This semester was a lot. I used to think taking care of my mental health meant big changes or extreme routines. What actually helped me were the tiny things. The little habits that didn’t feel like extra work and didn’t make me feel guilty for not doing enough.
So, here are five small habits that made my days feel a little less chaotic.
- . Use a one-minute reset instead of a full break
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Whenever someone told me to take a break, I felt more stressed because a real break sounded like it would take too long. Instead, I started doing something way easier. For just one minute, I would pause and reset. Sometimes I stretched, sometimes I closed my eyes, sometimes I just breathed.
It’s simple, but it helped stop stress before it got worse. One minute is short enough that I can actually do it, and doing it regularly made a bigger difference than I expected.
- . Create manageable to-do lists
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I used to write long to-do lists that looked like they could wrap around the building. Wondering why I always felt overwhelmed, I tried something new. I only put five things on my list each day. Five real tasks. Not five essays or five huge assignments. Just five things that I could actually finish.
It made me feel productive without stressing me out. My list finally felt like something I could handle, and I stopped ending the day feeling like a failure.
- . Go outside for ten minutes
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I’m not the type of person with a natural inclination to go outside every day, but forcing myself to get fresh air helped a lot. Most days it was nothing special, like walking to get Starbucks or to find a new study spot. That was it.
Ten minutes outdoors cleared my head more than scrolling on my phone ever did. It made me feel less trapped in my tiny dorm room, and honestly improved my mood.
- . Put your phone on Do Not Disturb during homework
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I didn’t realize how anxiety-inducing my phone was until I started turning off notifications. Every ping felt like someone tapping me while I was trying to concentrate. It made homework take longer and made me feel scattered.
Turning on Do Not Disturb made a huge difference. I finished assignments faster, felt calmer, and stopped checking my phone every two seconds. It also reminded me that I don’t owe anyone instant replies. You can also personalize your focus setting if you have an iPhone, so only you decide which notifications you will see.
- . End the day with one nice thing
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I’m not a perfect routine person. I always see videos of people with ten-step nighttime rituals and I know that just isn’t me. So instead, I picked one nice thing to do for myself every night. Sometimes it was stretching. Sometimes it was listening to something relaxing. Sometimes it was washing my face slowly because it felt good. Sometimes it was going to bed early and pretending I had nothing else to do.
Doing just one kind thing for myself made the end of my day feel calm instead of chaotic.