We all remember how messed up 2016 was for everyone. We can’t speak for everyone, because we’re sure 2016 might have been the best year of someone’s life. But for us? Not so much. Let’s do a minor recap: the Zika and Ebola viruses, Orlando nightclub shooting, Harambe the gorilla, the gofundme to protect Betty White, and the latest horror, President Elect Donald Trump.
With all that went down, we are pretty sure we can agree that we all took an L or two in 2016. We all know that we reached pretty much rock bottom in 2016, but there’s no need to panic. The good thing to remember is that there’s only one direction you can go once you’ve reached rock bottom, and that’s (glow) up!
We at Her Campus believe that 2017 can be your year! Our New Year’s Resolution is confident, long-term planning. This is the time to get a sound head on your shoulders, shake off last year’s anxieties and grab all opportunities that present themselves to you. 2017 is the year of the Glow Up (and the Fire Rooster). Some advice as you begin to take on this year: if you’re looking to get that new year bod, do it! Healthy choices like working out 2-3 times a week and watching your portions at the table are key! Try to steer clear of fad diets and risky or extreme weight loss habits. Cheat days happen and part of a good diet is accepting this and not getting mad at yourself or throwing in the towel because you picked up that cookie when you walked out of Salmo.
An alternative to staying healthy is taking a good look at yourself in the mirror and recognizing how beautiful and amazing you are already! People come in all different shapes and sizes and as long as you’re healthy and happy you have every right to rock it confidently. A major theme of our Glow Up is self-respect and self-love. Look at all the negative habits you had or the negative people in your life from 2016 and learn how to overcome these obstacles to better yourself. We know that it’s definitely easier said than done, and, trust us… we are all guilty of bad habits and poor life choices. We have decided to stop beating ourselves down because we went out that Friday instead of staying in and studying for that exam. Instead we accept that we made that choice but that exam is still going to be there and now we must reprioritize and follow a stricter time-management schedule in the coming days. Maybe stay more low key next Friday, get some homework done, study, hang out with friends, wake up Saturday bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for a day of work and then live it up Saturday night (because let’s be honest we all deserved it).
As for the people in our lives that seem to always have a dark cloud hanging over their head, don’t worry, we aren’t going to tell you to kick them to the curb. However, it is okay to distance yourself and know that there is no helping a person that does not want to help themselves. In your world, you should come first! Love yourself, take care of yourself, whatever that may look like for you! (We have great survival kits that come with products for a treat yo’self kinda night if you come to Her Campus meetings *wink*). In all seriousness, after surviving the year of 2016, you deserve a Glow Up in 2017. Healthy habits for the body, mind and soul. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO PUT YOU FIRST!
From us here at Her Campus,
Goodluck!