I’m back!! What a long but necessary break I’ve had! Many of you know I’m a full time student currently in an accelerated summer semester and bracing myself for a fall semester full of 18 credits. With that being said, your patience is appreciated. I’ve been dying to get back in my schedule of writing posts while still keeping balance of all other aspects of my life. And since the summer being a reward after a hard days work won’t be around for much longer, I know I’m not alone. Because some of us are entering a frenzy, others of us are attempting to fulfill new goals and challenges and the rest of us may be trying to figure out what we want for the rest of the year, what’s better than learning 12 ways to simplify the mind? 

For most of my life, many have stressed themselves out trying to understand why I’m hardly ever stressed but to me, it’s simple: I don’t hold onto things that don’t pertain to what’s in front of me at each given moment. Right about now you’re probably saying: “yeah, right,” but you can do it too and this is how:

1. Every morning and night, go over what you need to get done during the (following) day. Don’t go over your agenda more than twice, don’t overthink or over complicate your list in any way. Focus on the simple tasks that must be fulfilled then do them. 
2. Give yourself “me time” every day: Before bed, have an hour to yourself. When you wake up, watch a show (something to get you ready for the day – ted talk, motivational speech) before you jump straight into your day.
3. Bouncing off number 2, save your leisure time for the evening. I love a good reality TV show (currently obsessed with 90 Day Fiance + Married At First Sight), BUT that is my reward for getting through a productive day.
4. Remember that productive doesn’t have to mean you were active for every moment of the day. As long as you complete your simple tasks, you win. 
5. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I know, I can’t believe I said that either but seriously – if you need a break, take a break. Take several. It took me years to realize overworking myself for the sake of my pride and “work ethic” didn’t mean much if I felt so drained at the end of every day.
6. When you take breaks or have down time throughout the day, make sure you’re doing something that’ll enrich you: exercise, watch a movie in another language, meditate, etc. Your brain will be so focused on what’s next that you’ll forget what you were doing 30 minutes before. 
7. Save yourself by doing tasks in intervals: The last thing you want to do is clean the house after a stressful day at work but give yourself 30-45 minutes to straighten up and see how far that takes you!
8. De-clutter your phone: Many of us are guilty of holding onto way too many e-mails, text messages and apps that we either don’t use or don’t need anymore. Here’s a tip: if you’re not going to reply, get rid of it. If you haven’t touched the app in 30 days, why have it?
9. De-clutter your bad habits: It’s okay to play that word game or spend hours on social media but spread it out. With those as your main hobbies, you train your brain to get into more of a routine meaning you’re not getting much out of these! 
10. Re-approach what stresses you out the most: So you have a hard time figuring out what to wear in the morning? Plant the idea of what you’re going for in your head the night before (only items you actually have in your wardrobe). Make sure your laundry is done for no surprises. Hold yourself accountable and plan before you conquer. 
11. Don’t forget the extent in which you need to be selfish. Evaluate the problems, you’re allowing yourself to hold onto that aren’t yours. It’s great to be an ear for everybody, I consider myself one too, but know not to let those things consume you. 
12. For some extra clarity, drink water. “I drink water every day and it doesn’t do anything for me,” I get it, but I promise that once you successfully complete the other 11 steps, your mind will start quieting and every time you drink water it’ll be like you’re learning some kind of new knowledge. Water has a funny way of getting rid of the excess. 

Remember: your mind does what it tells you too. I promise if you can force yourself to stop thinking about work/school, your latest family/friends gossip as well as your desires for 20 minutes and completely silence the mind (no it’s not hard when you really try), you won’t believe what just happened. 

What’s your beloved stress-reliever?

XO,

Tori