• Create consistency in what you do every day while still being flexible, especially when building good habits. I have a reminder set every day to tell me to clean for 10 minutes, another to study for 30 minutes. By setting standards to things you should do every day, you’re not only creating good habits but you’re also ending every day with a feeling of productivity.

• Say yes to more opportunities you get to interact with other people. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that you get. even if something may feel small or insignificant, the more you allow yourself to experience, the more you’ll have to remember and cherish. You’ll also be able to learn and grow closer to others at the same time.

• Say no to more favors. Just because someone asks you for help or to do something for them, you don’t always have to say yes. If you know you won’t be able to fully accomplish something to the best of your ability, if you’re already overwhelmed with other things going on, or if you simply don’t want to do something, then don’t. It’s okay to say no sometimes.

• Disassociate learning from being tedious and boring. Even if something doesn’t strike passion or interest in you, you should be able to take pride in the things that you know and have a general motivation and urge to know more. ask more questions. Pay attention to when people are telling you things, whether it be a teacher or a friend telling you a story. Everything has the potential to teach you something new and everything new that you learn should feel like an accomplishment.

• Learn to take advantage of free time. whenever you have a free thirty minutes after you finish an assignment, or just ten minutes waiting to be called to an appointment, use your time wisely. instead of immediately jumping to your phone, spend your time working on something you need to get done. Whether that be an assignment, decluttering your phone or backpack or reading an interesting book, you’ll be left with a feeling of productivity. You can either procrastinate and work for hours to finish things just before they’re due, or you can finish those tasks gradually over brief time periods and have those hours for free-time later.

• Create visual reminders of the things you need to get done. Create a to-do list. Add things to it when you receive new tasks to complete. Check it when you have free time to get things done. check things off or remove things from the list when they’re completed. You will feel more accomplished and motivated if you can see yourself physically removing a stressor from your life. If the list is overwhelming, keep it short, with only 3-5 items on it at any given time.

• Know that’s it’s okay to cry and be sad and stressed and overwhelmed sometimes. Accept that there’s nothing embarrassing about crying and there’s no reason to feel scared to tell someone you’re upset, either for closure, moral support or simply a place to get your feelings out. Crying should be like a reset button where you can deal with any built up emotions and put them to rest.

• Stop trying to rationalize staying up late just for the fun of it. Your time will be better enjoyed when you’re well rested and going about your day. Finish the things you need to get done plenty early enough that you have time to relax and decongest before sleeping. When you do sleep, shoot for a regular schedule of when you’re lights out/phone off. You should likely be sleeping 1-2 hours earlier than you are right now, and I promise that you will feel the difference when you get that extra shut-eye.

Think of the best influence in your life. Why are they your role model? What do you admire about them? What do they do that makes a difference in your own life? Try to mirror that on your own terms. You need to be able to mentally picture yourself as happy, productive and stress-free. Imagine yourself as the happiest version of yourself, the one you would want to befriend and look up to. Imagine yourself as that person, and then you’ll be able to become them.