If I have learned anything about being in my twenties, it is that it's almost impossible to come off as if you have your life together. There's nothing like that two-day cleaning sweep before your parents come to visit you, just to convince them that your solely focused on your studies and you weren't out until 4am the night before. It's okay, we all play that game.

I'll be honest, I have gone through periods where I feel like I've lost control. Four midterms, two all-nighters, and trying to maintain a social life will do that to you. You're inhuman if you're able to keep it together 24/7/365.

I'm not saying that what I have tried will work for everybody, but it has made a huge difference for me. I asked myself, "why am I pretending to have it all together when I should actually be trying to not fall a part?" This age-old remedy cured my anxiety in ways no glass of wine ever could. What did I do?

I freakin' made my bed every morning.

It seems small...and it is. But in my 21 years, I have come to realize that sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. I knew that I would not be successful in school if I didn't find a way to ACTUALLY keep it all together. So, I started making changes from the moment I wake up. I'm not kidding, making my bed is the first thing I do when my feet hit the floor.

It's amazing how clean your room looks when your pillows are in order and not all over your room. Starting my day with some organization creates consistency and then I am more likely to keep that organized consistency throughout the day. Plus, when you come home and it's time to study or do homework, your room is clean and less distracting.

I have been keeping the bed-making habit up for about two years now. Notice that I said habit. Not chore, not thing, not activity...but habit. A good habit. An important habit. A habit that keeps me sane in a time when the world feels like it's spinning a million miles a minute.

I'm not perfect, and sometimes I don't have the energy to spend five extra minutes to make my bed. What I have noticed though is that if I don't start my morning with organization, the rest of the day will follow suit. Halfway through my morning, I will begin to dread coming home to my unmade bed. Side note: I worked way too hard on decorating my room for it to look that way!

So, long story short, if my bed is not put together, neither am I.

It's that simple.