It's possible to be a hot mess, but still function in high society. Or, at the very least, regular society. Admittedly, it takes a lot longer because you can't find your freaking keys, so everything takes longer, because it adds ten minutes to the process of getting out the door. But feeling like you have your shiz together is still within reach, and doesn't even take a lot of painstaking steps. I'm not belittling enough to tell you that the solution to your hot messiness is to wake up 15 minutes early and get a ridiculous amount done before 8 a.m., because there are actually plenty of successful people who don't start their days at the ass crack of dawn with specific morning rituals.
In fact, I’m still a hot mess in at least 40 percent of my life. On the one hand, I can pull it together and get a lot of work done when I need to, and buy groceries for the week at a good price, etc. But I lose things CONSTANTLY. The frequently asked questions in my life are, “Where are my keys?” and “Can someone call my phone?” both with varying amounts of profanity mixed in.
Whatever type of hot mess you are, you’ll be able to find a remedy below. Here are 14 small things you can do to feel like you're winning at life even when you're a hot mess:
1. Have Snacks Prepared So You Spare Yourself The Realization That You Haven't Eaten In 18 Hours
It's not intentional, it just happens. Sometimes I forget to do things, okay?
2. Make Sure There's At Least One Healthy Snack So That Your Go-To Isn't Always Potato Chips
Don't get me wrong, I love potato chips, but I end up feeling worse about myself if I over indulge on less healthy foods. Keep some carrots and hummus in the fridge, so that you have a tasty go-to that won't make you feel hungry afterward.
3. Drink Tea
Drink it 'til you like it. Use it to calm your nerves, put you to bed at night, or wake you up in the morning. Hot liquid that isn't coffee is good for the soul. (I mean, so is coffee, obviously, but let's try to vary our intake a little.)
4. Buy An Extra Toothbrush And Put It In The Shower
I admit that this isn't my original suggestion. It's a suggestion my roommate taught me via one of her articles, but I absolutely swear by it. Your teeth will never go unbrushed. (Almost never, that is.)
5. Buy A Cheap Alternative Beauty Product (Like NYC Eyeliner, Which Costs About $2) And Keep It In Your Pursue
So that you can put on a touch of makeup before going out for drinks after work, when you don't have time to stop by your house. Office bathrooms are a perfectly good make up application station.
6. Get A CVS Card And Put It On Your Keychain
So that when they ask you for it at the pharmacy, you can say "Yes, I have one" without searching for 20 minutes.
7. Buy An Alarm Clock And Put It Across The Room So You're Forced To Wake Up On Time
Make sure you have to physically get up and move around, so that it ~literally~ gets you out of bed.
8. Splurge On Make Up Remover Wipes So That When You Come Home Drunk, You'll Actually Take The Make Up Off Your Face
Because those blessed wipes make it so damn easy.
9. Splurge On Three Nice Nail Polish Colors (From A Brand You Like) So That You Do Your Nails At Home Instead Of Getting Them Done
They end up paying for themselves if you use them, and you'll feel like less of a mess if you pamper yourself without spending money.
10. Make A Standing Happy Hour Date With A Few Friends After Work
So that you don't make it through the entire week melting down about the fact that you have no plans.
11. Cook Your Meals For The Week On Sunday
So that you can actually have food and don't have to eat at a taco truck three nights in a row. (Been there.)
12. Reach Out To Someone You Wanted To Talk To/Hook Up With But Didn't Have The Courage To Approach
Just to prove to yourself that you can do the whole "casually talking to a cute guy/girl" thing.
13. Put On Decent Clothes When You're Really Hungover
If you actually go outside and walk around in jeans and a cute shirt, you will feel less like a lazy ass in sweatpants... because you will have ditched the sweatpants. (Life hack: putting on a dress is also easy because you don't have to match it to anything, and it automatically makes people think you ~dressed up~ even when you're five hours out from puking.)
14. Put A Cute Bowl By Your Door And Always Put Your Keys In Said Bowl
TRUST ME IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE AND BUY YOU AN EXTRA 20 MINUTES EVERY DAY.
Images: NBC, Giphy (8)
