Speaking from experience, I know how hard it can be to accept yourself for who you are and believe that you don't need to change to be happy. I also understand that sometimes we are so rooted in our behaviors or daily patterns that we neglect providing ourselves with a true basis of comfort and actual joy. Here are a few things that I challenge you to truly abide by and make the focal point of your day.

1. Protect yourself.

Gid rid of people who don't encourage you and truly want what is best for you. The whole "keep your friends close and enemies closer" concept is flawed in so many ways. If someone doesn't bring out the best in you, or if you don't bring out the best in them, there's no rule or law that requires you to keep them in your life. Respect yourself enough to be okay with cutting some people out. It will be better for both you and them in the long run.

2. Take care of yourself.

Workout. Drink water. Eat healthily. S L E E P.

I know eating right and working out is difficult. It's hard to start but its even harder to keep going. Start a routine; leave time to cook dinner, pencil the gym into your schedule if you need to. Most importantly, don't procrastinate. Once you get into a set routine, everything follows. It becomes easier to say no to ice cream or staying up late. A healthy lifestyle, once adopted, is so refreshing. Who knows, you might even start wanting to go to the gym.

3. Stay focused on what you need, not what you want.

Everyone loves an adrenaline rush or a guilty pleasure every now and then, but if those pleasures put you in a bad situation or don't better yourself, are they really pleasures? Is the rush really worth it?

Instead of giving in and caving to a guilty pleasure or putting yourself in a tough spot just so you can get an adrenaline high from the situation, find something to put your energy towards that benefits you. It's okay to be selfish; do what's best for you. I can guarantee you'll feel better after.

4. Forgive yourself.

Stop being so hard on yourself. If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect anyone else to? Learn from the mistake and grow from it. You can't change the past, so beating yourself up and worrying about it only causes stress which doesn't even begin to fix the problem at hand. Step back, breath, and learn.

5. Recognize and accept your emotions.

It's okay to cry or feel angry. We all have bad days. Instead of throwing yourself a pity party or doubting yourself, channel your anger into something positive. Emotions are real and so powerful; accept that and learn how to handle them accordingly instead of losing control.

Don't push your emotions down to try to cope either, that will only pent up stress that will eventually implode. Take a step back, breath, and accept that this emotion in this moment won't define your future. God will never give us more than we can handle.

6. Budget.

Budgeting saves so much time and even more stress. Instead of swiping your card left and right, maybe pull out cash to keep a closer eye on how much you're spending. Instead of frivolously going to the grocery store, make a list and challenge yourself to stick to it. It's hard at first but, like everything else, once you get into a routine, everything else follows.

7. Quality alone time.

Even the most social extroverts need alone time. Who cares if we're in college, everyone needs a nap once in a while. Don't go to a party if you're tired, stay in and cook if you have a headache instead of going out for marg Mondays. It's okay, there will be more parties and more Mondays. Take care of yourself.

8. Clean out your life by cleaning out your closet.

This is actually so therapeutic. If you have shirts in the back of your closet that you haven't worn in months, toss them out. If they've been in the back of your closet for that long, you won't miss them. Out of style dresses? Donate them. Maybe you realize that your shoes are overflowing and you haven't seen the bottom of the pile in months or more. That's okay, Plato's always needs more shoes! It's so refreshing and such a time-saver to have a clean, organized closet.

These small, easy steps ended up saving me so much time and stress. I highly encourage you to try these out and see how much easier your life becomes and how much happier you feel falling asleep at night.