There’s no denying we could all use a little help when it comes to keeping our new year’s resolutions, so to make 2017 be your best year yet Eliz Salih is here to tell us how we can stick to the resolutions we’ve made this year.
Get / stay healthy
Whether you’re already keeping fit and eating well or are yet to start, the beginning of 2017 is a great excuse to start improving your health. It is, however, incredibly common for people to start the year on a healthy kick only to fall back into unhealthy habits within a month. Here are a few tips to help you stick with your new lifestyle:
- Set small goals – Don’t set crazy, unreachable goals for your fitness. Instead, start with small, attainable ones, for example working out once a week. Once you feel this is easy, boost it up to twice, then three etc. If you set yourself a goal that’s too high you will feel disappointed with yourself if you don’t reach it, which could lead to a lack of productivity.
- Attend gym classes – Gym classes can be much more motivational than going by yourself. Pure Gym do a variety of classes which come free with a membership and a 20% student discount.
- Workout with Friends – There are loads of sports societies and clubs you can join socially at the university and in the local area, and the sports facilities mean it’s easy to book areas for you and your friends to stay active.
- Only Buy Healthy Food – As a student, it can be hard to stay away from unhealthy food entirely, but it’s okay to indulge every now and then. The first step starts with your food shop; if you don’t buy junk food in the first place, you won’t be tempted to eat it.
Stay Positive
If you’ve had a rough year, you’ve been struggling with uni, or even if you just need a pick-me-up, the start of a new year is a great excuse to change your mindset and have a positive outlook on life. The Law of Attraction says that your mindset is a complete reflection of your life, so to have the best year yet, you need to have positive thoughts. Here are a few tips on how to do that:
- Write lists – If you’re feeling down, try writing a list of all the things or people you are grateful for in your life. This can help boost your mood and remind you of what you have rather than what you’re lacking.
- Good friends – It’s so important to surround yourself with good, positive people who are there for you when you need them. So if there’s someone in your life right now who’s a negative effect rather than a positive, it might be time to cut them out.
- Laugh – Sometimes you just need a good laugh to make you feel better. Don’t take life too seriously, put on a funny film or play Cards Against Humanity with your mates.
- Motivation – It’s helpful to remind yourself to be positive, so try setting your phone wallpaper as an inspirational quote – easily found on Google – or buy posters that inspire you, or even create a mood board with positive messages and goals on.
Drink Less
As students, it can be hard to limit the amount of alcohol we drink. But, in order to have a clear mind and do well at university, it’s important that we don’t lose control. Here are a few tips to have fun without going mad on the drink this year:
- Don’t be left out – A big part of why we go out and drink so much as students is because this is our main form of socialising with one another, however you can still join in at pre-drinks and on nights out without drinking alcohol. Play drinking games with soft drinks – you don’t even have to tell anyone – or try and drink water in between alcoholic drinks.
- Other activities – It’s easy to only see your mates on nights out or in lectures but, if you’re trying to cut down on alcohol, it’s a good idea to suggest other things to do with them so you can spend time together without getting drunk. Suggest going to the cinema, having a games night in your flat/house, or taking a walk up to the cathedral.
- Special Occasions – Why not decide to only go out drinking on special occasions, such as birthdays? This way, you aren’t cutting it out all together and can still look forward to and enjoy your nights out.