"Keeping Your Chill" 101: Hacks To A Simpler Life

I believe we've graduated from our unspoken communal aspiration of being on MTV cribs and are now on to bigger and better things with our goals in life. Once you get to be in your late teens, you want less social acclamation and more order. Just take a look at all the tweets on your timeline that say something along the lines of "my life is a mess" and realize that we're all chasing after this goal of "keeping our chill". No one likes being stressed or feeling like they have too much going on.

I've devised a few tactics that help me to feel like I have two solid feet on the ground and have no need for chill pills. Since most of ya'll are in high school and college and it's that crazy, my-teachers-think-I-have-nothing-better-to-do-than-TONS-of-work time of the year, I thought this would be helpful for your Thursday.

Here we go, ya'll -

Reply to emails right away

I am one of those people that checks their email very often, and I also reply back pretty quickly. If it's a business-related email, I don't reply back right away (because I like to think about my response and formulate a good message), but I do begin drafting a response to review later. I'll just make a sticky note that says "reply to ____" and come back to it.

Don't "read receipt" people

I also reply to texts right away - unless someone texts me after I fall asleep, which is often because I go to bed probably 2-3 hours before most people. In that case, you'll get a reply from me early in the morning when I wake up.

I really don't understand the whole "read receipt" generation and why you would want to "read receipt" someone. I guess I understand someone saying something nasty, and in that case: yeah, don't respond. But when someone is texting you asking if you have the notes for lecture, it's polite to get back to them promptly. For a simple and stress-free life, don't leave anything hanging over you head...and by "anything" I mean emails and texts. 

It's ok to say no

It's no fun to have too much on your plate; that will definitely drive you crazy. Another thing besides read receipting people that I don't believe in is this whole "FOMO" thing. (Fear Of Missing Out).

If you have two meetings, a test, and an endless laundry list of things to do, it may not be the best idea to accept your friend's extra ticket to the concert that's coming to town the night before said test/meetings/etc. Forget about FOMO! I guess I'm just someone who suffers more from FOLMGPAD (Fear Of Letting My GPA Drop). Just say: "No thanks, I have a lot of homework" and pretend you don't see your friend's cute Instagram pics.

Don't procrastinate (this doesn't just go for school work)
I was so scared that when I came to college I would have to spend all-nighters in the library with loads of textbooks and empty coffee cups scattered around me. This has never happened. When I'm given an assignment, I write it down in my planner and vow to complete it as soon as possible. I get most work done in the first couple hours when I'm home from class; I've yet to work past 7 pm this semester.

I've realized it's helpful to avoid procrastination in all areas of life. Need to go grocery shopping? Better now than later since you don't want to walk down to the pantry and find you have absolutely no food. Need to go get scantrons for a test next week? Might as well get them now since you pass the bookstore on the way to class. See what I mean? Cool.

Sweating the small stuff clogs pores
Did any of ya'll see Bridge of Spies? (SO GOOD - you don't have to be a history buff or a Tom Hanks fan to enjoy it.)

In the movie, the (accused) Russian spy, Rudolf Abel, is to be tried for espionage and Tom Hanks' character, insurance lawyer James Donovan, has been recommended to defend him. He visits him in jail and offers his services to him, warning him that this is going to be a very hard case to win, and if they don't come out on the side of victory, Rudolf will face the electric chair. Rudolf simply gives him a slow nod and says something along the lines of "Ok, let's get started."

Now, Donovan is puzzled by his coolness and asks, "Are you not worried?"

Rudolph Abel looks at him and says, "Would it help?"

What really helps me to not go insane/keep my chill/balance everything is knowing that worrying doesn't solve anything. In the case of Rudolph Abel, I might have been sweating a little bit, but I haven't ever been accused of espionage during the Cold War, so I can't say I can relate. However, I do have random worries throughout the day, and if I paid attention to all of them, it would drive me nuts. What if I fail this test? What if I don't make this deadline? What if no one comes to this meeting? Worrying about any of these things won't make a difference, good or bad. I'll just feel miserable and nervous. Let go of those little worries. And go see Bridge of Spies because I'm not telling you here how it ends.




How do you keep from going crazy with all life's busy-ness? Hope you found this post to be a little bit inspiring and a whole lot informative regarding Cold-War international relations :) Talk to you soon!

X,

Cristina