Uh yeah, it’s hard. Life. Living. Being an adult with stacking responsibilities, trying to find purpose and meaning while also supporting ourselves, caring for others, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, feeling great, and overall crushing it? We don’t recall coming out of the womb juggling, do you? But it’s fine, everything’s fine. (Cue nervous laugh.)
We can’t give you your purpose, and we won’t pretend to be finished with the lifelong journey of Buddhist ideals, aka understanding the meaning of life, accepting suffering and ourselves, and being enlightened. However, we’ve rounded up some amazing hacks to help make the way a *little* bit softer, more peaceful, clear-skinned, and efficient.
Make it a point not to look at your phone or computer for at least an hour upon waking. Yes, that even means on the toilet. Remember books? Try a quick morning meditation, or read a chapter before anything else. Anxiety levels will drop a significant amount when we remember the significance of truly quiet, reflective, in-the-moment time.
Wash all your veggies as soon as you get back from the store.
It may sound like a lot of work, but we have to unload as soon as we get home anyway, right? Wash your fruits and veggies before popping them in the fridge. That’s right, bust out ye olde salad spinner and glass jars to rinse and trim greens, pop herbs into some water, and right into the fridge. Dinner just got a lot less cumbersome, and the fridge is looking like an organic market selection. Cute.
Get a cute, BIG water bottle.
Yeah, yeah. We’re always saying hydration is important, but when it comes down to it, we never get around to those 2-3 liters a day. Psych! With a cute water bottle, we can set daytime goals for a refill. Fill it 2-3x a day, and boom. Skin? Glowing.
Add things to your water.
Oh, but what’s that? Water is boring? It doesn’t have to be. In fact, our filtration systems zap all the good stuff out of our bulk water, anyway. Add electrolytes. Chlorophyll. Iodine. Silica. A dash of lemon. Chia seeds. Get creative and make your water nutrient-dense and powerful so that you get the most out of it, and are excited to chug.
That’s it, that’s the hack. No really—it’s amazing stuff. From melting off eye makeup, to oil pulling, to cooking, to adding fat to our smoothies (we need fat to absorb certain nutrients like vitamin D, so don’t have a smoothie sans fat and then pop all our supplements) to getting sticky residue off of any surface, you’ll need a jar on hand in every room.
No, we don’t typically go by Captain Obvious. However, some need a little reminder! Bedding should be washed every 7-10 days, two weeks max. Sometimes, life gets a little hectic and the idea of stripping the bed and putting it all back on just doesn’t fit into our insane schedules. For some, putting the duvet cover back on is a special little personal hell. At the very least, wash the pillowcases every 3-5 days, no less! Sweat, oil, and grime has a way of building up on the areas we, surprise, smash our faces in for six to nine hours a night, and grind right back into our pores.
This does require a trip to the bank, and a little bit of your savings. However, investing in a Roth IRA can easily lead to a million in the bank come retirement time if you start early enough. It’s OK to be late to the game. There will be some money waiting for you at the finish line—money you hardly missed, expanding by the day. This is adulting.
Plan your workouts around your cycle.
We’ve all got fitness goals, but breathe a sigh of relief knowing that for ladies, it’s actually not great to go super hard, all the time. Follicular and ovulatory phases (aka right after your period and when you’re ovulating) are times for high intensity and crushing it. Luteal and menstrual (PMS time) is when you can dial it back with walks, yoga, and straight-up relaxing without worrying about gaining weight or throwing off your progress.
For those that fear the spreadsheet, we won’t make you get into it. Have a rough idea of how much you want to save and how much you need to spend, to, you know, survive. The leftovers are for drinks out, another cute bikini (not you though, Michelle, you have enough of those), and other unnecessary-yet-so-necessary splurges.
Double cleanse every night.
Whether you go full-contour or bare-faced, sweat, oil, and sunscreen ain’t coming up easy. Oil cleanse first to break up grime and product residue, and then give yourself at least a 60-second facial massage with your favorite cleanser. The difference is palpable for those of us breakout-prone.
Seriously, start becoming aware of how often you touch your face. Resting hands on chin while thinking? Constantly fondling those mysterious thick hairs that started growing out of your chin? Touching that zit to see if it’s still there? When you cut back on touching your face (consider how much bacteria is on our phones and keyboard and steering wheel and door handles), blackheads and pimples will drop by like, 50%. OK, we made up that statistic, but the results are real.
Get a thick stack of washcloths.
Indulge in some really quality ones, or just get a bulk stack on Amazon. Bottom line, do not dry your face with the same towel from yesterday. Have a healthy supply on hand so that your clean face stays clean after thoroughly cleansing. And by all means, please pat dry, don’t rub.
Find a favorite big salad, lentil stew, or chickpea pasta (our fave GF box option) and make enough for a few days for dinner or lunches. Alter leftovers slightly each day with new garnishes, a different sauce or dressing, or by adding a fried egg to it, and don’t think about it too much. Incorporate your favorite things without getting sick of it, and eliminate the stress of planning too many meals each week.
Clean a little, every day.
“Saving it all for Sunday” sounds nice while painstakingly ignoring all your messes on Tuesday afternoon, but come Sunday, all we want to do is chill. Wipe down the counters and surfaces on Monday. Clean the sink and toilets on Tuesday. Vacuum, sweep, mop on Wednesday. Laundry on Thursday. It won’t take long, and by the weekend, you’ll be free to do whatever you want.
Is there anyone draining in your life? Someone who makes you feel tired and irritated after spending time with them? Maybe there is a friend who is super unsupportive, or only wants to chat when they need to emotionally unload, or makes you feel judged and not your whole, best self. Break up! It doesn’t have to be an event, but distancing yourself from those who take away from your energy instead of adding to it positively will only slow down your sparkle.
Take accountability for things.
This is a lot harder than it sounds, at first. But it gets easier and feels so damn good. This could mean not making things about you when a friend or lover had a bad experience with you. Apologize, explain good intentions, and take accountability. It’s difficult to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, but when we can do that right away and consistently, we avoid creating narratives in our heads that only make social interactions (with friends, family, lovers, coworkers) more challenging and emotional. We establish trust, and we create a safe space all around us. It also sets a good example for those close to us to do the same back. It feels nice.
Take daunting tasks a day at a time.
Big dreams and big goals are so beautiful, but less so when we do anything to actualize them. They can seem so daunting, but reminding ourselves that we don’t have to do it all at once is vital to making big things happen. Start by journaling about what it is you want to accomplish. Set a manifestation goal for a few years down the line, and believe you can do it. Set up a little game plan of small, actionable tasks to get yourself there, and don’t think too far ahead of those tasks. One step, one day at a time is the only way things happen. Don’t overthink it.
Take tech out of the bedroom.
The boudoir is for sex and sleep. Cultivate that energy, and good sex and good sleep are what we’ll get. Simplify this space, and make it relaxing.
Transitioning into full adult mode is tricky when we’ve been so used to doing everything with friends or our parents. Go to a park alone and read a book, staring up at a tree on your back in the grass for ultimate grounding. See a movie alone if none of your friends are into it, or your schedules don’t align. Prepare a beautiful meal, for just you. Set aside a night for a bath and a self-pedicure. Embracing quiet time alone doesn’t have to equal loneliness and can do wonders for your mental health.
This one is tough for many. Ask for help when you truly need it. Tough breakup? Call your bestie. Moving? Make a wine night of packing with friends. Can’t parallel into that tight spot? Ask that friendly neighbor to guide you in. Don’t feel like you have to do everything on your own. Build a beautiful community around you.
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