My New Year's Resolutions 2018

For the first time in a long time, if ever, I have decided to sit down and really think about what I want to do to make next year better, and I have realised in the process that for me that all comes down to the little things.

1. Skincare Sessions

In the last year, I have really allowed myself to slack on, and even forget, what it is that makes me feel happy and relaxed and "okay": long skincare sessions. I love baths with a fruit stone body scrub, bubble bath, foot file brush, face mask, nose strip, hair mask, etc. In the last year, though, I feel that instead of enacting one of these sessions before I start to feel a bit rubbish, I am just choosing to believe I "don’t have time" or that it "won’t make a difference", then by the time I feel rubbish it no longer really works.

This type of self-care is the one that really, really works for me. I love just indulging myself in a bit of luxury, away from everything else. (Even if that "luxury" is cheap body scrubs/bath bombs etc.. It’s the process more than the product).

So, in 2018, I am going to make a big effort to have skincare sessions at least once a week. I think we all need a little time away from the stresses of everyday life, and this is the perfect way to do it.

2. Eat more food.

I am awful at consistent meals, with consistent amounts of food types that will really make me feel good. Suffering from IBS means that more often than not, my body lacks energy and good nourishment. I take supplements to help with this but I know that more effort in what I eat will really make a difference.

The type of thing I want to do food-wise is include more meat, more vegetables, and more fruit. Pretty standard, but something I often struggle with as a result of negative thoughts surrounding food. Often, I find it easier to go most of the day without eating and, acknowledging that this is not okay, fill up on less nourishing foods than this just to get the calories into my body for basic energy needs.

Instead of this negative approach to filling up, starting from now (why wait until January 1), I am going to endeavour to have "green bowls," something I really enjoy, which simply means cooking some vegetables in the microwave for five minutes, with a bit of (lactose free) butter and eating, instead of a more sugary, less nutrient-dense, snack.

3. Exercise.

In previous years I was really into yoga, and have really fallen out of love with it since starting weight-training in September of last year. I recently tried a bit of yoga because I felt I needed to do it for the sake of destressing, stretching, and so on. However, I just found myself frustrated and focusing a bit too much on the image of the decently defined yoga abs I used to have. I think I might just have grown out of yoga personally, so instead I want to place more emphasis on spending a bit more time in the gym, and incorporating into my current program some more exercises that would achieve similar results as yoga.

My main goals here are an increase in flexibility, improved posture, and to stretch/mobilise a bit more.

4. I want to read more.

I used to read at a rate of almost a book a day when I was younger, probably even until the age of 16. Then I just kept finding other things that were more important, until I was hardly picking up a book at all.

Since June/July, I have been slowly improving on this, but not anywhere near as much as I want. So next year, I really want to make an effort to not only read more, but to find the enjoyment in going into bookshops and choosing new books again. I used to be able to go into a bookshop and come out with five to six books a time!

5. Get outside more.

In October, I started a weekly outing with my boyfriend, Matt, on a Wednesday morning, where we would go for a walk without much of a destination and without much care for the time. Even when we had pressing deadlines, we allowed ourselves to do this and I always felt so much more relaxed as a result. I would find myself excited for the following Wednesday almost as soon as one walk was over.

For me, fresh air and "adventures" help me feel inquisitive and interested in everything just a bit more. It helps me not feel quite so existential when I am sat for hours on end doing work for a Law degree that I don't want to follow with a career in Law.

Taking this time out is refreshing and it is a nice way to have a cheap, if not free, date morning with Matt.

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Whilst those are my five main goals/resolutions, on a more general basis I know I need to invest more time in improving my stress levels and stopping worrying quite so much about how I have absolutely no idea what I want to do after university, if anything!

I feel optimistic this year, especially in comparison to last year when I halfheartedly stated that my 2017 resolution was "to drink more water" (it kind of happened).