Lately, I have been the busiest bee there ever was. When you’re busy, you can lose track of most things that matter. You might be happy if you can see the floor of your room, let alone do any homework. But there are a few things that might hold you together until your schedule frees you up to gather your sanity.

The first thing you can do for yourself is establish a routine. While everyone has the habit of washing their face and brushing their teeth, it’s helpful to do a little more than that to make you feel sane. Anything that reminds you that you are a human being who needs to take care of themselves is a good addition to a routine. One example is waking up a half hour earlier and doing some morning stretches. Routines are also a great way to wake you up in the morning or make you fall asleep at night. If you begin doing the same series of activities every night before you go to bed, you will train yourself to fall asleep and may begin to actually sleep better!

Another thing you can do when you feel yourself falling behind is clean up the material and physical aspects of your life. Being busy causes a lot of people to feel out of control, and you might not even notice that you have been lacking normal confidence or happiness. However, it should not surprise you that being confident in your surrounding and yourself will help you feel happier and in control. If you’re reading this article in a messy room, it might be a good idea to set aside a night to clean it up. I can say firsthand that having a clearer floor can really buy you a clearer head.

The last thing that will help you get yourself back is to pay attention to yourself. So many times I have had friends confide in me about why they’re upset, and most of the time it’s because they are doing everything for everyone else. When you are only helping others it is impossible to feel okay with yourself and to feel like you can keep up. It’s a common phrase, but it’s true that no one is a one hundred dollar bill. If you are only spending time trying to impress everyone else, you are only hurting yourself by trying to achieve the unachievable. Take care of yourself and remember that you are the most important person in your life, and that means making sure that you aren’t making yourself crazy. Even if you haven’t seen a friend in a while, they can wait a few days for you to give yourself some time to sleep.

In the end, you are the person in charge of how your life is going. Being busy is fun, but it can make you feel insane. The most important thing you can do is keep yourself safe, healthy, and happy, and those things can fall on the backburner when you have two essays due and a group project.