It is that time of the year again! If you have stumbled upon this article, you may be one of the many people in the world who are indulging in retrospection and reassessing some of their life habits. New Year’s resolutions are often unrealistic short-term commitments that may be too great of a leap. We have all wanted to make changes that we may have pushed off to next week, next month, or even next year. If you are looking to finally stick to your resolutions this year and need some ideas on where to begin, perhaps this article may be of interest to you.
Health Resolutions
Eating Healthy
Everybody adapts to bodily changes differently; eating habits are among those as well. However, healthy eating does not only involve what you eat, but also how you eat. For the scope of this article, we are steering away from the typical “eat less junk food” motive we have all heard. Instead, we are focusing on the specifics of your diet: servings of fruits and vegetables should be balanced alongside the rest of your meal. They are low in calories and fat, and high in fiber and other sources of vitamins and minerals. When a food item contains fiber, it keeps you feeling full for longer and thus prevents overeating. In addition, remember to pay closer attention to the amount of time you spend eating your meals. If you are a fast eater, try to slow down and chew each bite thoroughly –avoid distractions such as the TV or your phone while eating. Remember that it can take around 20 minutes for your brain to receive a signal that your stomach is full and no longer hungry; do not feel pressured to eat until the very moment you feel full.
Suggested resolution: Have a fruit! Try to incorporate fruit into a meal every day–after all, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so they say
Regular Exercise — Skipping (the healthy athletic kind)
A common New Year's resolution is to exercise more, and that’s for good reason. Aerobic exercise in particular, such as jogging or swimming, is vital for maintaining general fitness, overall energy levels, and cardiovascular health. However, there is one form of cardio exercise often underrepresented in fitness circles: jump roping. While it may not seem as suave as running or swimming, jump roping is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories in a short amount of time–even faster than jogging. That's not to say running or other forms of cardio aren’t effective, but skipping can be a great way to jump-start your habit of exercising in the new year (pun intended). This underdog of cardio is a great option for people who may not have access to a pool or an expensive treadmill or who simply may not want to face the harsh temperatures of jogging outside during winter. A set of weighted skipping rope can not only workout your legs but also your triceps and shoulders–the fact that they’re fairly cheap too is just the cherry on top of the pie!
Suggested resolution: 15 mins of skip roping every day (equivalent to roughly 1000 jumps!)
Academics Resolutions
Ending procrastination (or, just managing it better)
Here is a resolution that many of us set for ourselves, and end up not following through with: procrastinating less. As students, we often procrastinate; there is no changing that. However, by being more attentive to which assignments should be prioritized, and accounting for the amount of time needed to complete our work, we can reduce the stress ever so slightly. If you prefer to work under pressure, you can still do so but having a more organized plate prevents staying up until 4am. Take it from us, as seniors in the school, we are definitely feeling the extent of the senior slide, it is not easy! By being more organized, you can easily tackle the tasks you have set out to accomplish. Regulating a routine for yourself, be it dedicating a few extra minutes per day to studying materials or having discussions with peers at school, will soon become your new normal. The key is to be honest with yourself, and not set unrealistic daily goals that you already know you can not fulfill.
Suggested resolution: wake up with goals in mind. Jot down a list on your phone of what you should accomplish today–we suggest the app Todo List to have them displayed on your homepage! Other options could be to check out Google chrome extensions like Momentum, or utilizing time blocking in Google calendar.
Plan, plan, plan
Let’s be honest, do many of us actually use our agendas? Whether it be out of annoyance or carelessness, we may end up slowly abandoning this school-given book meant to keep our lives together (myself included). Although your life is unlikely to fall apart without an agenda (fingers crossed), it really can help. As our lives become more digitally involved, actively using your Google Calendar is a great option to stay organized and clear-headed in our hectic day-to-day schedules. The fact that Google Classroom events are automatically added to your calendar makes it just that much easier to visualize your week, without the hassle of inputting every event. Plus, we modern teens are never without our phones. Having an online schedule not only relieves the burden of a physical calendar, but also ensures that the buzz (literally) of upcoming events or deadlines can always be felt–hopefully reducing the chance of late assignments. All it takes is one little *click* and you’re already on your way to gaining more control over your time.
Suggested Resolution: download/open Google Calendar and plan your week; see if this system works out for you!
Personal Resolutions
Socializing
Whether you are introverted or extroverted, studies have shown that humans are inherently social creatures. Due to the pandemic, or perhaps the overwhelming workload, many of us have fallen away from typical social schedules. It is important to have regular social time, as it is key to feeling supported and maintaining strong relationships; this translates into longevity and healthier aging if you are thinking long-term. This might mean having one day per week where your whole family sits at the dining table together, or getting together with a friend on the weekends. So, if you are keen on becoming more of a social butterfly this new year, try to be intentional about scheduling in social time.
Suggested resolution: Go out! Have weekly, or as often as you can, gatherings with friends and family. Schedule social outings in your (as seen above!) Google Calendar.
Take a Moment — You’ll be OK.
Deep breath in, and deep breath out. There. It can be easy to forget to take care of yourself; the juggling of school life with social life with work and family responsibilities can feel like a precarious balancing act. As seniors, we can testify that the amount of pressure really does increase throughout your high school years. So, it’s crucial to develop small ways of finding peace and tranquility amidst stress and chaos. Small actions help: an encouragement written on a sticky note beside the trackpad of your laptop or a chocolate bar reserved for the stressful afternoons of test-prep can be the things that motivate you through a particularly tough day. The benefits of reducing stress include longer life span, better sleep, greater happiness, and even cleaner arteries. So, do something nice for yourself! Take a moment to meditate, doodle, or dress up without a reason. After all, self-love is not selfish… you will be okay!
Suggested Resolution: do one small thing which makes you feel good every day, and notice and appreciate these things :)
New Year's Resolutions often get a bad rep. In some ways, this is totally justified; the immediate pressure of self-improvement can be daunting to tackle at the beginning of a year, if not even agitating. Yet, New Year's Resolutions can also be a great way to motivate and welcome a better year. With this shift in mindset, perhaps we can all start to build small habits that lead to big changes. So, why not give it a shot? We hope that these resolutions have sparked some motivation for your own goals. Best of luck to you all in 2023!
Cover photo retrieved from Vecteezy https://tinyurl.com/mr33z6b2
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