Resolutions for the New Semester

New semester, new me! I’m sure a lot of us feel like the new semester is a fresh start for keeping up with healthy habits. Going into this semester I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out and unorganized already. Normally I’d have a huge list of what I wanted to accomplish (both academically and in general) but I’ve found myself just wanting the semester to be over already. So, instead of setting goals that aren’t achievable for me right now, I’ve decided to make a list of resolutions that suit how I’m feeling. 

1. Sleep Schedule: I definitely messed up my sleep schedule over the holidays. My ideal schedule for this semester is to go to sleep by 10:30pm and wake up at 8:30am. The waking up early part isn’t a big deal for me because my body usually wakes up before that--but I find it hard to sleep before midnight! 

2. Split free time into Productive vs Nonproductive: Sometimes I want to do some creative writing or painting--those activities make me feel accomplished, but other times I just need to watch Netflix for a few hours. I’m hoping to schedule both types of free time because I like having the balance. 

3. Go outside everyday: Last semester I found myself cooped inside for days on end. Fresh air can really help with mindset so I’m planning to walk (at least) around the block every day. 

Winter lake, purple sky, and tree.

4. Bird sounds: I recently read that listening to bird noises makes you feel happier so I’m doing a little experiment on myself. I listen to this whenever I study:

5. Practice dance: I’m taking a few dance classes online that will be showcased (virtually through individual videos) at the end of the semester. I’ve been neglecting practising so I hope to do this more often. 

Olive doing yoga positions.
Olive doing yoga positions.

6. Think strategically: All the other activities in this post can fit into this category, but the idea is that when I'm unproductive or stressed I take action. For instance, if something is eating away at me (usually stress about assignments) I know I should write about it in my journal. I’m hoping that instead of telling myself I don’t have time to do this I actually act strategically rather than letting the stress build up. 

Even though these seem like small goals (though honestly, exercise and having a good sleep schedule are huge goals in my opinion) I know that having accomplished just one or two frequently throughout the semester will make me happier. 

Do you have any new semester goals? 

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