As we wave goodbye to another eventful year, it’s important to have good things to look forward to, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

As tradition, now is the time where people begin scrambling together lists of resolutions to carry through and ditch by the end of January. Instead of piling on the pressures of meeting your resolution goals, why not think of them as wishes.

Wishes go well together with small goals that you can set yourself – whether they are weekly, monthly or full year goals to achieve in 2022, the point is to start small and enjoy the feeling of achieving those small tasks before moving on anything longer or more complex.

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Look after your health

One of the top resolutions of 2021 was looking after your health, which makes sense giving the times we are currently living in.

Health is a broad topic, and if we wrote a list of the small things that pain us it would keep Santa busy until next Christmas. We should all make sure we book those appointments with the dentist – or even to get some advice for our mental health. We also need to take care of our mental health – Mind have a helpful list of common mental health problems, but please speak to a professional if any of these may relate to feelings you have.

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Reduce your plastic consumption

It’s truly surprising how much plastic we can get through in a week. From bottled water to weekly food shopping trips – it piles up and up. There are things we can do, like purchasing loose fruit/vegetables and using tote shopper bags.

You can also check out local health food shops for purchasing packaging-free soaps and bars of shampoo/conditioner instead of bottles.

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Get more sleep

We all promise ourselves that we will go to bed earlier. But with university work and trying our best to make the most of our spare time – our bedtimes get pushed back later and later.

The average person needs around 6-9 hours of sleep to be able to function properly. Lack of proper sleep can affect concentration and mood, so it’s important to aim for the correct amount. Want to be more productive in the morning? Read our Morning Motivation blog.

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Choose the stairs

If you’re missing out on your daily step count because of the weather or you’re simply too busy with uni work to leave your study room – you can make use of the stairs in your student accommodation – rather than using the lift every time.

Climbing the stairs every day improves your heart health and builds endurance. It can also improve your mental health as your body releases endorphins – making you feel good. Get climbing!

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Declutter your wardrobe

The start of a new year is the perfect time to get rid of items that just sit in the back of your wardrobe. Never seeing the light of day or the inside of your uni lecture hall. Go through your drawers, cupboards and wardrobe space and ask yourself –  when was the last time I wore this?

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Manage your time better

The benefits of having good time management skills are endless. Make a list of all the top priorities in your life right now. Upcoming exams and assessments may be at the top of the list. But making time to socialise and have fun are also important.

Make your lists as colourful and interesting as possible. Also celebrate your achievements every time you manage to complete a task.

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We wish you an excellent start to 2022! If you’ve got some exciting plans this January, even if it’s staying cosy at home, we want to know! Get in touch with us on Instagram and Facebook.