With every new year comes the promise of new beginnings, and for us students, this shift generally signifies another new beginning: the Winter semester. While many of us enjoy planning resolutions, many others criticize this practice and brush it off as merely a cultural ‘fad’ that is often short-lived. However, as someone who is constantly looking for ways to self-improve, I believe that January’s optimistic atmosphere is an excellent motivator for positive changes that will hopefully stick beyond the first few months of 2018. Since I am someone who enjoys aimlessly scrolling through social media websites, I thought that one reasonable resolution would be to transform my internet habits to reflect my goals and stimulate my self-growth. For this reason, I am inviting you to join me on a ‘self-improvement’ journey during the upcoming year, and have provided some useful internet resources I intend to utilize that may spark your interest and benefit you as you follow your own path.
ONLINE RESOURCES
As someone who enjoys collecting books and has a TBR (to-be-read) shelf that is constantly growing, I know how difficult it can be to read for pleasure once midterms and exams start rolling in. If one of your goals is to read more frequently but you prefer something that’s more convenient, consider checking out some of the following sites:
1. Mindbodygreen: One site I really love is mindbodygreen, as its main focus is on leading a more mindful, healthy lifestyle. The site is divided into multiple subsections ranging from mindfulness, health, lifestyle, relationships, and so on. The cool thing about mindbodygreen is that it incorporates different articles into one platform so that readers have access to everything from healthy recipes and workout tips to skincare and relationship advice. Whenever I have some free time, I enjoy scrolling through their website in search of articles that grasp my attention based on my current mood.
2. Sahara Rose: I recently came across iamsahararose by taking a quiz to determine my Ayurvedic mind-body type. Sahara Rose is an author who is certified in Ayurvedic, holistic, and sports nutrition. While I am still familiarizing myself with her content, her ‘About Me’ section grasped my attention as she is deeply passionate about nutrition and food’s ability to heal and nourish our bodies. Also, she hosts a successful podcast titled “Highest Self” that covers numerous topics related to Ayurveda and beyond. As someone who struggles to find bloggers who capture my attention, finding her website was like striking a virtual gold mine!
3. Gaia: Some of you may be familiar with Gaia as they are known for their online yoga classes and their yoga merchandise. However, another cool thing about Gaia is that it functions as a type of Netflix for self-growth: the website offers a wide range of documentaries and mini-series that cover all sorts of topics, including conscious expansion, spiritual growth, alternative health, and numerous ‘conspiracy’ theories such as those concerning aliens and ufos. If you’re like me and are running out of things to watch on Netflix, consider trying out Gaia for refreshing entertainment that is usually hard to come by elsewhere.
4. Coursera: Coursera is a site that offers numerous online courses provided by universities worldwide and while some courses do require payment, tons of them are entirely free with the option to purchase a completion certificate for around $30 per course. My favourite thing about this portal is that it offers an abundance of courses that range from personal hobbies and interests to more academic courses like science and nutrition. If one of your goals is to expand your knowledge beyond your current area of study, Coursera is an excellent option!
5. Facebook Groups: While most of us seek to reduce the time we spend on Facebook, there are plenty of groups that are beneficial towards self-growth. One group I would like to mention is Book Club for Babes, a group that was founded by the Youtuber muchelleb with the intention of connecting kick-ass women from across the globe as they read and discuss diverse self-help books every month. If book clubs are your thing, especially book clubs that don’t require leaving your house (a bonus for us introverts), this one is definitely worth joining.
YOUTUBE CHANNELS
If you are anything like me, chances are Youtube has your heart and while it is fun to aimlessly scroll through random videos (Hello Top5s and random Dr. Phil clips), there are many Youtubers who are dedicated to self-growth and leading healthy lifestyles. Some great channels include Sarahs Day, Kalyn Nicholson, Koi Fresco, muchelleb, and Ellen Fisher. If one of your goals is to implement positive lifestyle changes, I definitely recommend checking out all of these channels. However, if you have a more specific goal in mind, here are some brief summaries of each channel to help give you a general understanding of their videos:
1. Sarahs Day: Sarahs Day focuses on Sarah’s (or Sezzy’s) personal journey dealing with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and her holistic approach to managing her symptoms. Sezzy posts videos every 3 days covering a variety of topics including healthy recipes, fat-burning workouts, and travel footage. If one of your resolutions is to develop healthier habits, I highly recommend checking out Sarahs Day as her videos are funny, interesting, and incredibly motivating!
2. Kalyn Nicholson: Kalyn is one of my favourite Youtubers. She is based in Toronto and her videos are the ultimate motivator to leading a healthier and more mindful life. She has a variety of videos that focus on successful planning, working out and eating healthy, and frequently posts Coffee Talks during which she discusses numerous topics including anxiety, loving yourself, how to ‘adult’ and so on. With 1.3 million subscribers, she is one Youtuber that is seriously worth viewing.
3. Koi Fresco: If you’re into conscious expansion and spiritual growth, I recommend watching Koi Fresco’s videos. He is based in Los Angeles and often discusses topics such as lucid dreaming, meditation, philosophy, and many intriguing theories that make you question reality and your perception of it. If you’re looking for something new and exciting, this channel is a must.
4. Muchelleb: If you are interested in planning/making lists, leading a more minimalist lifestyle, changing poor habits and making positive lifestyle changes in general, I recommend looking into muchelleb’s channel. Muchelleb is an Australian Youtuber who posts short (roughly 5-minute-long) videos that often focus on minimalism and tips on how to improve different aspects of your life. If you want to increase your productivity and lead a more abundant lifestyle, this channel is a great tool for kicking bad habits and moving into action.
5. Ellen Fisher: Ellen Fisher, also known as Mango Island Mamma, is a Hawaii-based Youtuber who focuses on vegan-ism, sustainable living, and posts general feel-good videos about life and the beauty of existing. She also posts epic vegan recipes (her loaded baked potato is phenomenal) and breathtaking footage of her family’s adventures in Maui. Even if you are not vegan/vegetarian (I myself am not), Ellen’s channel is brimming with positivity and inspires you to live a more meaningful life based on compassion and understanding. I recommend Ellen’s channel if you are looking for a quick pick-me-up and/or need a gentle push towards actualizing your own resolutions.
As the Winter semester progresses and school becomes our main priority again, I want to remind you that as students, it is important for us to take a few moments out of our day to focus on our self-growth and well-being. By implementing small, positive changes into our lives we can work towards becoming the best versions of ourselves, and hopefully, at this time next year we can look back on all of our progress and feel proud of our achievements. I hope that this list will acquaint you with some new ideas and that it will inspire you during your own journey through 2018. That said, I wish you all a Happy New Year full of love, happiness, and health!
*This article is not sponsored and is purely meant to provide you with some ideas for tackling your goals and/or resolutions in the upcoming year!