We all have the friend who blows most of their paycheck on the beauty aisles of Target, Sephora, and Ulta. When they're not brunching and boozing with you, they're likely scrolling through their favorite makeup and skincare influencers on Insta and adding new launches to their Amazon cart.
They do your hair before important first dates, give you all their second-hand makeup, and give you better skincare advice than any dermatologist ever could. Now, their birthday's coming up, but they're stuck in the house without you, the bestie they'd already made (travel, paint 'n' sip, dinner, clubbing) plans to celebrate with. The least you could do is beautify their big day with the latest launches — they'll share when quarantine is over, of course.
For the average 20-something, life moves pretty fast. You’ve got classes, friends, relationships, jobs, family, and whatever else we overcommit ourselves with. I probably should have learned to say no to adding more to my schedule a long time ago, but instead here are 11 things that can be more helpful than coffee.
1.Shower
There is nothing more refreshing than a hot shower. Some would argue that morning showers help you have a happier day. Also, you look better and smell better. There is nothing grosser than greasy hair. And it keeps you healthier.
After one all nighter during Freshman year, I realized that sacrificing my Zzzz’s was not worth it. In fact, I ended up forgetting what I had studied the night before, and it threw my whole sleep schedule off. That caused all of my classes to suffer.
Showering and Sleeping are impossible when you don’t schedule. Your day probably has an element of spontaneity to it, however, it is still so helpful to have a basic timeline for your day. Some nights I’ll write each task I need to accomplish on a different sticky note. The joy at the end of the next day of crumpling each accomplished task is something you have to experience!
4. Eat Well
Nixing Ramen and nightly Domino's pizza orders will cause your personal health to skyrocket. Cutting down on caffeine will also help you sleep better. Water is also so important. With all the coffee that makes up a college student’s beverage diet, water gets overlooked. You’ll take one gulp of pure, ice cold drinking water and wonder where the heck this miracle liquid has been.
Last semester, I was exercising sporadically or “when I had time.” Here’s the thing though, an episode of The Office is 20 minutes. I was watching plenty of that. At one point, I felt so freaking stir crazy and threw on my tennis shoes and walked through the freezing Ohio weather to the gym and exercised for like 40 minutes. I’m not trying to be a body builder or anything, but you just feel so much better after a few minutes on the stationary bike or eliptical.
6. Socialize
You need people. Friends are important. My friend and I both had crazy schedules last year, but we’d go to the grocery store together or to Wal Mart and catch up that way. It’s just good to sit and vent with someone every once in awhile. Midnight doughnut runs are also fun, or Mean Girlsmovie nights.
7. Be on Time
This one helps everyone’s productivity. Also, when you strive to be there on the dot, even if you’re a minute or two late, it helps you keep the rest of your life scheduled. Also, if you try to be on time, and plan accordingly, chances are you won’t be super stressed out trying to get somewhere 10 minutes away in 3 minutes.
There is nothing wrong with kicking back and watching a few hours of a TV show. You need it. It’s important to take your mind off the real world for a little bit.
9. Journal/Pray/Reflect
It is vital to look inwardly and see how you’re doing, not just materially, but emotionally and spiritually. If you’re not emotionally doing well, something needs to change. It can be really hard to do well in other aspects of your life if you aren’t feeling well mentally. Journaling is the best free therapist out there, so is talking to a good friend.
10. Gain Perspective
Chances are, you know someone whose schedule is way more intense than yours. Or maybe you know someone who is going through a lot, but still manages to get a lot done. When I start to complain about my course load, I remember that my dad had four kids in medical school and residency. I also tr to remember that there are a lot of people out there who would love to "struggle" with too many classes. Doing something for other people can also really help make life more meaningful.
11. Do what works for you
By the time you’re 18, you know which study methods work for you, and how much sleep you really need every night. There’s going to be people all around you telling you how to live your life. And while there might be some really helpful pointers, only you can know what really works for you!
You probably have some other ideas, but these seem to work pretty dang well!
