Do you ever feel like you are so busy and stressed that you don’t have time to eat or take a deep breath?
Being a full-time student with two jobs and an internship, while also being involved in three extracurricular activities can easily get overwhelming, but it’s definitely do-able as long as you keep your priorities straight and manage your time wisely.
Here are a few things I do to keep up with my responsibilities while also maintaining a social life:
1. Plan, plan, plan
Before I go to bed every night, I write down exactly what I have to do the next day. This includes the simplest things such as eating (sometimes I even write what I am going to eat). Doing this helps me not waste any time deciding what to do next and gives me a sense of accomplishment when I have finished my tasks. College is stressful, I know, but trust me, having something to be proud of yourself for at the end of each day makes a huge difference.
2. Stay organized
When I wake up at 7 AM to get ready for work and have a nine-hour work/school day ahead of me, the last thing I want is for my getting ready process to be stressful. I cannot express enough how much keeping your room clean and organized helps with starting your day with a clear, stress-free mindset. If you want to be super extra about it like me, setting your clothes out each night for the next day also helps save time and decisions in the morning (even if it’s just an oversized t-shirt and leggings).
3. ALWAYS have snacks
3/5 days of the week, I leave my house at 7:45 and don’t get back until around 5. Since I spend these days jumping around from my jobs and classes, I don’t have a set lunch break. The last thing you want when you have a busy schedule is not eating all day and feeling like you have no energy to complete your tasks. Each night before I go to bed, I pack a few healthy snacks in my backpack like a KIND bar, nuts, and some type of fruit to keep myself full all day even if I can’t sit down and have an actual lunch.
4. Look good, feel good
Self-care makes a huge impact on your mindset and energy for each day. The two biggest things I have found to be the most important are always making myself look presentable in the morning and always taking my makeup off and having cool down time at night. Trust me, I have had many days where I just go to class looking like a bum that just woke up, but those are also the days I feel the least motivated. Having that time to yourself in the morning to get ready can make the biggest impact on your outlook for the day. If you decide to put makeup on, don’t forget to take it off at night! Not only is this terrible for your skin, but you will have to take it off in the morning and take longer to get ready.
5. Make time for free time
As busy as my schedule gets, I still have free time every night and every weekend as long as I prioritize my tasks during the day. Just because you have a million commitments doesn’t mean you won’t have time for a social life. In order to keep your mental health balanced, you have to make time to do things you enjoy. Whether this is doing something on your own or with friends, it’s extremely necessary. You only go to college once, and your best friend’s room won’t always be down the hallway, so make the most of it while it lasts.
Take good care of yourself, have fun, and stay focused.
Xoxo,
Melody