If you’re anything like me, New Year’s resolutions come and go, but bad habits are here forever. Luckily, with the warm weather that recently blew across the east coast, I began thinking about the new beginnings that spring has to offer. Alongside the new-ness of the spring comes the desire for change, and so comes forth these spring resolutions.
1. Wake up earlier
Okay, okay. So I may only have begun this habit because I have 8:00 AM classes every day, but honestly I have never felt more productive! By getting up earlier and getting a start on the day before you would usually be awake, you maximize the time you have during the day. I noticed that when I wake up earlier and do my homework throughout the day, my evenings are a lot less stressed and there is a lot less last-minute cramming that happens right before bed.
2. Give yourself more time at night
This resolution plays nicely with the aforementioned getting up early. By setting out a time that you want to be winding down for the night, sleep comes much easier. Last semester with my late to sleep, late to rise schedule, going to bed seemed impossible even at the ungodly hours of 3:00 or 4:00am on weeknights. By setting apart a time that you intend on being in bed and holding yourself to it, you will likely get a much better night of sleep and be able to wake up earlier!
3. Focus on the things that make you happy
The mid-semester slump is upon us. That means exam after exam after exam and a crazy amount of commitments piling up. It’s easy to let a time like this get you down, but one thing I’ve started this semester is a weekly list of what I’m grateful for! When I’m down, I can always look at the list again and there are countless reasons to perk me up and allow me to focus on the good in life!
4. Make fun summer plans for motivation
It could be something as simple as visiting your best friend’s pet, or it could be something as wild as planning a beach trip with your whole girl gang. Whatever the case is, planning an adventure for the summer as something to look forward to will give you that extra motivation to do well during the semester. If you can just get through this exam, you’re one step closer to playing with Buster or dancing on some remote island.
5. Don’t cheat yourself out of an experience
Say yes to the things you love! Of course, you can’t expect yourself to be able to do everything, but by prioritizing the things in your life and opening yourself up to new opportunities, you will be able to grow and accomplish things that you never thought. Never hold yourself back from doing something that you’re passionate about! You would be surprised by what energy your passion holds and could add to your life!
In sum, there are so many new things to get invovled in this spring! There are things that will help to motivate you, there are things that will frustrate you beyond belief. But, there is always a change in mindset, and there will always be a way to spring yourself into spring!