With finals winding down and the star-studded cast of New Year’s Eve reminding us that 2012 is right around the corner, you may have already committed yourself an epic new year’s resolution. During the holiday season, it’s easy to get wrapped up in hopeful wishes and grandiose ambitions for the year ahead.
But we all know the reason why the gym is super-crowded in January and empty come Valentine’s Day. Often, our New Year’s resolutions are simply too unrealistic! So instead of “committing” yourself to a resolution that you’ll forget an hour after the ball drops, try one of HC Binghamton’s realistic collegiette resolutions!
Resolution: Lose 15 pounds by Second Semester
Realistic Alternative: Get Healthy!
On New Year’s Day, you may commit yourself to a month of jogging every day on icy sidewalks, eating salads with light dressing, and passing on sangria night at your best friend’s house, but ask yourself, how beneficial could this be in the long run? Crash diets are unhealthy and starving yourself is both silly and unproductive. Sooner or later, your hunger-induced irritability will reach a boiling point and you’ll be headed to the refrigerator for a binge-session.
Instead, focus on being a healthier you. Scrap your 5-day cardio grind plan and set up a realistic workout schedule. Does your family have a gym membership you can use while you’re home? Is there a fun workout video that you never seemed to have time for during the semester? Maybe try a yoga or pilates class to work on meditation and relaxation. Schedule “you” time to workout and de-tox at least 2-3 times per week. In your spare time, work on building the healthy habits that tend to get put on the back burner during the semester, such as drinking water and getting 8 hours of sleep per night. You’ll feel amazing inside and out by the time school starts up again.
Resolution: Makeover your look
Realistic Alternative: Be more confident
Okay, so we’re all familiar with this New Year’s classic. Last year, you were Plain Jane, but this year, you will transform into glamazon extraordinaire a la Andy Sachs from “The Devil Wears Prada”. When you were flipping through the airbrushed, January editorials of your favorite magazines, you were convinced that you needed hair extensions, an expensive new wardrobe and a dazzling collection of sequin pumps to make 2012 your year.
But deep down you know that while owning the new “it” bag might make you feel amazing for the night, confidence is truly what makes a person shine. So this year, resolve to be confident with yourself and your sense of style. We all have that one amazing dress in the back of our closet that we try on every weekend, but somehow find ourselves hanging back up as we reach for the safe black top. You can’t make a statement in fashion or in life unless you have the confidence to own your choices, so start 2012 bold and leave the shyness is 2011.
Resolution: Eliminate stress from your life
Realistic Alternative: Work on managing your stress
This resolution is near and dear to any collegiette’s heart. With finals, boy drama, and worries about post-grad plans, stress is unavoidable. After a rough semester, you may resolve to adopt a zen lifestyle for the year ahead. But as much as you try to fight it, stress will always work its’ way into your life.
While you can’t control what crises life throws at you, you can control how you react. Studies have shown that simple tasks such as exercising regularly, counting to 100 before freaking out, and making do-to lists can significantly reduce your stress level. You’ll never be able to totally eliminate stress from your life, but if you make some small adjustments to your everyday routine, you can learn to manage stress effectively.