#1. A bad day does not equal a bad life.

Bad days…we all have them. When they happen, it can be pretty easy to find ourselves jumping to the conclusion that we have an absolutely sucky life, and if you’re theatrical like me, then you might even be thinking that your world is ending.

If you find yourself in this situation then the first step is to remember that a bad day does not equal a bad life. Unlike that super tall bump in the road that you absolutely do everything in your power to swerve around when you’re commuting in the morning, in this situation the best thing to do is be strong and find a way to get over it.

#2. Let go of the little things.

This one goes along with tip #1. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

I know we hear this phrase often, but it’s high-key super true. What’s important here is to recognize that you have total control over what you do and don’t let affect you. It sounds pretty easy to do, but it’s a skill not many have.

Once this is done, you will have learned how to have total control of your happiness, and that’s super cool. So the next time something upsets you (which will most likely be something super small) take a moment and ask yourself, “is it really worth giving my happiness up for?”, and chances are the answer will be no.

#3. Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Mistakes... we all make them. People mess up, it happens! Instead of beating ourselves up about whatever it is we may have dropped the ball on, we should put our energy towards making sure we learn from our mistake so that it doesn’t happen again.

It’s said that forgiveness is key, but many forget that that rule applies not only to others but also themselves. It’s hard, I can attest to that, but it can be done, and when it is, make sure you let go and don’t dwell!

#4. Know when to turn off.

Personally speaking, between trying to balance classes, homework, work, and a social life, it can be pretty easy to make “me time” an optional thing.

It. Should. Not. Be. An. Optional. Thing.

It’s hard because priorities, I know, but how can you expect to be happy if you don’t take the time to do something that makes you totally 100% happy?

Don’t get me wrong, I love school and I love working, but if I had to choose one thing that I could spend every waking moment of every day doing, neither of those two things would be at the top of my list.

So even if you have to literally schedule it in your calendar or daily agenda, make time every day to give yourself the “me time” you deserve.

#5. Embrace the mess of it all.

Because life is just that: a mess. It’s a mess full of struggles, mistakes, and bad days, but it is also so much more than that. All of those things are incredibly minuscule in comparison to all of the amazing things that you have already been presented with, and those that are yet to come.

So, embrace your messy life, because it’s a beautiful thing and it’s yours, and how you live it is completely up to you.