1. Create a sustainable sleep schedule.

Oh yes, I went there. Not only is it essential to make sure you're getting in 6-8 hours of sleep, but it is also important to try your best to keep your snooze time consistent. Keeping a sleep schedule allows you to get the best quality sleep that you can by keeping your circadian rhythm in check.

2. The early bird gets the worm

As painful as it sounds, waking up earlier than you might like to can actually have a positive impact on the rest of your day. By getting up a little bit earlier, even if its only an hour, you give yourself more time to complete the day's tasks. Oversleeping, though tempting, can actually negatively effect your energy levels and motivation. Nobody needs 12 hours of sleep. Get your 6-8 hours, and get on with it.

3. Breakfast, baby!

This one goes hand in hand with the last. If you get up on the early side, you have more time to eat in the morning, at an appropriate time. If you're someone who sleeps in until noon or later, you're basically waking up at lunchtime, and starting your calorie-intake later in the day than you could be. Getting up and making sure to sit down for a proper breakfast, as long as you make healthy choices, properly replenishes your body with the nutrients that you went without while you were asleep. Additionally, it kickstarts your metabolism and energy for the day and is proven to help prevent overeating later on. Skipping breakfast, regardless of whether this choice is due to a messed up sleep schedule or the idea that it might save you some calories is actually linked to weight problems. This is because skipping breakfast leaves you starving by lunchtime, causing you to eat more than you maybe need to, and potentially leading you to make food choices that aren't quite as beneficial to your body. Moral of the story: breakfast.

4. HYDRATE

I cannot stress this one enough. Hydration is one of the most essential components of your routine. When you wake up each day, have a glass of water. For even more benefits, opt for some lemon water, or caffeine-free green tea. All of this options offer your body the hydration it needs after you've been sleeping for an extended period of time. It also kickstarts your metabolism and energy, allowing you to be reading for whatever the day has in store. Especially if you're a coffee addict, making sure to drink plenty of water ensures that you won't end the day in a dehydrated state. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it causes your body to lose fluids, and this can result in you feeling foggy. Water is a natural energy booster that also flushes toxins from your body and keeps your mind clear, and you won't be drinking your calories if that is something you worry about. Go for a glass of water in the morning and evening, as well as whenever you find yourself with a moment to spare. It is easy to neglect this important part of your day when you're loaded down with errands or work, but try to keep it a part of your routine. Set reminders for yourself if you find that you're going the majority of the day without hydrating, or use an app that sends reminders for you and lets you keep track of how much water you're taking in.

5. Practice mindfulness.

Though this might sound strange to some, mindfulness is so, so important. It doesn't have to mean you need to sit down and meditate on a yoga mat. It doesn't even mean you have to move from where you are right now. All that's truly necessary to improve mindfulness is a moment or two out of your day for you to come back to yourself and focus on being in the moment. What I mean by this is throughout the day, whenever you feel yourself going into autopilot, growing overwhelmed, or moving nonstop, take a minute, literally 60 seconds, to stop everything you're doing and focus on nothing but your breath. You owe it to yourself.

6. No thanks, negativity.

It might sound simple enough, but combatting negativity in your life can be difficult. Start small. When you find yourself falling into a negative spiral, drowning in anxious thoughts, or simply stressed, take a second to change the path of your thoughts. Instead of allowing yourself to get caught up in the "What if it goes wrong?" mentality, ask yourself "What if it goes right?". If you do this enough, you will become accustomed to examining the positive possibilities more than the hypothetical, negative ones. Getting caught up in bothersome hypothetical situations can drive anyone insane, and its a cycle that, once you break it, can be life-changing.

On another note, try to eliminate unnecessary sources of negativity from your life. Is there someone whose negativity energy of their own is bringing you down? Is something weighing on your shoulders? If so, acknowledge it and move away from it. Resolve small conflicts that, though minor, might be dragging you down more than you think. Break ties with toxic "friends" who seem to appear only when they need something, and bring a boatload of negativity with them when they do appear. These are examples of sources of negativity that you might be dealing with that are really, ultimately unnecessary. Don't allow yourself to put up with any more negativity than is absolutely necessary.

7. Take a tech break.

Especially now that so many parts of our day rely on technology, it's easy to get completely drawn in. Though technology can be extremely helpful and is beneficial in many ways, it is also important to give it a rest. If you're spending hours at a time using your phone, or laptop, or other smart devices every day, get into the habit of taking some time offline. Set a schedule for yourself if need be, and take a walk outside, for example, after every hour or two of being online. This goes especially for those whose jobs require constant online access or situations in which it is absolutely necessary to be in front of a screen. Certainly take care of your responsibilities, but also be mindful of how many consecutive hours you are spending on a device.

8. Avoid isolation.

As human beings, we naturally crave interaction with other humans. Because of this, it is important to make sure you are getting in time with friends and loved ones. Being social and spending time with people you enjoy being around is not only a mood booster, but also keeps you in a healthy place as a whole. If you get into the habit of isolating yourself, whether it is or isn't intentional, you could actually end up developing anxieties when it comes to social situations. Once this occurs, you risk falling into a downward spiral, continuing to isolate yourself and ultimately damage connections you have with others.

If you feel that these anxieties already exist, or are on their way, take small steps. Immediately forcing yourself or allowing others to force you into a social situation can be extremely triggering to someone with anxiety, so start off slow. Spend time with your closest friend, for example. Start with people you are truly comfortable, and work from there. Reach out to people you maybe haven't seen in a while, or people you'd like to see more often. Stay in this routine and eventually you might find that your fears have diminished (that is, of course, as long as these are fears that resulted from isolating yourself for an extended period of time. If you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder or suspect that you do, professional assistance and advice are much more beneficial than anything I can tell you).

9. Take time for yourself.

You might start off your week with quite the to-do list, and at the top of that list, you should include some me-time. Especially when you go into productivity-mode, it is good to give yourself a break and take time to decompose and do things you enjoy. It is up to you when you want to take this time for yourself, whether it be at the beginning of a long week to prepare for what's ahead, or at the end of the week as a reward, so to speak. As long as you get in some time that is dedicated just to you, you'll find your spirits lifted.

10. Set goals.

Staying motivated helps you maintain productivity, ultimately allowing you to finish products efficiently and effectively. By setting goals and including dates for these goals, you are likely to be more driven in the process of getting there. Productivity allows you to avoid the plague of procrastination by encouraging you to get things done... and we all know how rewarding it feels when you finish something and are happy with the end result. The sooner you start a project and get the ball rolling, the easier the rest of it will be.