1. Take Deep Breaths. Breath in. Breath out. Growing up my mother's mantra was 'deep breaths. breath in....breath out." This is an amazing way to center yourself in any given situation. I swear by this and so should you.
2. Just Keep Swimming. No journey through life is going to be easy. But in the end it will be worth it. Nothing good comes easy and when things are the hardest is when the outcome will be the best.
3. Think About It Tomorrow. My absolute favorite quote that gets me through every single (non-immediate) life emergency is "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow. " - Scarlett O'Hara. I'm not saying it's healthy to push off your emotions, however it is healthy to let your emotions die down and come back to your issues when you have a clear head.
5. Stay patient & trust your journey. Life will bring us so many frustrating and testing moments. Staying patient and believing whatever comes next is what's meant to be will keep you sane.
6. Stay Calm. Life is constantly bulldozing your hopes, dreams and plans. When everything is happening all it once it can be difficult to remember to keep your head.
7. Do something that makes you happy. Life is hard, you're stressed about school? Breakup? Whatever it is, go for a run, read a book, go to that party. Everything that needs to get done, will. But mental health is more important than our lists.
8. Stay Positive. It's difficult to keep your head & heart positive when you can't seem to catch a break, but remember where you're going and this is just one step of the journey. Keep stepping. Find a way to smile.
9. Make a list. Physically write down what needs to get done, look at it, start checking things off. Sometimes, when I'm feeling completely overwhelmed I'll even write down 'go to the gym' and 'take a shower' just to remind myself how far I can go with each small step.
10. Set Goals. From your list determine what needs to be accomplished by when. Hold yourself to them! Tell your friends, significant other, or parents what they are to help you stick with them.
11. This is all relative. I know you're thinking, what does that even mean? A single test. Being late to work. A breakup. It all is relative to how much importance you put to it. Be willing to let go of the things that weigh you down in order to take you to a new level. It will be okay in the end, so just keep your eye on the prize.
