College can be a stressful time for all. The constant pressures to get good grades and be involved tends to clash with the pressure to get a sufficient amount of sleep and stay healthy. Both of these incessantly clash with your want to have a social life. Every college student notices that their life ends up looking a little bit like this:

I struggled a lot with this when I first started college. As an over-involved double-major, double-minor, I found myself in a cyclical trance of being overwhelmed, exhausted, and irritated. I was pushing an average of three all-nighters a week, eating an excessive amount as a result of my stress, and drowning in my own mind. I brushed off any possibility that I had for a social life, and ended up suffering from the lack of social interaction with anyone other than professional cohorts. I was a bundle of stress and exhaustion, and just couldn't wait for the semester to conclude.

Over my winter break, I took notice to how much I struggled the previous semester, and knew that I couldn't let myself spiral down a steep incline like that again. I reformatted my schedule and changed everything for the better. If my story sounds anything like yours, you should take a look at what I did.

1. Write everything in your planner and look at it the day before.

Not only does writing everything down in your planner relieve the stress that takes over whenever you overbook yourself, but it also allows you to visualize your schedule. Often times, when you visualize your schedule, you realize that your day isn't as packed as you think it is. Suddenly, a 20 minute break to catch up on the next episode of your favorite show doesn't seem to be unreasonable.

2. Spending more time doing what you like and cutting what you don't like out of your schedule.

A part of college is experimenting. You join a bunch of clubs, see what you like, and then forever stay on their mailing list. If you're anything like me, you join a bunch of clubs and try to make room for them all, whether they're your cup of tea or not. If you realize mid-semester you're not into what the organization is doing even if you thought so in the beginning, that's okay! You're not obligated to stay for any duration of time. You're going to college for you, so you shouldn't have to continue attending meetings and events for an organization that you don't enjoy and don't want to invest your time in. Instead, channel all that time and energy into an organization that you truly enjoy. Anything that you enjoy will come across as a stress reliever and your mind will thank you for that in the future.

3. Setting a consistent bedtime for yourself.

Bedtimes are one of those things that we hated as children, thought we were too cool for in high school, and wish we had in college. It honestly all comes down to time management and knowing where you should be when you're doing certain things. For me, I realized that doing homework in the community room with all my friends always happened to be a horrendous idea. An assignment that would easily take less than an hour elsewhere suddenly became a six hour endeavor. Just by changing the location where I study, I ended up gaining five extra hours in my day. I put that time towards sleep, allowing myself to go to bed around 11 pm every night. You, too, can do this for yourself. You just have to be honest and discipline yourself. Even if your friends are all hanging out and studying in an area, you don't have to join them. If it'll only be detrimental on your studies and your health then it's not worth it. They're your friends; you can see them at any time, and if you can't, then they weren't really your friends to begin with.

4. Starting your day off at the gym.

I went from being the girl who never stepped foot in the gym and never woke up early enough to do a full-blown workout, shower, and get ready before class to doing all of the above this semester. Working out in the morning is actually great for you. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I do a cardio workout. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I take part in the "Sunrise Yoga" group exercise class at my university's gym. Doing workouts, whether they're cardio or mindfulness workouts, helps you get a better start on your day. It makes you more relaxed, focused, and gives you a positive outlook. When your body works out, you release endorphins, aka your "feel-good" chemicals. Ever since I've started waking up earlier and going to the gym, I've been more productive throughout the day. Being more productive also aids in the whole "being-able-to-sleep-early" thing, so really, it's a win-win situation.

5. Realizing that you can't do it all.

At some point, you have to come to terms with the fact that you aren't a superhero, and that's perfectly okay. We're only human and humans have their limits. Don't try to surpass your limit, because in the end, you'll only want to hit yourself in the head. Do everything in moderation and don't be afraid to say "no." That was my biggest problem last semester. I always felt inclined to say "yes." Saying "no" is an art form that takes a while to master, but once you master this art, it will make your life exponentially easier and take a monumental weight off of your shoulders.

All of these efforts to make this semester better for me and help me balance my life really did work. I was able to maintain good grades, create a social life (still a work in progress), take part in the activities that I truly care about, and still have time to get sleep and take care of myself. In the end, it all comes down to self-discipline. You are the sole decider of how your day will go. You are the only person that can dictate when you will sleep, have fun, and get down to business. No extremes are good, and moderation is the key.