It is that time of the year! Whether it is exercise or diet, new year’s resolutions are made all over the world in January. The real question is how many of them are followed through on? Speaking from personal experience, on January first I jump right into trying to accomplish my resolutions. I find that it is very easy to declare a resolution, but it is incredibly difficult to create a habit of good behaviour, especially when there are no instant results. This year, I am trying to not make resolutions, but to make small achievable goals that I can work on every day. It is not going to happen all at once, so taking small steps, making minor changes to my lifestyle and savouring the journey is what will ultimately lead me to success.
Getting Creative in the Kitchen
One of my major goals for this year is to learn how to cook more food. Sure, I know the basic chicken and rice, pancakes and spaghetti, but I really want to expand my palate and skillset to be able to make a complicated lasagna, decadent brownie and everything in between. Especially while living at university, I want to ensure I am eating good food to keep me energized throughout the day and that promote a healthier lifestyle.
Spending Time Outdoors
A significant lifestyle change I am looking to make this year is spending more quality time outdoors. For me, it is not just about exercising more frequently, but being active and taking steps to care for my physical and mental health. I want to go on more walks, garden, go on a bike ride or just spend a few minutes breathing in some fresh air. I know myself and I get extremely anxious and stressed being indoors for long periods of time, so taking steps to be outdoors more often will help me manage burnout and improve my mental well-being.
Digital Detox
In university I am either making notes, going through PowerPoint slides or doing quizzes, almost all of which are done on a laptop screen. It is difficult to spend time away from a screen but when I am not working, my goal is to spend nights cracking open a book, meditating or hanging out with friends instead of scrolling through Instagram or watching the latest shows on Netflix.
Moving Toward Sustainable Products
I have always used many reusable products such as grocery bags, but there is always room for improvement and reducing waste. A few years ago, I started using reusable period pads and I have not only saved a lot of money not buying disposable period products, but it also showed me different areas of my life where I still use one-use products. This year, I want to ditch paper towels for rags or towels, think twice before purchasing fast-fashion clothing items, avoid food waste and watch my use of water and electricity.
Wearing Sunscreen
Boy, do I love my morning skincare routine. It is ingrained in me to apply sunscreen every morning but with a hectic schedule, it is easy to forget to reapply my sunscreen throughout the day. I recently purchased a sunscreen stick and am hoping to make my way up to a re-setting SPF powder to help me with reapplying sunscreen on the go.
Making Time for Loved Ones
With the ongoing world event that has taken over more than a couple of years of my life, staying in contact with friends and family has never been more important. Sure, texting and sending memes is great, but I much prefer face timing and calling to spend some quality time catching up. This year I am hoping to host more events or participate in more activities with family and friends to spend time together. In addition to this goal, I also want to try to distance myself from negative people and negative energy.
Developing healthier habits and changing a lifestyle is not easy. Behaviours, actions and motivations do not change in days or weeks, so this year while on this journey of self-improvement, I am hoping to be kinder to myself. Though I certainly believe all of the above lifestyle changes are achievable, I know there will be inactions or failures along the way, and I want to be able to accept all of that as steps toward my goal.