As a first-year university student still living in my hometown, I have consistently worked at my current job for nearly 1.5 years now. Starting this new Winter semester means a change in both my work and school schedule and I have created very long days for myself. For example, on Mondays I leave my house before 11 A.M. and do not get home until 10:30 P.M. All of this is due to classes, work and meetings for Her Campus! On Wednesdays, my day starts at 9:30 A.M., and I do not get home until after 8 P.M., which makes for a lot of exhaustion.
Here are a few of the things I have been trying to add into my daily lifestyle to create more balance and less exhaustion.
1. Prioritizing sleep
Although I do not have the best sleep schedule, I am definitely trying to make sure I am going to bed earlier than normal so that I can wake up feeling as rested as possible in the morning. For me, this means an early bedtime and often taking melatonin as I am getting ready for bed to fall asleep faster.
2. Preparing and packing food
Having food ready for my day is so important to me. This past fall semester I definitely did not prioritize eating properly which was not good for my health or my wallet. So, entering this new year and semester I have two goals when it comes to eating: I need to eat 3 meals a day and I need to spend less money on subpar food. Wasting money on food that is not even good is not something I stand for anymore!
A few easy things I have been working on preparing in advance are:
Energy bites – oats, honey, protein powder, chia seeds, hemp seeds, chocolate chips, nuts and salt
Fresh fruit – berries, grapes, apples, etc. (Anything you want! Just have it washed and ready to go the night before so you do not have to stress about it on long days)
Cheese and crackers – so simple and easy; just my favourite cheeses, crackers, and I like to throw in different sliced salami/cold cuts to make it a little more filling and tasty!
3. Designating rest time
Now I know this is much easier said than done but finding certain times in the day regardless of how busy or slow each day is to actually rest and relax is very important. Taking the time to rest allows you to get back into your working mindset much quicker since you have already taken a designated break time. This ties into my previous point,t but on my days off, when I do not necessarily have to be on campus for class, I have been trying to take the time to try new recipes and make foods that I have not done before as a distraction from my school while also still being productive.