10 Ways to Make the Juggle Less of a Struggle

Sometimes this life can be overwhelming: with school having already started, new jobs on the rise, internships, chores to get through, and not to mention our social lives. It is essential that we learn how we can best balance our life duties.

Here are 10 ways to make the juggle of those tasks less of a struggle:

1. Make a To Do List. It’s a simple way to get what you need done! Categorize what is priority by putting a star next the ones that are top priority.

2. Look into having a planner. There are a variety of ones out there from the Passion Planner to small ones that you can get at Walmart or Target. Most middle schools and high schools should provide one (or at least they did when I was in school!) An alternative is to use a Calendar app to put in all your important deadlines and appointments so you don’t forget!

3. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals. When you are looking to pursue a dream, passion, career, or school that is a long term goal, make sure to write out something that is specific, measurable (something you can track and know when you’ve met your goal), attainable (how do you know you can achieve it and what step will you need to take?), realistic (what are foreseeable hurdles to overcome? And if none, great!), and timely (by when do you want to complete it?).

4. Use a timer. To get your goals done in reasonable amount of time, use a timer. Take breaks within that time. This is great for when you are writing papers. Back in college, I would do the 30-10 rule. Work super focused for 30 minutes on a task, and take a break (less than 10 minutes).

5. Take care of your heart. Give yourself grace and space to process. Express gratitude at the end of every day, whether you journal it or silently declare your thanksgiving to yourself or the other people in your life. It is a great way to enjoy that much more of life.

6. Eat healthy. That’s a given, but it’s hard when sometimes you are not in as much control over your meals, especially when you’re a minor. Either way, have a healthy balance of fun goodies and healthy snacks. An apple a day (or any fruit serving really) is great nutrition in the morning.

7. Find an accountability partner. When it comes to being productive, if there a task that you are struggling to complete that you really want to work on, find someone who can really help make sure that you are on the right track! Ideally, this might be someone who cares about you! It can be a friend, a caretaker, or whoever would be wise enough to keep you moving upward.

8. Create soft and hard deadlines (if you’re the type to not procrastinate).That way, you can find a way to do certain things prior to the deadline (with my maybe a soft goal in mind of getting the majority, if not, all of it completed) and do other task after the first deadline if it’s not completed yet.

9. If you procrastinate, play and create to alleviate extra stress! Don’t overstress about some things when something is soon to be due. Find healthy energy enhancing activities, like going for a run, a swim, playing basketball, or even dancing, so that you can be productive last minute. It can relieve unnecessary stress!

10. Laughter is the best medicine! Whether it’s a funny movie, a comedy a show, a funny friend, or any good, a hardy laugh from a reputable source will do wonders for the mind, body, and soul!