1. Yoga.

I know it sounds kind of cheesy, and it's everyone's go-to thing to "be one with the world" or whatever, but to be quite honest, it's partially true. Doing yoga every morning when you wake up, and on the occasionally super stressful day, before you go to sleep as well can be a very beneficial addition to your daily routine.

It's one of the things that clear your mind of negative energy and put you in a calm mindset for the day ahead. If you had a stressful or bad day, it can clear your mind of the irritation, anger, or general negativity from the day, and it gives you a peaceful night's sleep.

It's also good for your body. Yoga loosens up your joints and muscles, and it's a good stress reliever.

2. Fixed sleep schedule.

I know this one is always really hard to keep up with or stick to, but you need a proper amount of sleep, not only for your body to function but to keep your mind clear. During the week, try to wake up every day by 8 A.M., and then hop right into doing yoga. Go to bed by 12:30 at the latest (unless a special occasion).

On weekends, let yourself sleep in until 9:30 A.M., and still do yoga when you get up. On weekends, it's okay being more relaxed about when you go to sleep because of parties and such, but try to keep yourself from staying awake past 3:30-4 A.M. If you're still awake by the time the sun is coming up or you hear birds chirping outside your window, that's a problem.

A big thing with this is making sure that there are no unnecessary reasons to stay up like procrastinated homework, etc. Avoid sleeping too little to function and avoid sleeping too much, where you'll feel sluggish.

3. Schedule yourself.

Keep a calendar, and book yourself appropriately so that you're never overwhelmed. When you have other issues that make you feel depressed or keep you from feeling your best, you don't need extra problems like having too much on your plate adding to the pile. Make sure to have time separate for homework and studying so that you're not doing it last minute.

4. The gym and diet.

The gym. Not only can you use this for getting in shape and helping address any weight issues you may have, but you can also use the gym as an outlet. It helps get out a lot of steam and frustrations, and you'll always find yourself to be in a better mood or feeling better when you leave the gym. Maybe I'm weird and that's just me. I don't know; everyone's different, but no harm in trying it.

Diet. Same goes for your diet. When you are eating right, it'll make your body feel better and stronger. Find the right diet that works for you and stick with it.

5. Appreciation jars.

Another one that's really cheesy, but when you're feeling especially down, put a note in your appreciation jar. Basically, write down one thing for you to feel happy about and put it in any unused jar. It could be anything; nothing is considered "stupid" if it makes you feel good about your life.

If you're feeling particularly down about your situation, put two things in the jar. This is just to point out that even in your lowest moments, there is still always something to be happy about. Talk about looking at life jar half full, am I right?

6. Wear lighter clothes.

Hear me out, it sounds weird at first, but it generally makes sense. Dark colors give off a dark connotation and can affect your mood.

Example: my roommate and I this past year lived in Holly Pointe Commons at Rowan University, and we decided to have a gray hues color scheme. It was a good idea at the time, but what I later realized was that all of the grays in the room, along with the concrete walls and ceiling of Holly, made me feel like I was in a prison cell.

It affected my mood a lot. I felt sluggish and gross, and I was a lot more depressed. In order to counteract it, I wore brighter clothes and steered away from wearing black or dark colors, to bring some vibrancy into my life. The pop of color lifted my mood a lot and made living in the grey cell manageable.

Now that I'm back at home (and away from the prison cell), I find my mood is a lot more happy living in my lime green painted room. It's an obnoxious color, but hey, it works. Try it.

7. Organized space.

Try keeping a clean and organized living space. With everything in its place, you'll know where everything is so that you are not freaking out trying to find anything. This deletes unnecessary stress. I like to say an uncluttered room is an uncluttered mind.