit the night before.
Honestly, this isn’t something I do often enough; I mainly just lay in bed and put an outfit together in my head. But when you do put together and lay out your outfits the night before, mornings are much smoother, and you aren’t spending half of your morning trying on clothes when you could spend that time eating breakfast, putting makeup on or sleeping in more!
4. Follow a morning routine.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started realizing and appreciating showering at night (because it’s one less thing I have to do in the morning), but I then run into the struggles of never fully waking up. Taking a shower in the morning used to be what really woke me up, but now that I shower at night, I have heavily relied on my morning face wash routine to do the trick. You already take the time (or at least I hope so) to brush your teeth, so how much harder is it to add an extra minute or two to you scrub your face and moisturize? I have a set skin care routine that I follow every morning, and, without fail, I always feel more awake and refreshed for my day!
5. Slow down.
People are always moving so fast and always looking forward to the next weekend or the next month. Just remind yourself every once in awhile to breathe and to look at each day as a blessing. No matter how stressful your day is, just be able to appreciate that you got through it and can learn from it!