Before I started going to uni, exercise was a huge factor in my life. I worked out at least 5-6 times a week and thrived off it, but with uni comes sacrifices. Adjusting to the workload and the demands that were apparent made it difficult for me to try and balance my life accordingly, making time for things that I enjoyed such as working out. Luckily, I have found a routine that works for me that allows me to have time to fit in a sufficient workout, but I do know how difficult it can be to try and find time which is why I want to share with you what I do/did to remain active even when I can’t workout. With that said, this post isn’t just for those who are in university or school. This post is for everyone who lives a busy life too!

Walk

Walking really is a great way to burn a few extra calories and bring that heart rate up if you do a good amount of distance. Being a student we are basically stuck to our chairs at home or the seats in lecture halls, so I would highly recommend getting up and walking when you have a moment, even if it means walking to class rather than driving! Not only will it help in getting those limbs moving and circulation going, it also helps with your mental health. I find that being stuck inside the whole day really makes me go a bit crazy and often leaves me feeling overwhelmed, so going for a walk outside, getting some fresh air and taking in the surroundings is just as important to me along with getting a little sweat in!

Make the time

As a full time student, I know your time is limited and you may be shouting at me through your device saying “BUT I HAVE NO TIME” and although that may seem like a valid argument, it’s not. There is always time, you just have to make the time – not find it. If that means you have to wake up an hour earlier to get a 45 minute workout in, then that’s what you have to do. If it means having to sacrifice getting home an hour earlier, then what’s what has to be done. It’s difficult and there will be days where it’s easier to just sleep in or go straight home after a full day of uni but you’ll feel so much more productive once you’ve gone to gym and it’ll set you up on a positive note for the day ahead. I’ve personally never heard someone say they’ve regretted going to the gym even if it was difficult getting there! Always remember that you don’t even have to get yourself to the gym, some of the best workouts I do are home workouts that only take me 20 minutes. It’s important to move your body in any way!

Improvise

If you’re at home and have enough time to fit in a workout but don’t have enough time to get to the gym and back, improvise! Find something heavy, such as a rock and do some weighted squats, lunges – obviously be careful, we don’t want any broken toes in the process but instead of finding excuses, find ways to make it easier for yourself to get a workout in. Another thing I like to do is use dish clothes as gliders for my ab workouts. Simply place them on the tiles, making sure there is nothing in the way and do some mountain climbers, ab skaters etc. Simple yet effective and that’s what we go for when our time is limited as a student!

Second year Sports Science, here we go!

For those who know me and are yet to know me, there is one thing that i’m pretty good at (if I say so myself) and that’s organizing, whether it’s my wardrobe or my uni books you can bet it’s colour coded and in alphabetical order.

I know things can get a little crazy, very quickly as university starts but there are a few things I do to help minimise the chaos. Although this may just work for me, maybe it’ll spark some ideas on how to keep you on par with the happenings of work, notes, tests and yourself! So with university just being a few weeks away; here are some things that help me stay on track of my work and help me stay a little sane too!

First, let’s start with the exciting stuff: Stationary.

I am a sucker for a good stationary shop, It’s got to be one of my most exciting things to do before going back to uni (I know i’m not the only one). Last year I had a way of organizing all my uni work that worked for me so that’s what i’m doing this year, if it’s not broken why fix it right!? So here are my stationary essentials for 2019;

Black files; I only have two of these – one for each semester. Although I have quite a few more subjects this year, I like to have one space where everything is. There is honestly nothing worse then scrounging around in a hurry trying to find something just because you can’t remember where you last placed it! I find that having one for each semester just makes the whole process easier and much more convenient!

If I do run out of space, I would separate my files into terms rather then semesters. That way all the necessary subjects and modules for that specific term is in one place.

Pastel coloured highlighters, dividers and side stickers.

I’m the type of person that feels organized once everything is colour coded, so I always make sure that my highlighters, dividers and stickers all have similar colours so that each subject has its own colour. I use the highlighters to help me focus on the important information rather than the lump sum and the dividers do what their name implies, divide my subjects from one another. I use the side stickers for each chapter that Ive made notes for and it also makes it easier to see whats what when the file is shut. Im honestly a sucker for this stuff!

This may be an obvious one but definitely a necessary one. A diary. I find that this is the most important thing to help me stay organised and on track for the year. I use it for everything from birthdays, exam dates to blog posts and ideas – it doesn’t leave my side. Sometimes things make more sense when they are written down rather then typed into notes on your phone, well for me in any case!

Because self-care is my number one priority in 2019, what’s uni essentials without some beauty essentials, am I right? Here are a few things that help me stay relaxed during the most stressful times at uni.

A face mask, its no news that if you want to feel like you remotely have everything together you should just put on a face mask, right? Well truth be told, there were been many times where thats exactly what I did to help me feel a little bit more put together then what I actually was!

I love this L’oreal face mask because it’s quick, only 10 minutes and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and much brighter. I know it only said up to 7-10 face masks but I’ve honestly used it way more than 10 times and I still have a way to go – you don’t need to have a thick layer of it on, even the smallest amount makes the biggest difference!

I am a firm believer that your productivity is determined by your routine. From eating, gymming, even showering etc thats why when I give myself some ‘me time’, I make sure it is with products that I love. For Christmas, I got this gorgeous smelling body wash by iwori, Beauty of Africa – Ive honestly never smelt something so good before and so I have especially saved it for when I go back to uni.

This may seem like a bit of an odd one to some but if i’m having a bit of a stressed day or just need to relax for a second or two, I light some candles and switch on my himalayan salt lamp – it instantly relaxes the air and I instantly feel better. I love the aura these two things combined, project. 10/10 recommend both! This candle is a bit of a 2 in 1. It’s the royal botanicals Ditch Iris soy massage candle, first of all it smells like what dreams are made of and secondly, once it has been lit for a while – once you’ve blown it out and the wax has cooled, you can use it and massage it into your skin – amazing.

I would love to hear what your uni essential are? I have plenty space on my ever growing list 😉