Sometimes, life can really get you down. Sometimes, it is hard to make yourself get up and go to classes and meetings and whatever else you have to go to in a day; sometimes it is hard to keep yourself moving when all you want to do is lay in bed and sleep for the rest of eternity. This is a rut I have found myself in many times before (and that I am, admittedly, stuck in right now). Here are a few tips on getting your life together when it feels like it is falling apart:
Get up and get ready. This sounds ridiculously simple, but this is one thing that really helps me to feel better when I am going through a rough time. My morning routine is very important to me; I do my makeup and hair almost every day, and this helps me to concentrate on something I enjoy and makes me feel a little more confident throughout the day. Some people like to do yoga or go for a run in the morning; others like to make breakfast and tidy up their rooms before they head out to class. Set up a morning routine and stick to it; you will be amazed at how much better you feel throughout the day just because you took some time to yourself before you headed out the door in the morning.
Get some sleep. Even though getting up and getting ready is important, it is just as important to get some sleep. Being sleep-deprived gets you nowhere, believe me; you will be tired all day, and being tired leads you to being irritable and unable to concentrate, which makes you more likely to make bad decisions and to make mistakes, which you don't want to happen. All-nighters are going to happen sometimes, but try not to make them a regular thing. Which leads me into the next tip...
Stop leaving your assignments until the last minute. Hello, my name is Kelsey, and I am a procrastinator. But I shouldn't be, and nor should you. Look, I know that work can mount up without you even realizing it and suddenly you have 3 papers, a project, and a billion smaller homework assignments due in the same week. This, however, can easily be avoided by not waiting until 3 days before everything is due to get started. Most of your professors have a schedule attached to their syllabus that tells you when assignments are due; I have a rule that I have to start big assignment (such as a paper or a project) no later than two weeks before it is due (a rule I came up with after pulling an all-nighter on an incredibly frustrating research paper my Freshman year), and earlier if I can manage it. I always feel so much better when I have an assignment finished a few days early, and I notice that I make better grades on the assignment too because I have had time to make revisions as I see fit before I submit it for grading.
Plan for your day. This is such a cliché tip, but planning for your day really does give you a sense of direction and make you feel like you are a more put-together person. I do not go crazy with my planning; I have a small planner I picked up from Target that I write things like appointments, assignments that are due, and upcoming events in. Find a planner system that works for you; some people really love Day Designers (they have a line at Target as well!), others love Erin Condren planners, and others love to create their own Bullet JournaI. Find what you like and what helps you the most, and start planning your days; I don't plan every second of my day, but even planning out small portions of my day help me to feel more put-together and in control of my life.
Take a break. Sometimes, when you are stressed out and have a ton of assignments to get through, you forget to stop, breathe, and take a break from working. The fact of the matter is, it is not good for you to work, work, work and never take a break from it. I find that, if I don't take breaks, my concentration levels drop and it takes me longer to accomplish a task, which leads to decreased productivity and increased stress levels, which is the exact opposite of what I want. So, while you are studying or working on that big project, take a break; walk outside, stretch, get a snack, do whatever it is you feel you need to do, then go back and continue working. A quick break can make you feel more refreshed and ready to tackle the task at hand.
Clean your living space. I am really bad about not cleaning like I should; my apartment tends to look like my backpack exploded all over it, and I often work so late into the night that I go to bed without taking the time to put things back where they belong. This causes me to stress about the fact that my home is dirty, and that stress overwhelms me and makes me want to clean even less. When you take the time to clean your home, though, it gives you a great sense of satisfaction, lifts some of your stress, and makes you feel like your life is more put together.
Make time for friends-- seriously. It is very easy to shut yourself up in your room and avoid people when you are going through a rough patch in your life; this is bad. Your friends care about you, and you would probably be happier if you talked to them instead of neglecting them. I know how easy it is to tell your friends "I can't go out with you, I'm busy" every single time they ask you to do something, but it is super important that you try to make time for them every once in a while; go out to a movie with them for a couple of hours on a Friday night -- it won't make that big of a difference in your busy schedule, I promise.
And, lastly...
Make time to care for yourself. This is the most important thing you can do to get yourself and your life together. A lot of college-aged kids get so caught up in school and clubs and sports and campus activities that they forget to take time out for themselves. I encourage you to take a moment, sit down, and think about something you would like to do for yourself today; maybe today is the day that you start doing yoga (I had my first at-home yoga session this morning-- I plan on doing it again tomorrow; also, here is the video I followed), maybe you want to pop on a face mask and focus on your skincare, maybe you want to paint a painting for the pure joy of it and not because you have to do it for a class. Whatever it is that you have been wanting to do for a long time, do it. Try something new, do something you used to love doing but have forgotten about it the hustle and bustle of college life; do whatever makes you feel good about yourself and your life.
Do whatever makes you feel like you have your life together.
