Becoming someone I’m proud of
Like clockwork, each New Year brings feelings of inspiration. “This will be the year!” I always find myself thinking. Whether I brainstorm new resolutions or habits I’ll stick to, there is always some way I am convinced I will completely change my life.
As 2024 quickly approached, I decided this year would be different. After finishing my first semester of college, I realized that there were small ways I could adjust my lifestyle to have a large impact. Here’s how I’ve done it in the last two months.
1. I started taking vitamins
I have taken the same prescription medication every night before bed for three years now. I figured with this routine already in place, it would be an easy addition to add vitamins. I have been mostly correct. With the consistency in my supplements, I have noticed fairly significant increases in my energy and motivation on a regular basis. I have a subscription via Care/of, but getting bottles at any drug store works too. Right now, I take vitamin D, prebiotics, multivitamin, ashwagandha, and iron.
2. Journaling
Inspired by one of my friends, I got The Five Minute Journal from the Intelligent Change Store. The journal comes with a template for both morning and evening reflections. It only takes five minutes but makes me feel SO much more productive and in tune with my emotions. It is the first journal style I have been able to stay truly consistent with, even as a person who loves to write. When I’m more overwhelmed or have more to say, I use my photo booth app on my laptop and talk to it. Sounds silly, but it really is a good outlet.
3. I get out of bed
One of my worst habits for as long as I can remember is my inability to get out of bed in the morning. Once my alarm goes off in the morning, I give myself 15 minutes to get out of bed. I find myself starting my day more quickly and having more time to get ready and eat breakfast.
4. I put timers on my apps
Specifically with TikTok, I’ve found it’s too easy to start scrolling and realize an hour later you’ve been sucked in. On weekdays, I have the app automatically disabled, but I give myself 15 minutes a day if I’ve done my homework. Having screen time immediately shut the app off after that set period of time keeps me so much more aware of the time I spend on my phone.
5. I have Do Not Disturb on
I have always found that I sometimes pick my phone up only because of a buzzing notification of any app on my lock screen. I decided to personalize my DND in my settings to fit my daily needs while also limiting distractions. My personal settings are this: all phone calls permitted, texts from my family and roommate on and calendar notifications on.
6. Gym
This semester, I have been taking advantage of my group fitness pass like nothing else. For me, in particular, I really like when my workout can be made fun. Whether that means a club sport or workout class, I am much more motivated by structure and community. I have been SO much better at going to the gym regularly by planning out RecWell classes to attend. Every week, I pull up the schedule and fit the classes into my schedule. This has made me so much more motivated and consistent.
7. Calendar
Last but most certainly not least, I am a loyal Google Calendar girl. Those who know me know I have pretty much everything in my entire life on my calendar. I am color-coordinated, timed to the minute, and probably too obsessive. My latest adjustment for this semester that has made me much more on top of school is the Tasks feature. I use Tasks to add assignments and homework to my weekly school schedule. I enjoy this feature because you can “complete” a task, and then it goes away. This helps me immensely with feeling like I have done my work.
These are just some ways I have been keeping up with my life as a college student and still taking care of my brain and body. I hope to stay consistent and develop even better habits to continue growing and learning.