Every week you see countless articles and lists giving you unreasonable and unrealistic tasks that can apparently make your life a thousand times easier. Well after wasting numerous hours reading these supposedly “life-changing” articles, I have learned very few realistic things to help me get my disaster of a life on track. So because of the lack of true help, I decided this week to give you five REASONABLE and completely realistic steps that will hopefully give you a stern push to a more put-together lifestyle that we all crave.
1. Clean your room.
Throw the take-out containers away, pick up the dirty socks from off the floor, and maybe vacuum up the hair every once in awhile. Having clean clothes and a clean room gives the illusion of a fresh start and is one of the quickest ways to make you feel one step closer to you life being put-together.
2. Go to the gym.
Now, I’m not expecting miracles here. I am the queen of making up excuses to avoid working out (and I work at a gym). But unfortunately, going to the gym is one of the best things to do to help get your life on track and make your mood a little brighter. As Elle Woods once famously said, “Endorphins make you happy and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”
3. Get dressed up.
While most of us have the tendency to favor the snooze button over getting up an extra twenty minutes early to do our hair and makeup, it can be healthy to switch things up every once in awhile. Try picking one day a week to look your complete best, especially if the day is a busy one. By doing this, you get in the mindset of being a put-together human being and it makes it easier to conquer the day’s challenges.
4. Wash your face a night.
This is the key to waking up and not hating yourself. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I have woken up in the morning looking like a raccoon who got run over due to last night’s eye making smudging all over my face. Not to mention the fact that by leaving your makeup on overnight, you are essentially suffocating your pores that will eventually cause numerous skin issues that will make your life miserable. So go to CVS and buy some makeup wipes and Clinique’s eye makeup remover to save yourself the pain of waking up in the morning looking like road-kill.
5. Spend some time outside once a week.
The quick walk from class to class doesn’t count. When you actually sit down and think about it, most college kids don’t spend nearly the amount of time they should outside. While both happy hour and baseball games are technically outside, you’re still not getting enough sunshine in your daily routine. So pick a day once a week to go and spend sometime out on Landis Green — bring some homework or take a nap, just go get some sunshine.