I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. They’re often insurmountably drastic and unconquerable, and end in defeat and misery right around February. We sit around for lots of the year and plan out what we’ll do once the New Year offers us a fresh start, but those fresh starts rarely go as planned.
I’m not just being negative –– it would be awesome if it were easy to completely change your life overnight, but for the majority of people it’s not. The problem is that when people aren’t able to stick with their New Year’s Resolution, they get down on themselves and decide that change is too hard. Or they decide that they’ll start again next year.
I know that 2017 has already started, and the time for making New Year’s Resolutions has technically passed, but there’s still time to make adjustments. What I’m proposing is smaller resolutions, ones that you can not only stick to, but that will also have a tremendous impact on your life.
1. Spend more time outside.
Even just five minutes a day! Too often we find ourselves stuck indoors working, doing homework, or binging Netflix. But just spending a few minutes outside can do things like improve your concentration, elevate your mood, and even boost your self esteem.
2. Don't go on social media before bed.
Social media serves as a distractor to all of us. We don't mean to spend so much time on it, but then an innocent scroll through Twitter ends in a five-hundred-tweet-long thread about the Bee Movie. And while I think cutting it out completely is far too drastic, avoiding Instagram before bed could result in better sleep. The lights from our phones and laptops have been proven to actually prevent the production of melatonin, a hormone critical to sleep.
3. Focus on self-care.
It's the little things that make a big difference. Go to bed early! Take a bubble bath! Read a book! Stay in if you want to! Or go out! Whatever if it is that you like to do, whatever it is that relaxes you or makes you happy, set aside some time to do it!
4. Practice random acts of kindness.
It doesn't take a lot to make someone's day. Smile, pay for someone's coffee, bake cookies, loan a friend your cutest pair of shoes, just do something with the single goal of making someone else happy. They'll be happy, you'll feel good about yourself, it's a win-win!
5. Do something to get rid of stress.
Five minute dance parties, kick-boxing, meditation, yoga, cooking –– it's something different for everyone. Whatever your go-to is, make it a bigger part of your day. Being too stressed is detrimental emotionally, mentally, and even physically. So find a fun way to get rid of that stress that can be incorporated into your daily routine.
They are so many little changes that you can make that will immensely improve your life, so rethink your perception of New Year's Resolutions. You don't have to change who you are to be happier, and New Year's isn't the only time to start fresh. There are 365 days in a year, and each is an opportunity to make a new little change to your routine that'll drastically improve your life in the long run!
