I woke up on a crisp Thursday morning at 6 a.m. after catching a cherished three hours and 15 minutes of sleep. My notes were still propped open on my bed next to me, and a charming dent was imprinted into my face from the glasses I had accidentally passed out in just a few hours prior.

I groggily forced myself out of bed and began hastily getting ready, my eyes a lovely shade of crimson and my hair in a state to compete with Ke$ha’s look circa 2010.

It had been one of those weeks that everyone had told me I would eventually live through in college. But I never believed that would ever actually happen to me … Much like how I thought I wouldn’t go through the awkwardness of puberty or I wouldn’t gain weight from making donuts a major food group in my diet.

It just so happened that during this particular week, all of my biggest tests conveniently landed in a span of two days and I had to write so many papers that, if compiled, could compete with the length of a Jane Austen novel. I also consumed such a ridiculous amount of caffeine that I began to think the subtle, constant shaking was a normal part of the human nervous system and that sleep was for the weak.

In short, I was the image of health, grace and proactivity. But minus all three of those things, and with some frazzle, panic and rocking back and forth in the fetal position.

Whilst trying to cinch my unnatural levels of stress, I found that dressing well was one of the absolute last items on my priorities list. (This, friends, is how you know my life had really hit a rough patch.) I succumbed to wearing leggings as pants and may or may not have worn athletic shoes without having even the slightest intention of working out. Karl Lagerfeld, please forgive me.

I looked a mess and therefore felt a mess, and amidst my inadmissible messiness, I became versed in how to never hit such a low point again. Your stress levels may soar, but your style should never suffer because of it. I’m a strong believer in the fact that if you look put-together, you feel better. And frankly, when I looked like I was either a) risen from the dead, b) athletic, or c) some god-awful combination of the two, it felt all wrong.

I am not dead, nor am I remotely athletic, so why was I portraying myself as such?

In light of recent events (i.e. the week from Hades), I began planning my outfits the night before I wore them and laid them out so they were as accessible as possible the next morning. I’ve found that by picking out my ensemble at night, I usually end up coming up with an outfit that’s significantly more daring and inspired than what I would have chosen the next morning.

We’re typically more crunched for time in the morning, which causes us to rush and put much less thought into the decisions we make. By choosing your outfits at night, you’ll save yourself an incredible amount of time and stress in the morning, and more importantly, won’t run the risk of hastily tossing on a hoodie and sweatpants in a rush.

Another trick I’ve adopted in times of stress was taught by Becky at the Clinique counter my freshman year of high school. If you’re in a rush but still want to look put-together, skip all make-up except a pinch of blush, a few swipes of mascara, and dabs of white eye shadow in the creases of your eyes. By just using this little bit of makeup, you waken up your face just enough to look polished, but still keep a more natural glow (which is obviously a wonderful look to work with any outfit).

College can be undeniably stressful, but fashion is something that shouldn’t be. We’ll all have inevitable times of anxiety, but let’s not forget to let ourselves look dang good in the process.