If I Hear “New Year, New Me” One More Time…

Ahhh, it’s that time again.

The time of the year when everyone suddenly decides they’re going to turn over a new leaf & spontaneously blossom into the person they’ve always dreamed of becoming.

 

Riiiiiight.

 

As far as I can tell, being an adult is doing a lot of stuff you really don’t want to do but pretending to be thrilled about it anyway. Below are a few resolutions, most of which I have set for myself for 2016, that I feel pertain to the Millennials of today as well as to most of the generation that came before us. The resolutions are detailed enough to be helpful (I hope) & yet are non-specific/time-insensitive enough that my fellow procrastinators can put most of them off until December 31st, 2016 & still feel accomplished when the beginning of 2017 rolls around.

 

• Put your phone down & turn off the TV. This is a big one for me. I’m emotionally & physically attached to all of my electronics as well as to my Netflix account. But locking myself in my room, binge watching New Girl for the hundredth time, & scanning Pinterest for “tips to increase productivity” is apparently considered antisocial these days. So let’s all take a break from technology, especially the black hole that is social media.

Ditch the phone when you’re out with others & engage in REAL conversation. Write someone a handwritten letter & mail it to him or her. I mean come on guys, the postal service needs our support & I think it’s about time we show that Gen Y can speak in more than abbreviations & emojis.

 

 

 

• Volunteer. As in do something in which you selflessly give a part of yourself without getting anything in return. Work at a soup kitchen feeding the hungry, spend time packing boxes at a food bank, or even donate blood. Volunteering is a way to give your time, energy, & assistance to those who truly need it. It’s a great way to meet people, hear interesting stories, & feel as though you’re bettering the world if only for a few hours one Saturday.

 

 

 

• Find a new hobby or interest. Leaving the warm, cozy, probably Wi-Fi accessible, space that is our comfort zone is often easier said than done, but engaging in new activities can lead to new discoveries about ourselves & I guess that’s pretty cool.

 

 

 

• Stop dieting. Being a Nutrition & Exercise Physiology major, this seems like the type of advice I would normally never give, but there’s always an exception to the rule. I hope you’re sitting down because what I’m about to say next may come as a major shock to some of you… Dieting doesn’t work.

For those of you whose jaw has hit the floor, pick it up & take a second to breathe. We’ll get through this devastating news together.

Dieting implies that making a temporary change will create a lifelong result, which is simply not true. Not to mention that most diets are complete crap & some even have the potential to put you farther away from your goals, but that’s a topic for another post. Engaging in a healthy lifestyle is the only way to achieve the results you want, whatever they may be, & to keep yourself healthy. Working out regularly, which is great for stress relief as well as disease prevention (or if you’re like me, for procrastination & the avoidance of responsibilities); eating more fruits & veggies/less fast food & alcohol; & drinking lots of water are some simple things you can do this next year to improve your overall health.

*steps (temporarily) off soapbox*

 

 

 

• Call your mom, sister, grandparents, brother, &/or family more. They just want to know that you’re still alive, eating at least semi-regularly, & showering on occasion so people don’t talk about you behind your back. Show them you care & are thinking about them by taking 10 or 15 minutes out of your Netflix time to reach out.

& just so we’re clear here… no, instant messaging on Facebook or texting memes back & forth does not count. Pick up the phone & call them.

 

 

 

• Cut back on the drinking. Well someone had to say it.

 

 

 

• Give yourself a break. Stop beating yourself up about missed opportunities, failed attempts, & skipping the gym for a week (or a month or a year). Love yourself & recognize that you are human, which means life doesn’t always happen the way it should & that achieving perfection is essentially impossible. Don’t dwell on the past, but instead focus on bettering yourself & preparing for future successes.

 

 

 

• Worry less. Stop worrying about what people think. Who decided that the thoughts & opinions of others deserved to have so much power over us? If you’re a chronic worrier (*raises hand*), make a resolution to stop worrying as much. I know that worry & anxiety are feelings that are often hard to control, so that makes this one twice as hard.

Instead of worrying about something you have no control over, focus on what you do have control over… like becoming the person your dog (or cat if you’re one of those people) thinks you are. The world would undoubtedly be a million times better if people had hearts like animals.

 

 

 

• Pay attention & ask more questions. Every day there are indisputably thousands of news stories, stories that you may actually find interesting, that go unreported or unnoticed by most people. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. Take time to search for these things & stay informed on the subjects that intrigue you most.

It’s also important to pay attention to what is happening around the world, not only in the city, state, or country in which you live. So watch or read the news-the real news, not any of the obviously biased media outlets like Fox News. Become more cultured & informed by seeking answers to questions about religions or beliefs that differ from your own or how your way of life differs from that of others around the world.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 15-ish years, you know that the mainstream media has been exceptional at slandering the Islamic religion & instilling fear in the minds of Americans who are uninformed when it comes to the practices of Islam. Most of the coverage & attention is focused on radical Islam, which is not representative of traditional Islamic values & beliefs, but nonetheless creates a stereotype that affects all individuals who follow the Islamic faith in an extremely negative & unfair way.  So maybe before you judge the woman who is still brave enough to wear her burka, niqab, or hijab out in public in an undeniably subjective society, you educate yourself on their true meaning & provenance-again, I suggest doing these things through reliable sources.

 

 

 

• Rid your life of negative energy. Ditch the frenemies. You don’t need people in your life that you have to secretly loathe. Tell them they suck, cut ties, & display your disliking for them publicly like the rest of us. That’s how being an adult works. & for those of you who just asked yourself “Is __(insert name of shitty friend here)__ one of those people?”  Yes, yes they are. That person that just popped into your mind is obviously not a positive influence on your life if you’re questioning their intentions & loyalty. Wouldn’t it just be easier to eliminate them from your life & focus the energy you were investing into that so-called friendship into something more worthwhile?

Try replacing your negative, self-destructing thoughts with more positive, affirming thoughts. Knowingly attempt to judge others less & instead be more understanding of things that are unfamiliar to you. Meditate or utilize self-improvement materials & strategies like books/blogs/podcasts if meditation isn’t your thing. These are just a few extremely simple changes that can lead to a happier & less stressful life, which I’m sure most, if not all of us are desperately seeking.

 

 

• VOTE. Sheesh people. No wonder there is such disdain for Americans; we have the right to actually choose our leaders (see: Democracy vs. Dictatorship) & millions of us act like we couldn’t care less. So this is me telling (yes, telling) those of you who constantly ignore the fact that you have a voice in choosing the direction of this country, yet are the first to criticize & complain about what a politician did or said, to stop. Just stop. Follow the elections, educate yourself about the beliefs & policies of different candidates & parties, take a side based on your opinions/beliefs, & then go vote on Election Day.

Only after you do those things will you be somewhat justified in publishing your harshly opinionated & grammatically incorrect Facebook status on a political controversy.

 

Disclose some of your personal New Year’s Resolutions for 2016 with me!

 

Have a happy New Year y’all!