As much as I complain about being busy -- which is pretty often -- I love it. I know that sounds odd, especially since I’ve written so much about how being busy has caused a lot of personal struggle. But without the chaos, my mind seems to really slow down, and I'm not on top of what needs to be done. And I really do mean that.

I’ve been sucked into social media, Netflix and YouTube all because I’m usually thinking about all the time that I have left in the day. So once it hits 10 p.m., it’s like a scene from a cartoon where I panic over the fact that I have done nothing. And I hate it. During the academic year, there is no problem in getting me to do things. In fact, I will stack my plate just so that I feel really accomplished by the end of the day. But during the summer, I lag so much and feel like I only do the bare minimum. So here are a few ways that I use to keep myself busy during my not so busy times in order to feel like all is right with my world.

1. Plan out your day

I am the worst at this during the busy times of the year. I am the champion of maintaining a beautiful planner during the academic year with tons of tasks to be checked off. But during the summer, it is so much harder for me to get momentum going. So I like to plan out the things that I do daily as my main to do list. For example, getting to the gym is 100% harder during the summer. But I realized that if I make it the one thing I have to check off for the day, I am on it.

2. Make the most of your mornings

I can already hear people saying, “But I’m not a morning person!” Yeah, I know. I am a college student and if there is anything that I’ve learned within the past three years is how to stay in bed as long as possible and be able to get out the door in five minutes. But I’ve come to realize that getting up whenever your alarm goes off aids in the productive feeling that follows you throughout the day. I know this is hard, but I promise it works.

3. Get rid of social media

Don’t come after me!! I know this one is so hard to do. But I always find myself scrolling through Facebook or Instagram in the morning when I really should be getting ready. If that is a temptation for you, then take the apps off your phone. Or keep your phone on airplane mode until you’ve gotten up. Or if you find yourself constantly checking your feed when you really should be doing other things, then find a way to block it for a certain amount of time so you can get things done.

4. Find your motivation

Something that helps me get through my day is positive reinforcement. So throughout my day, I like to spread out the things I like to do with the other daily tasks. For example, I love listening to podcasts, so if I need to go do some errands or chores I listen to them as I go along. I think it’s a nice alternative to music. Or if you really like reading, then split your reading up for the day and make it so that by the time you finish your goal for the day you also finish the other tasks.

Hopefully these tips help you, whether or you like to keep busy or not. And if you get into the habit of being really lazy during the summer (guilty!) then maybe these will work for you.