With classes, internships, jobs, and social lives, it’s nearly impossible to keep my life straight. Self-care becomes an afterthought, the state of my bedroom crumbles into what I can only describe as a pit, and my high-maintenance lifestyle becomes a wistful dream. This semester, I refuse to let good habits slip away.
Skin and Haircare
When it comes to my hair and skin routines, I run a tight ship. I’ve spent years experimenting, trying every influencer-approved product, every brand that’s supposed to give me glass-like skin, and every hair mask that’s sure to turn my hair to silk. I’ll confidently say that the products I’ve found have always been worth the splurge.
On top of the $80 haircuts that I’ll drive four hours home and back for, the OUAI hair oil, OUAI detox shampoo, and K18 hair masks have gifted me with the softest and healthiest hair I’ve ever had. I use OUAI’s detox shampoo once a month, their hair oil every time I blow-dry my hair, and K18’s hair mask anytime I feel like my hair needs a bit of extra shine. Even if I physically cringe at the price tags, I’d do anything for my hair.
Keeping my face clear is a whole new beast, and La Roche-Posay has been my knight in shining armor. Their face wash and moisturizer have been the only duo to consistently keep my face clear, cleansed, and hydrated. On top of monthly dermaplaning, frequent eyebrow shaping, weekly teeth whitening, and obsessive lip balm application, my skin is nothing if not cared for.
Groceries
As someone whose borderline everything-intolerant, there are certain groceries I’m extremely particular about. Milk and coffee creamers are my greatest enemies. Pick the wrong ones, and I’ll be fighting tummy-ache demons for the rest of the day.
I’ve recently discovered Whole Foods’ almond milk that’s not only organic and dairy-free, but oil and gum-free. This might sound dramatic, but it’s the only milk I’ve found in my 21 years of living that’s sat well in my temperamental tummy. In fact, I’ll drive 20 minutes out of my way to stop at Whole Foods, just for this magical milk, despite completing all my regular grocery shopping at Aldi.
This, combined with almond-based creamers and gluten-free replacements for my favorite foods, has completely changed my life. A ridiculous amount of experimentation and energy goes into my grocery list each week. If you’re lucky, you don’t have to put this much time into something so basic.
For the unlucky eaters out there, find what works best for you! Being picky and high maintenance about what you eat is the best advice I can give. Finding what foods fit your lifestyle can be a tough process, but one that’s so incredibly worth it.
Meal Prepping and Leftovers
Listen, I was never on the meal prep grind. If anything, I rolled my eyes every time my friends tried to convince me that meal prep was worth the time and energy. I fear they might’ve been onto something.
I’m not saying everything I eat has been prepped in cute little containers and stacked neatly in my fridge like you see on social media. I’ll say that having a few things wrapped up, prepped, or even just leftover makes my day a million times easier. Cooking enough food to feed an army and packing the rest away for easy meals throughout the week takes a massive weight off my chest.
Despite being so apprehensive towards the idea of meal prep, I found ways to make it fun. Setting aside time to cook and viewing meals as an experience rather than just another thing to check off my list turned it into one of the best parts of my week. While not necessary for enjoyment, I must admit the cute little containers do add a bit of whimsy to the process. To my surprise, meal prep and leftovers have made my everyday schedule far less stressful and hectic, despite how much of a hater I once was.
Scheduling
I’ll never shut up about Google Calendar. I’ve dedicated hours of my day to color-coding the different areas of my life and inputting every event, break, conversation, task, and thought into my calendar.
I’ve split my calendar into four main categories: personal, work, university, and tasks. Obviously, these categories have color-coded subsections. University is split into classes, clubs, and internships, while personal can mean anything from commutes to dinner plans to rest days. Even ideas of things I might end up doing get a place in my calendar. Before each semester, I’ll input every important date. Along with classes, I add finals, exams, projects, and things I need to look out for. I do the same for internships and clubs, ensuring a deadline never passes me by.
I’ll admit, this is a tedious task and one of the habits I’m less enthusiastic about, but it looks so colorful and organized once it’s all done. If Google Calendar isn’t your vibe, I’ve also become a huge fan of physical calendars. While it’s not as detailed as my digital one, I still love checking off each day on my National Parks calendar that hangs on my bedroom wall. I’m not sure at what point this level of obsessive scheduling bleeds into crazy, but trust me when I say I know my schedule.
Room Organization
It’s common knowledge that most people’s rooms are their sanctuaries. I feel very passionate about this notion. Every Christmas and birthday wish list is filled with stuff to elevate my room and apartment.
I’ve recently been gifted bamboo bed sheets from Cozy Earth, and now I sleep like a princess. Despite the price tag and the fact that they easily wrinkle, I’ve fallen in love with Cozy Earth products. In addition to my previously mentioned skin and haircare routines, I partially attribute soft hair and clear skin to my choice of bedding.
Once a week, I dedicate a day off to a full bedroom reset. I wash and put away my laundry, vacuum my room, empty the trash, wipe down every inch of my bathroom, and make sure anything that’s fallen out of place over the week finds its way home. This may sound like a horrific way to spend a day off, but I promise, the feeling of lighting a vanilla-scented candle in a freshly cleaned room is unmatched.
It takes a lot of work to keep your everyday life low-maintenance. I find the time and effort to be all part of the high-maintenance journey. It’s all about committing to the best version of your life, whatever that may be!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!