It's a new term, which calls for a new you - right? You go back up to uni promising that this term will be different, and you will be a better you. You claim that you'll go to the gym every day, stop going out as much, save money, eat fresh fruit and vegetables and solve world hunger. Ok, maybe not that last one, but my point is that none of these promises ever last more than a week. What you're left with is disappointment in your abilities, when really your goals were idealistic, not realistic.
What follows are 6 promises that you can make to yourself at the start of this term that will last until Christmas and leave you feeling great.
1. Get organised
This was the
2nd most popular New Year's Resolution of 2015. It is, however, a daunting prospect and sounds more like the command of a headmaster than a friendly life goal. One way of making it less terrifying is to take 1 day a week, Sunday for example, and do all your tidying and admin. This way you get a day off University work and can sort your life out. Take more time than you need so you can relax and listen to music whilst doing it. You'll soon find that you feel much more organised and much less stressed.
2. Eat 1 piece of fruit a day
Let's face it, 5 pieces of fruit or veg is too many; no matter how 'good' it is for us to do, it is just not going to happen. Whilst at University it seems the only green thing on my plate at meal times is pesto, and so going for 5 pieces of fruit or veg will instantly be doomed to failure. Instead, just have one. This will begin to make you feel healthier in yourself until eating fruit slowly becomes second nature and you don't have to ask your mum what "broccoli" is when you get home for the holidays.
3. Cut down on sugar
Jamie Oliver has been going on about this for what feels like the last 15 years: sugar is bad for you. Whilst totally removing sugar from your diet is almost impossible, you can easily cut down. Eating less sugar will make you less tired, as well as saving your teeth from rotting. Just make sure you are analysing labels of the food you buy - you'll be surprised where sugar hides! Cut down on fizzy drinks, try to avoid buying cheap sauces, and keep the chocolate as a deadline day treat.
4. Stop making excuses/moaning
I know this sounds like a cliché, and I know moaning is sometimes fun: I'm British; moaning is literally my only talent. However, you will be happier if you stop moaning about everything. Not only will your conversations become more interesting as you have to think of interesting, cheery topics of conversation, but you will begin to appreciate the things you do, or have, in your life that are great. It will also make your complaints more special; a sacred act of genuine annoyance instead of a whimper of mild irritation. You'll feel better when you don't moan, and more justified when you do.
5. Re-learn something
Learning something new is the
third most commonly broken resolution ever. Many of us at University are already learning something new, and, sometimes, that can make us feel rubbish. If you can't quite crack one part of your course, it can really get you down. Therefore, practice something you already know. Play a sport, pick up an old musical instrument, re-learn a language you used to know, literally anything. The point is to complete something. Re-learning things gives you a sense of achievement and will make you feel like a winner. It is also nice to focus on something non-academic for a while, but still feel productive, therefore making you feel better about your own abilities.
6. Cook more
This one is a classic. Cooking is simple, relaxing and tasty. Put on your favourite playlist, pop a recipe up on your phone or iPad, and spend an hour cooking up something delicious. If you cook batches of food, it can even be cheaper than buying rubbish microwave meals or McDonald's. You can also cook a more balanced meal, making you feel healthier and, therefore, happier in yourself. So ditch that take-away menu and get that apron on!
