As a full time law student and part-time blogger, it’s important for me to find time to live my life outside of my obligations. Things like maintaining my health and sanity (lol) can become a task if I don’t make a conscious effort to create balance. I know that a lot of us live hectic lives that pull us in many different directions. So, I want to share with you my top 5 life hacks with a few bonuses. I hope you integrate them into your life and you become inspired to create your own hacks!

Google Calendar

This tool is a life saver. I put EVERYTHING (including eating) that I am supposed to do into my Google calendar because I got tired of relying on my memory to remember small tasks. So, free some space in your noggin and maximize your technology! Make it work for you.

Plant Nanny

So, how many of us get home after a long day and realize we haven’t drank a lick of water?! *raises hand* Well, this cute app has been my friend for three years now. Plant Nanny is an app that uses an adorable plant as a symbol of your water intake. The more water you drink, the more it grows! The key feature of the app is that it alerts you when you have gone too long in the day without drinking water and tracking it in your app. Eventually, you will find yourself drinking water on a schedule, meaning it is incorporated in you day. So, download this app to, at the very least, ensure you don’t faint from dehydration while you’re out conquering the day.

Bring Ya Own!

This is a small life hack, but it makes me really happy and feel like…an adult (LOL). At most coffee shops, including my beloved Starbucks, you can save money by bringing your own mug for your coffee/tea. Bringing my own mug not only gives me the feeling of home away from home, but my dopamine levels rise when I see that “-.10” on the register. I know .10 may not be a lot, but you’d be surprised how it may add up especially if you are a frequent coffee shop visitor. So, next time you visit your fave, inquire about the perks of bringing your own mug.

Calm/Breathe App

Meditation is a necessity for me. I have to do it in some form or fashion. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t always allow for me to sit somewhere for 30 minutes. So, the Calm app and Breathe feature on my Apple Watch are my two babies. The Calm app has a few free, short meditations. Most importantly, it has a breath feature that allows you to set a small amount of time for you to breathe deeply. The Breathe feature on my watch is most convenient when I’m on the go because it alerts me when I’ve gone too long without deep breathing. I can set the timer for up to 5 minutes, which equals 35 deep breaths. That gives me 5 minutes to come back centered and focused, instead of getting caught up i everyone else’s pace. So, consider giving these a try!

Audible

As a book lover, it’s disappointing not being able to always curl up and read like I want. However, I don’t want to give up spending time with my reads! So, audible is my love. I listen on my way to school or on my way home from a long day. It has truly become a help ever since Lyndsey and I started our book club (LINK THE POST TO THIS ONE) (I strongly advise you all to join us!). It allows me to stay on top of our reads and gives me a break from the intense reading of cases for school. So, give Audible a try!

BONUSES

Genius Scan

For my students out there, this is for you! We are all well aware of how expensive text books can be. This FREE app is phenomenal-it’s saved me a ton of money. At most universities, the school library has the required textbooks for you to check out for a certain amount of time. Simply take a pic of the assigned pages, and the app automatically converts the pictures to PDF format. Email them to yourself and print them out. You don’t have to do each page individually, youcan select the “Batch” option to capture several pages in one take. Last semester, I refused to spend the price of a textbook so I used the first Saturday of the semester to print all of the assigned readings for the semester. No money spent, no book to carry!

Essential oil to increase focus while studying @ home:

For the sake of boundaries and respect for my home, I generally try not to study there. But sometimes bad weather and late nights force me to stay home to get that last bit of work done. So, I have to trick my mind into focusing and not relaxing. I use sandalwood and ginger oil in my diffuser to relieve anxiety and stress while boosting my memory. So, I’m able to stay centered and focused, while retaining information.

Forest App

Have a hard time putting your phone down long enough to just write your name on the paper? Well, this app is a great one to use. I often need an incentive to do something. This app locks your phone down for a certain amount of time while you work and it plants trees. The more you pick up your phone, the slower the trees will grow. If you break the time, no trees will grow (isn’t that sad?!) And if you click a button, it will remind you to put your phone down and keep working (how motivating is that?!). It’s rewarding to see how many trees I’ve grown after investing time and focus into my tasks. Give it a shot! ;)

A Natural Beaut's 5 Life Hacks