Big cities – you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them. All the best jobs, schools, shops, entertainment options and career possibilities are concentrated in them – but to live in a big city means being constantly exposed to traffic jams, polluted air, high prices, cramped living space, noise and other stress-inducing factors. If you let them get to you, all the upsides to living in a megalopolis will not save you from a nervous breakdown.

So what should you do to survive in such an environment?

Part 1

1

Learn to use space effectively

The price for renting in big cities is always sky-high, which means that your living space is most likely to be, to put it mildly, limited. In turn this means that if you want to keep your sanity intact you have to learn how to use the space you have as effectively as possible. Find ways to live without things that aren’t necessary, learn to perceive your flat in 3D, make use of shelves, keep things on top of fridges and cabinets and under beds and chairs and in general utilize the space you have strategically.

2

Learn to handle your stress

Whatever you may think (or have been taught to think), stress can always be traced to purely subjective sources. In other words, it doesn’t matter what happens to you, it is your attitude towards what is happening that matters. It is precisely the reason why some people are utterly unperturbed no matter what life throws their way while others go haywire at the drop of a hat. There are hundreds of methods on how to handle stress – take some time and do some research. It will pay off a hundredfold.

3

Learn to manage your time

Big city life has a way of sucking out our time – which means that you have to learn how to keep and use what you can get, for time is your biggest asset. Some experts offer tips on time management, others believe in fancy gadgets and phone apps, still others think that you simply have to follow your common sense.

Many people budget their money, but only a few ever budget their time – although it is by far the most important of your assets. Keep track of it, notice where it is going, make sure that the majority of your time is used on things that actually matter. Appoint specific time for specific tasks and be sure to complete them as if your life depended on them – because it does.

4

Learn to avoid traffic

Traffic jams are a plague that frays your nerves, gobbles up your time and breaks down your plans. No big city is free from them, no matter how hard municipal government tries to alleviate the problem. Just like with most things, it is no use complaining about the issue – if you want to minimize its effects on you make sure to do so yourself. Learn alternative routes. Try using them at different times of day. Use GPS devices. Swallow your pride and get out of car completely – use the subway or commute by bicycle – on a busy day it will be faster and certainly healthier.

5

Learn to live frugally

Big city life is expensive – yet there are always ways to decrease your expenses. Although you may hope to immediately find your dream job and be able to afford everything your want, it may be a better idea to prepare for all eventualities. A couple hundred extra bucks may come in handy irrespectively of how much you earn.

Life in a big city has its pros and cons – hopefully these tips will help you make better use of the former and alleviate the latter!

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