A few days ago, I had been scrambling and stressing all day long with three classes, library group work, club flyers to make, homework and papers, and job applications. When I got home that night, my friends were all waiting for me, ready to bring me to Ben and Jerry’s Free Cone Day. We all squished into the car and drove there, listening to songs we all sang the words to, watching the sky change from blue and yellow to bright purple and red. We had driven for an hour only to wait in line for almost the same amount of time in the cold, but watching the sunset and eating free ice cream with my closest friends made it pretty worth it.

I had been anxious and stressed all day, jumping from one thing to the next. But taking time out of my day to spend those couple hours with great company paid off for all the hard work.

It’s those kind of bad days, the ones that seem to never end: when you can’t find one of your shoes and you only have five minutes left until class, when you procrastinate on a bunch of homework and then it all adds up at once, when you wear your shirt inside out all day and no one bothers to tell you, or when you’re just really, really tired; these are the days when little things matter the most.

It is important to take time for ourselves when we feel so down on days like these. It can be easy to get too into our heads and start over thinking when we’re busy with work and stressing about all that lies ahead of us for the future. Treating yourself in these little ways allows you to take just a small amount of time to put yourself first instead of everything else going on.

Spend a couple extra bucks on an overpriced coffee, just ‘cause! Spend hours watching Netflix lying in bed! Wear your jacket with shoulder pads even though everyone else hates it! The simplest of things can make your day easier to get through, whether it be looking at cat accounts on Instagram or rewarding yourself with a long walk at the end of the day. You’re biggest priority should be yourself; make sure you’re taken care of.

Go out of your way to do things for yourself! Wear your favorite outfit, take time to make yourself breakfast in the morning, play cards with your friends, draw even though you suck, look at the stars out the window on the train, ask the stranger walking their dog if you can pet it, chase the sunset with your friends. Your mental health needs to be cared for as much as your physical health.

Motivate yourself and put in effort to reward yourself for everything you stress yourself out for. Slow down, appreciate the warm weather, laugh with your friends. The more you begin to appreciate what little wonders arise in your life, the more you can create memories to look back on, the more you will enjoy your life.