HEALTH

Wellness

5 things you can do tonight for a better day tomorrow

Do you wake up every a.m. feeling frazzled? Are you often rushing out the door, late to class or forgetting your homework? Um, girl, we've been there.

They say that a good day starts the night before, but what steps can you take today for a better tomorrow? These simple tricks will help you face your next wake-up call with confidence—not chaos.

Tidy up

Being in your clean girl era isn't just about skincare! When you're busy with HW, friends, exams and extracurriculars, clutter naturally builds up. Alleviate some of the messiness by tidying up for 20 minutes at the end of each night.

Even just small amounts of tidying can have a huge effect on your mental health. Studies have shown that cleaning can help you cope with stress, even if the stress itself isn't directly related to clutter. Sorry to break it to you, but your 'rents were right: A clean room really does make you feel better!

Our tip: Take a few small steps each night to establish a cleaning routine. Tasks like washing your water bottle, emptying trash from your backpack and putting away the things you've used throughout the day (think: that can of hairspray or tube of lip gloss) are all great places to start. Light aand play some soft music while you clean, so you can *really* reap the benefits of a relaxed evening.

Journal

Ever had one of those sleepless nights where you're tossing and turning, thinking about everything that could've gone differently that day? Writing out your thoughts can help you process and acknowledge tough emotions, which helps you feel a bit more grounded. Doing a simple nightly "brain dump," (where you randomly write down everything that's on your mind with no organized structure) has been proven to boost your quality of sleep.

Our tip: We get it—sometimes the last thing you want to do after a long day of schoolwork is write even more. But you don't have to draft an entire page to reap the rewards of nightly journaling! This Calm The Chaos journal offers several daily prompts that are perfect for dumping your thoughts before bed. The prompts change daily, so you'll always be thinking about new ways to be grateful, confident and kind to yourself.

Nightly affirmations

It's really nice to hear things like "you're doing great!" and "you've got this!", especially at the end of an exhausting day. If you need a pick-me-up when you're winding down for bed, try listening to some positive affirmations. Sometimes, our negative thoughts tend to present themselves at night, after we've tackled everything on our to-do list. But affirmations are a great way to combat the negativity with some kind and affirming words.

Our tip: There are tons of ways you can incorporate affirmations into your wind-down routine. Podcasts like The Affirmation Babe and YouTube channels like Jessica Heslop offer a variety of soothing affirmations that range from categories like "Lucky Girl Affirmations," to "Calming Anxiety." Press play on the positivity tonight, and you're more likely to hit pause on the chaos tomorrow.

Schedule out your day

When do you usually check your planner? How often? If you're someone who only checks their planner when you know you've got something big coming up, you're likely missing out on a lot of benefits. If you go to bed knowing everything you've got planned for the next day, you can wake up feeling prepared. (And you won't be surprised by any math tests you might've forgotten about!)

Our tip: Bullet journals are such an incredible tool when it comes to scheduling! Bullet journaling is a fun and creative way to organize your reminders, to-do lists, upcoming events and other important tasks that may have slipped your mind. There are tons of websites (like 101Planners) that offer downloadable bullet journal templates that you can print out and use immediately.

Get some zzz's

This may seem like the most obvious tip for having a good morning, but it's the one that tends to get neglected the most. You can't prioritize your health if you're running on empty. Studies have shown that a bad night's sleep is more likely to cause an increase in agitation and anxiety. Teens need about 8-10 hours of sleep per night—so make those zzz's a priority.

Our tip: Limit screentime at night, establish a consistent routine (aka go to bed at the same time every day) and avoid caffeine (including soda and matcha) several hours before bed.