Hey you… yes you: happy 2016! It’s going to be a great year, but first thing’s first: you have to love yourself. (Luckily, that won’t be difficult at all, because word on the street is you’re awesome.) HC Bucknell has you covered on the best ways to do so in the new year.
Connect More in Person
Spend more time with friends and peers and less time in cubicles and your bedroom. We all need alone time at some point, but connecting with people throughout the day will improve your mood and is good for your well-being. So, grab a study table in the library with classmates, make time to eat meals with friends in the Bison, and on those freezing cold nights, instead of bundling up and watching Netflix alone, invite your neighbors over to watch – or maybe even break out everyone’s favorite game (or maybe just my favorite), Cards Against Humanity.
Be Naked
One of my friends told me I should do my make-up naked. At first, I was skeptical of this advice, but she had two major points. One, you are less likely to ruin a shirt by spilling powder all over yourself. Two, you are forced to look at yourself more in the mirror – all of yourself. The more you look at yourself, the more comfortable you become with your body and the imperfections you see (you know, those ones you see and no one else does). And guess what? You look good naked.
Write Down a High and Low
Each day, write down something you feel is a high point of your day and something you deem a low point. It’s important to express our thoughts in writing and take the time to look at the patterns that emerge. What are the things that constantly become your highs and the things that constantly become lows? What can you do to make the low points a little higher? Of course, there will be good days and bad days. But, over time, it’s the high points that become most memorable.
Take a Selfie
Not for your crush or for your best friend, but for you. It doesn’t need to be posted anywhere: just in your “selfies” album on your phone for your eyes only is A-okay. Doing this is a reminder that it’s a Wednesday night and not only do you feel alive, but you look flawless and you should feel confident.
You Do You
If you want to get up and work out everyday before your 8 a.m. class, kudos to you. If you want to eat Domino’s every Friday and Saturday night, I also support you (and expect you to save me a slice). The point is, if one day you are on a diet, and the next day you aren’t, that’s okay. If you choose to go out one night and stay in other nights, do it. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. Make your own decisions and do what makes you happy.