Unintentionally, college has forced me into certain habits – some worse than others. When I feel stressed I oversleep, and when I sleep I pay no mind to the excel lab I have to finish or the micro-economics test I have in 2 weeks. Then I wake up and it’s 6pm – I’ve clearly wasted a perfect day to get ahead and finish my assignments.

So how do you fight the temptation of diving back into a wonderful world of dreaming with no obligations?

More sleep doesn’t give you more energy.

Don’t sleep for more than 8 hours. Realize that your pillow actually feels like it has fractured your neck and drink a cup of water. I drink a cup of water every morning and keep my blinds open at night so that when I wake up my room is filled with sunshine, preparing me for the day. According to The Huffington post, researchers have linked excess sleep with higher disease and mortality rates. Oversleeping causes depression, inflammation, pain, and obesity.  Oversleeping also puts you at an increased risk of having heart disease and even a stroke.

Making your own food is the healthiest option.

Aside from oversleeping I stuff my face in junk food. Pretzels, pasta, Extra Cheddar Goldfish, candy, chips, Tostinos Pizza Rolls, Pop Tarts – my body aches for it all. Eating junk food gives me temporary relief. Salt, fats and sugars have an irresistible taste.

Healthy alternatives for my Salt, fat and sugar lovers like myself? It’s not what you buy, it’s what you make. Believe it or not you have control over how much of these ingredients your body consumes. Although it might be more convenient to unwrap an awesome bag of extra cheddar goldfish or smother your pizza rolls in Frank’s Red Hot, I could easily crack open four eggs, pour my egg whites into a pan and consume 20 grams of protein combined with cooking up some chickpeas, leaving me fuller for longer. Learn about what you’re really consuming. Junk food is cheap because it isn’t good for you. Processed food manufacturers buy the cheapest ingredients to feed our poor unfortunate souls. Don’t forget, they’re a business. They don’t care what you eat as long as you buy their product.

Wasting time isn’t always time wasted.

Consequently, if there was a course on procrastination and how to neglect your responsibilities, I’m sure most of us would do relatively well. I make excuses – excuses for my excuses. I roam around my house picking up objects and looking out the window, and sometimes I even decide to play with my ungrateful, cross-eyed, broken tailed cat just to touch something fuzzy. Then he digs all of his claws into my arms and that’s my cue to get to work.

So how do I fight this endless battle between getting to work and people–watching out my window? I don’t. These are things that I’ve found are essential when taking breaks from studying. Eating, taking a walk, playing with a pet (if you have one), are all good ways to recollect your thoughts and give your brain a break. What I don’t recommend is spending that time on your phone. Once it’s time to get back to work it feels almost as though the break wasn’t long enough, and instead of focusing on your own success, you’ve spent your time focusing on everyone else’s supposed prosperity on Instagram.

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Yes, college is tough and yes, we all get stressed. I still do oversleep occasionally, I do eat junk food in moderation and I do wander my house looking for things that don’t resemble a pen or paper.

Moderation is key. A little change can go a long way. Fight your stress in a simple way.