At the beginning of every year, we get excited and hopeful for the things to come, we try to plan everything out and make some changes. You’ve probably made a list of your New Year resolutions. Everyone tries to go over the top with their resolutions and expects this huge change to happen overnight. Maybe you said you’ll work out every day and even bought some cute workout clothes — trust me, I’ve been there. Right underneath that on your list is probably to eat healthier or maybe to read more, maybe ace all your classes this semester. All of these are great resolutions, but we can’t expect to flip a switch and become an entirely different person. Now, if you have stuck with these resolutions, please tell me your secret because I am about 364 days short of last year’s resolutions. If you want to make simple lifestyle changes and do better with this year’s resolutions, here are some easy ones we can follow.
- Working Out Every Other Day
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Personally, this resolution has never been successful for me because I have about three yoga mats collecting dust in my closet. I tried to force myself to follow these 30-minute workout videos every day when I should’ve just started out simple. Find a program that you like, whether it’s a workout you found on TikTok or a free workout app, my personal favorites are “Blogilates” and “FITON” in the app store. These apps have filters that let you choose what difficulty level you want, and this way you’ll look forward to working out and enjoy it even more. Start out slow, instead of working out seven days a week, and just work out three or four days a week. Give yourself some days to rest. If you keep up with this and only workout a few days a week, eventually you may want to challenge yourself to workout for more days.
- Eating Healthier
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We all wish we could eat healthier, maybe you already do and that’s great! For those of you who still want to do better, here is my tip for you: just like working out a few days at a time, make little changes and adjustments. Recently, I adjusted my milk to almond milk; I use it in my tea, cereal, and baking. I know that’s not a monumental change in my diet, but it’s a start and it made me feel better on the inside. Also, as a college student, I love snacking. You don’t know how many times I’m writing a paper or completing an assignment and have a hankering for Cheetos. Instead of reaching for those Cheetos or cookies, there are many healthy alternatives like granola bars or Smart Pop Popcorn. These smaller dietary adjustments will help ease you into better eating habits. Now, if you’re on your period, all bets are off.
- Reading More Books
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I have always wanted to read more than I do. Every time someone asks me what’s my favorite book, I just go with the same answer I’ve had since middle school because I haven’t really read anything else. Unlike the first two suggestions, I can’t really tell you to start by reading two pages a day. The best advice I have for reading more is to find what interests you. Maybe you’re into horror or terror, maybe you’re into fantasy or self-help books. I have recently found an app called “Like Wise” that takes your interests and favorite books and suggests books that you may be interested in. There are many apps that can help find the right books for you. I recently started reading one of their book suggestions and I loved it! Did I actually get the suggestion from the app or TikTok is beside the point. There is an entire world of books and different genres to choose from.
These are just a few examples of simplified resolutions to stick to if you’re like me and have a difficult time making extreme lifestyle changes. If there are different resolutions that you’re trying to commit to, just remember to make it specific and simplify it. We all have specific goals we want to reach by the end of the year, so I hope this helps get you started. Don’t feel pressured and overdo it, keep it simple, and remember to not completely cut out Cheetos.