Resting b***h face. Defined as a person, usually a girl, who naturally looks mean when her face is expressionless, without meaning to. Many of you suffer from this "condition." You are commonly asked what's wrong, when nothing is. What people don't know is that is just your facial expression. Here are some things they wish you knew.
1. You can't control it.
Most of the time, you have absolutely no idea what your facial expression is. It is not directed at one person, and it doesn't usually reflect your mood.
2. You are not always pissed off.
Although people see you and automatically think that you are unhappy, chances are you aren't. I understand the confusion because your face looks the exact same.
When you actually are happy, people won't know. There is nothing more annoying than people who continuously ask what is wrong.
4. Usually, nothing is wrong.
But after hearing that all day long, you start to get annoyed. Well you weren't mad before, but congratulations now something is actually wrong.
5. Sometimes, you use it to your advantage.
For those days when you really don't want to talk to people, it does come in handy. Walk around campus emphasizing the chronic face, -- it's guaranteed no one will approach you.
6. But you actually are approachable most times.
However, it gets frustrating because you truly are an approachable person most times. People just take one look at your face and think the absolute worst. It's not your fault you got stuck with having RBF.
People can totally tell when you fake smile. Again, you're doing it to try and be polite and show that you have emotions, but instead it looks even worse.
8. You are not actually a b***h.
You are just misunderstood. Yeah sometimes you use your amazing resting b***h face to your advantage, but most of the time you are just trying to go about your day. You really don't mean to look like a b***h, you just honestly can't help it.
On a level of 1-10 with 1 being chill and 10 being stressed the flip out, you could say I'm a 9. Worrying about the future, grades, GPA, work, assignments, and a lack of sleep and food will do it to ya.
While it is normal to experience stress and nervousness, the thoughts that come along with it can bring up something else.
1. “What am I supposed to do if everything doesn’t work out like it does in my head?”
It’s normal to stress about the future. I guess the fear of the unknown really takes over. One thing can be totally and completely planned out in your head, but in reality, it’s just in your head.
2. “I really hope everything I’ve learned can be used to make a difference one day.”
Ah, the what if’s. “What if I majored in Forensic Science or Elementary Education?” “What if I went to a different university?” “What if I didn’t go out of state?” Happens more often than not.
Wanting to grow up is all you can think about in high school. But being away from them truly show how much their physical absence can influence everything.
If you’ve ever looked into graduate school degrees, you know that there is so much in-depth studies that you can earn your Master’s degree in. With most demanding jobs requiring a graduate degree, it can be nerve racking to decide what to study in what is “the beginning of the end.“
10. “What am I going to do when my meal card runs out?”
The dreaded hour. I dont’t think anyone is really ready for the moment that their meal card shuts back down to zero. When those double digits come up, you know the end is near.
Evaluating your place in life and things like your job and degree path may be overwhelming. Thinking that what you’re doing is a waste of time will only put you steps back from where you need to be.
College students, you might be able to relate to this one. These probably sound familiar because we often tell ourselves these phrases; however, we are unable to follow or agree with these the following, deep down inside of our overwhelmed, tired minds.
1. "No more spending money on useless things"
Until you walk into a 99 cents store and suddenly have the urge to pick up anything that's less than a dollar.
2. "I'm going to be a responsible adult"
Well, I did my own laundry if that counts.
3. "I will stop spending so much money on food"
My eating routine consists of breakfast, breakfast part 2, brunch, brunch part 2, lunch, lunch part 2, dinner, dinner part 2, and a midnight "snack".
Although I spent more than 12 hours on this paper, I'm sure I can finish it by 3 a.m.
6. "I had a great, relaxing weekend"
Said no college student ever. What's a weekend without 3 papers, 2 presentations, and 2 tests worth 50% of my grade?
7. "I don't miss homemade food"
I had the wonderful opportunity, as a commuter student, to try food from the campus dining hall. I have to admit that I am so grateful for homemade food!
8. "I'll start studying for finals one month early"
This one is quite difficult of a goal to accomplish since the curriculums haven't been completed yet. Nonetheless, we can start revising old notes in the meantime.
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