Picture this. You wake up 10 minutes before a huge exam that you stayed up all night studying for. Naturally, you lunge out of bed and look like a chicken with its head cut off as you scurry to class. You make it in time only to realize that you aren't wearing a bra and haven't brushed your teeth. After all of this, you are still expected to make a good grade.
Maybe this scenario has never happened to you, but let's be honest, life is full of hot mess moments. There is nothing more frustrating than spilling coffee or ketchup on your super cute new top. What about that time you walked all the way to class with your zipper down or your backpack halfway open. My personal favorite is when you magically trip over nothing, and people ask if you're okay. You guessed it, I needed you to notice that I fell instead of just getting up and pretending like nothing happened. Classic.
Ladies, it is impossible to keep it together 24/7. Yet, we try to obtain this unrealistic perfection. So, let's cut the crap and admit that we are all hot messes. As a hot mess, the harder you strive, the more miserably you fail. It is unreasonable for society to expect us to look cute, exercise, eat right, sleep 8 hours, have a social life, and to succeed in school. Writing and reading that list is exhausting in itself. Sadly, it is unlikely that society will change these expectations. Therefore, you must change them for yourself.
It is important to understand that you have a lot on your plate, and it will probably be that way for a while. Adulting comes with many responsibilities, but don't be discouraged by this. You must also recognize that many aspects make up a healthy lifestyle. However, sometimes there aren't physically enough hours in the day to tend to each aspect. This doesn't mean that you have failed. It is crucial to give yourself an achievable number of tasks to accomplish in a day. Skip the gym if you have a test, but have a healthy dinner to compensate. That doesn't mean you use school or work as an excuse, so you never have to step into a gym again. There just needs to be a little give and compromise. Maybe you need to spend time with your family instead of going to that party. Again, that doesn't mean you have to miss every social event. Your needs must be met first.
Each day is different and brings its own new set of challenges. The college lifestyle is unpredictable, and that is what makes it so fun. You can succeed in all aspects if you figure out how to moderate each one.
Life is a balance. As for the hot mess moments, it is guaranteed that there will be more to come. All you can do is laugh at yourself. If you can't, I am sure your friends will be there to do so.
