The start of a new month is the perfect time to reflect, reorganize, and set new goals to improve your life. It can be easy to get caught up in schoolwork and other responsibilities and forget to live life intentionally, so the beginning of the month is a great reminder to do some self-care. Here are my tips for how to start November on the right foot!
Journal
Journaling is a great way to express your emotions and reflect on what you’d like to change in your life. Here are some of my favorite journal prompts for a new month. Feel free to combine these in whatever way feels beneficial to you. I highly recommend ending your journaling session with a list of things you’re grateful for to keep the positive energy flowing.
- What are my favorite and least favorite memories from last month?
- What negative feelings or experiences am I holding on to?
- Which of my habits are serving me well?
- Which of my habits are holding me back or harming me?
- What do I wish I did more of last month?
- What do I wish I did less of last month?
- What feelings or experiences do I want to welcome into my life this month?
- What do I want to change in my life this month?
- What am I excited for this month?
Set new goals
Setting goals for the month gives you something to work towards and look forward to, and helps reconnect you with what you want in life. It’s important to make your goals simple, attainable, and measurable. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted in one month – that isn’t realistic. Instead, think of small projects you can work on or new habits you can introduce into your life. Make sure your goals are genuine to what you want and not just what you think is expected of you. I recommend placing sticky notes with your goals near your bed or desk, or setting your goals list as your phone or computer wallpaper so you can see them every day!
Schedule your time
As college students, we have a lot on our plates at all times. Between classes, deadlines, jobs, club meetings, trips, and hanging out with friends, juggling it all can be stressful without a system. To avoid missing out on something you have to do or want to participate in, take some time to write out everything you have going on in November in a planner or online calendar. Make to-do lists for each week with homework and other projects you have to complete, and be sure to also schedule some downtime for yourself! It can be tedious, but having a plan for the month will save you time in the future and free up mental energy for more important things.
Plan something fun each week
Having at least one thing to look forward to each week is super important for maintaining a sense of fulfillment and excitement in life. This can come in many forms and doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant in any way! Some easy options are finding campus events you want to attend, signing up for workout classes, or asking a friend to meet you for lunch. It’s also super fun to take advantage of the season and do festive fall activities, like going to a pumpkin patch, baking an apple pie, or planning a Friendsgiving. You can even take yourself on weekly dates to spend time getting to know yourself and doing things you love. Some of the things I’m looking forward to this month are Taylor Swift’s rerecording of Red and seeing friends and family at Thanksgiving!
Treat yourself better
The person who knows you best and will look out for you the most is yourself. One way to practice looking out for yourself is taking care of your basic needs by doing laundry, cleaning your room, and buying groceries. Having prepared food to eat, clean clothes to wear, and a nice space to live and work in will benefit your mental health more than you realize. Even though these activities aren’t the most fun, they’ll save you time in the future and make you feel proud of yourself.
It’s also important to forgive yourself when you mess up or don’t get everything done. There’s a big difference between taking care of yourself and overworking yourself. Give yourself time to relax- you’re not a machine! It doesn’t need to be the start of the month to do self-care either. Every day is a new chance to start over and treat yourself right.
Let go of things you can’t control
My last piece of advice is to let go of things that are out of your control. This is obviously easier said than done, but sometimes things won’t go as planned, and that’s okay. Everything will work out how it’s supposed to. It’s totally okay to feel upset and frustrated when things go wrong, but don’t let it throw everything off. Better things are coming!
I hope this gave you some inspiration for how to make November the best month yet. Remember that it’s never too late to start living for yourself!