There’s never a right time to become your best self. Why wait for a new year? Why wait for tomorrow? There is no better time than the present. Here are some things I’m doing to seize the day.
1. Increasing my water intake
Dehydration. I’ll admit it; I’m guilty. It seems cliché, but no matter how many times I claimed I would start drinking more water in the past, I never did. It always became an “I’ll start tomorrow” matter. So what changed? I gave myself a goal. Seeing how much water I needed to drink helped me much more than just thinking about drinking more. It’s all about small, practical changes. I already drank 1-1.5 bottles of water daily, so increasing that to two bottles daily seemed doable. Maybe I will even make it to three bottles over time, but for now, baby steps will do.
2. Unfollowing
Do you ever look at people on social media and think, wow, I wish I were them, or my life would be so much better if I just looked like them. Social media feeds off comparison, and while I love keeping up with my friends, it isn’t always healthy for me. My solution has been to unfollow models, celebrities and artists who create unrealistic beauty standards for me and generally make me feel bad about myself. This may seem simple, but it was difficult for me to do and something I had been putting off for months. This is no critique to them. They’re not doing anything wrong; this is just better for my mental health. Instead, I am filling my feed with friends, family and creators who focus on body positivity to create a feed and explore page aligned with my self-love goal.
3. Daily walks
Need a break from schoolwork? Need to clear my head? My recent solution has been to go for a walk outside. Something so simple, yet so forgotten, is the benefits of even a 10-minute, no-pressure walk. No pressure to go at a certain speed, no pressure to be anywhere by a specific time, just yourself and the world around you. Walking is such an underrated form of exercise. It keeps your heart rate steady, aiding a healthy cardiovascular system without leaving you drenched in sweat. I love it because I can walk whenever I want without worry. There’s no need to shower before class, no need to worry about making it to a gym; it’s all just so perfect.
4. Eating breakfast EVERY DAY
I’m sick of hearing about girls skipping breakfast. It’s not a flex. Breakfast is of the utmost importance for supporting insulin sensitivity and reproductive hormones along with reducing stress levels on your body. Who doesn’t want that? I, too, used to be someone who just didn’t wake up hungry in the morning, arguing that I was just listening to my hunger cues by skipping breakfast. However, this is just a sign of improper metabolic functioning which can only be corrected by eating even when you’re not hungry. When I began to eat breakfast every morning, I noticed a boost in my energy levels throughout the day. I no longer experienced that mid-afternoon crash. On top of that, I’m more confident than I’ve ever been, and I no longer experience the stomach issues that used to plague my life. If you’re looking for just one thing from this list to add to your daily routine, I vote for this one.
5. Sunscreen daily
We’ve all heard our moms drone on about wrinkles. We’ve all watched commercials reminding us to wear sunscreen to prevent sun damage. I don’t know about you, but this did not convince me to wear sunscreen. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always understood the importance, but the cost of adding more time to my skincare routine outweighed its benefit. Lazy, I know. However, I’m proud to say that I’ve effectively combatted this by choosing a moisturizer that includes SPF. It was a simple change that didn’t affect my daily life, but I know my future self will thank me.
6. Prioritizing sleep
Some nights, the recommended eight hours of sleep is very unrealistic. Many college students agree as we have deadlines to meet and relationships to prioritize. To remedy this issue, I’ve been adding a small change to my routine: going to bed just 30 minutes earlier. In the past, I used that time to scroll on Tiktok mindlessly, so I’m not losing my chance at being productive by going to bed slightly earlier. On top of that, I’ve noticed drastic improvements in my quality of sleep. Putting my phone away when the lights go off makes me fall asleep significantly faster because I’m no longer being kept up by the blinding light of my phone. Even if I don’t get a full eight hours of sleep, I’m finding it easier to wake up and actually get going when my alarm blares in the morning. Just thirty extra minutes of sleep has made me more well-rested and productive during my day.
7. Finding balance
I, like many, have fallen victim to the all-or-nothing mindset in the past. 100% healthy food, entirely school-focused, no rest days; it’s draining. No wonder this never lasts more than a week. I am working on finding a balance because I deserve to have both a fun and productive life. There is no reason to give anything up. I’ve managed to do this by prioritizing whole foods and exercise while simultaneously honoring my cravings and always saying yes to activities with my friends. I know you’re thinking this is easier said than done, but it’s not. For the first time, my thoughts aren’t consumed with how to do this; instead, it just comes naturally. My body already knows how to find balance; I just have to listen to it.