One month down: How Lancs students can get back on track with their New Year’s resolutions

Deadline season is fast approaching and the Christmas chocolate is long gone. As the library toilet queues are ever-growing and our rooms are becoming more of a dump site than a study area, the one thing that is far at the back of our minds is those pesky New Year’s resolutions.

We get it, you had all of these big plans for how you’re going to end all procrastination and live a healthier lifestyle, and now you’re stuck in the post-January exam coma, lying in bed watching Love Island and eating a sausage roll. Don’t worry though, because we’ve compiled a list of everything that Lancs students can do to get back on track with their New Year’s resolutions.

Pick one goal

Let’s face it, we’ve all gone into 2023 with big ideas – most of which didn’t last a day. Planning on giving up Sultans, going to the library every day, joining the gym and making all of your 9ams? We know it will never happen, but we make these plans anyway.

Try picking one thing that you know is attainable (so definitely hold onto the Sultans trips) and still lets you make the most of your uni experience. It’s much easier to complete a task when there’s not fifty more things you need to do looming in your mind.

Go for a walk down the Spine every morning

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Your exercise plans for this year are probably a bit bigger than a ten minute stroll at 8am. You might have already bought a gym membership and have the gym clothes folded in the back of your closet. But we all have those days where doing a full workout is just too much, and a quick walk down the spine before you start work will leave you feeling more motivated to start the day. If that’s not enough incentive, why not get a coffee from Costa on your way?

Set your alarm to go off one hour before you plan to get up

We’re not talking about the alarms that you set to go off every five minutes so that you don’t fall back asleep (although they can be a lifesaver for the dreaded morning seminars). Just setting one alarm an hour before you need to be awake can be a huge help, because even if you fall asleep in between alarms, you’ll already be more awake than you would be if you opened your eyes right before you have to get up and leave.

Clean your bathroom

It may sound random, but giving the toilet a bleach and doing a quick wipe with mould spray on those suspicious dark patches helps you feel like you’re already one step closer to actually completing everything on your to do list that day.

Make your cheat day productive

Sometimes cheat days can seem counterintuitive, we’ve all found ourselves saying “I’ll start the workouts tomorrow” every day for a month whilst searching for the custard creams. Something as simple as baking a cake or decorating your room at the weekend makes your rest days feel less like procrastination and more like organisation. Even if treating yourself means using up all of the Kaspas vouchers from the Fresher’s Fair, it’s still something that makes you feel like you’ve completed a task (in this case, trying all of the desserts until you have no vouchers left).

Involve your friends to keep each other accountable

We all need that one friend who keeps everyone focused in the library. You’ve been chatting for an hour, emptying out the hot chocolate from the drinks machine, but as soon as one friend decides to start the assignment you’ve all been ignoring, everyone has no choice but to follow suit.

Meal plan!

Meal planning is the saviour of every student’s bank account and you can’t tell me otherwise. Trying to cut down costs? Meal plan. Want to eat healthier? Meal plan. There really is nothing better to help complete all food-related resolutions. Plus, there is nothing that will make you feel more like an adult than making something other than pot noodles or beans on toast.

Do your work in Williamson Park (or anywhere outside)

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about doing work in Williamson Park that screams ‘main character’. Having the foresight to get everything you need, have all of your devices charged, and then leave the comfort of your room to work just makes you feel like you have your whole life together.

Make some resolutions short-term

If you still can’t decide which resolutions to cut out of your plans, why not try picking a new resolution each month? Maybe you could try getting off the bus at the sports centre for the extra walk to your accommodation for one month, and cut down on Costa visits for the next. You might find yourself wanting to carry on with your goals when they don’t seem so daunting.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

It’s important to remember that nobody keeps up with all of their resolutions for the whole 365 days of the year. If you have a day where all you want to do is binge watch Love Island while eating pod noodles, that’s completely fine! Just make sure you’re doing what you can to complete your goals.

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