While we should always be striving to improve ourselves constantly, the start of a new year is the perfect excuse to turn your aspirations into reality. Setting resolutions, however, can be extremely overwhelming. Attempting to change too much at once can deter you before you can even get started. If handled properly and taken slowly, new year’s resolutions are an amazing way to make positive changes in your life. Here are a variety of resolutions that are super easy for any college student to implement. Choose ones that work best for your lifestyle and, more importantly, ones that you’ll actually stick to!

Get moving

Health and fitness resolutions are very popular in today’s culture.  When setting a fitness or health resolution, it is important to remember that it doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective. Even if you’re crunched for time, there is so much you can do to keep your body moving. Try picking one or two days a week to block out some time in your schedule to exercise. To hold yourself accountable, consider putting a reminder or an alarm on your phone. If hitting the gym doesn’t excite you, check out all the beautiful hiking spots around campus. Or if you’re one to enjoy group exercise classes, browse through the 130 classes offered at the Recreational Sports Facility — you’re already paying for them in your tuition! If your resolutions are movement or fitness-related, try to pick small realistic changes; even choosing to walk to class rather than taking the bus can help you get moving for the day!

Trying new things

Berkeley is such a unique city and has a great location that is often underappreciated by students. Even if you’re not a huge adventurer, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone and make the most of Berkeley’s awesome location this year. With so many restaurants in Berkeley, a small attainable resolution could be to try a new restaurant every month or so. Because this resolution is only once a month, you can try new things without breaking the bank. If you’re a little more adventurous and want to wander outside of Berkeley, set a goal to take the BART to San Francisco every month to explore a new neighborhood. If you want to keep your explorations on campus, try joining one of the many student organizations at UC Berkeley. Now is the perfect time to see what’s out there and get involved!

Cleanliness

Unless you’re a clean freak, you probably have tidying habits you can improve on. If you’re looking to clean up your life and get more organized, picking some chores could be the best resolution for you. These can be super simple and should be picked based on what you struggle with in your dorm or apartment. A common household chore that everyone should work toward is making their bed first thing in the morning. Doing it right after you wake up makes it much more likely that it will actually happen. A more eco-friendly resolution could be making more of an effort to categorize your trash properly. This might take some time, but it can really make a difference in both your own life and the environment. If everyday chores are harder for you to maintain, it might make more sense to pick one day a week to clean up your living space. The weekend or a day of the week with a lighter workload is the perfect time to tidy up and get organized. 

Mental health

Mental health is an aspect of our lives that we should constantly be monitoring and striving to improve. There are several small practices you can implement that can really help reduce stress. One easy resolution to try is journaling. It is low-cost and can be used however you want. You can write daily, pick a day of the week to journal or write only when you feel the need to express yourself. Another simple resolution is downloading a mindfulness app. Headspace is a very popular mindfulness app. It has many categories to choose from, allowing you to cater your meditation practices to your needs. A more extreme option could be taking a social media hiatus. You can do this once a month, a couple times a year or whenever you feel like you need to reset mentally. Whatever you choose, make sure it is a realistic resolution that you can maintain, so you’re not negatively affecting your mental health.

We hope this motivates you to pick a few manageable resolutions as this new year begins! Remember to modify these resolutions to best fit your lifestyle and goals for 2020!