With the practice of getting an education becoming more and more an expectation and standard rather than a goal to strive for, the pressure is on to not fall behind. Whether you are in high school and barely holding it together writing your college apps, or actually in college and overwhelmed with deadlines, stress seems inevitable. Which is why, above all else, it is so so important to take care of yourself. The body and mind you have right now are the only ones you are ever going to get so keeping it in tact isn't just a privilege, it should be a necessity.

1. Eat right

There is a difference between eating right and eating healthy. Because what is healthy for one person might be very different than what is healthy for someone else. Of course you know that vegetables and fruits are good, too much oil and sugar is bad. However, if you can find the right balance, you will feel so much better, have much more energy and boost your confidence too.

2. Drink lots and lots of water

Water is just so good for you. Keeping hydrated can flush out toxins, treat headaches, improve mood and so many other things. Invest in a nice reusable water bottle and you'll be all set.

3. SLEEP

ALL NIGHTERS ARE BAD. That's right I said it. Your body needs to sleep in order to re-energize itself. Staying up all night doing homework is not healthy. Yes, homework needs to get done, but maybe try to pause netflix every once in awhile and do your work while it is still light out. What a novel idea.

4. Find support from others

Some people find their support system in a group of friends. Others turn to family members. And there is always the option to go to a professional to sort through whatever you are dealing with. You don't have to be a "crazy person" to see a therapist or counselor. Counselors can be great just as a person to lend an ear and support some of the burden that you're carrying that comes with being a student.

5. Spoil yourself

When you do something well, who cares if nobody else notices. You should be proud of yourself. You're awesome and you don't need anybody else to think that to make it true. And I suppose that if you really do need that external validation, then here it is from me. Buy those overly expensive shoes. Eat that last brownie. You've earned it.

6. Cut yourself some slack

To quote the glamorous and ever iconic Hannah Montana, "nobody's perfect". Just because you don't have your life together all the time doesn't mean you're a failure. It simply means that you are a human who makes mistakes. So brush it off, use it as a lesson or a motivator and keep on going.

7. Quit comparing yourself to everyone else

As cliche as it sounds, staying true to yourself is all you can do. Getting too caught up in what other people think or trying to be better than others will never get you anywhere. It will only give you a big headache. Once you can accept that you're you and everyone else is everyone else you'll feel a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. The only expectations you have to live up to are your own.

8. Listen to your body

Your body knows more about you than you do. If it's hungry- feed it. If it's tired- give it rest. If you're exercising and it's feeling sore- ease up or take a break. As much as we like to believe it, we aren't invincible and it is important to treat our bodies with as much respect and care as we would want to treat other people.

9. Take a break

Right now is the youngest that you will ever be again. Sure, doing work and getting good grades is important. However, there are things equally as important. Friends. Family. Laughter. Take a break every once in a while and let yourself just relax. Live in the moment because you never know when things will be like this again.

10. Let go of what you can't control

There's no use in stressing out over what is out of your control. Easier said than done of course, but not a bad place to start. If you find yourself thinking so much about something that you have no say in then it may be time to take a cue from Elsa up there. Whatever happens will happen and you can only react in the best way possible.

11. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of catching your own thoughts. It is literally just thinking about your thinking. Like in number 10 above, if you catch yourself thinking about something too much, or with too much worry, question why you are doing that. Getting to the root of your worry is the first step to stopping it. Practice intentional breathing such as with the gif above and help find your inner calm.

Obviously a lot of these tips are merely suggestions and won't work for everyone. But with just a few small changes you can find that taking care of yourself isn't