2016 New Years resolutions to keep healthy

It’s a new year and a new semester. With this new start come new goals.

New Year’s resolutions often revolve around self improvement and staying healthy, so here are a few goals to keep the heart, body and mind healthy for 2016.

Eat better foods.

The “freshman 15” and the “starving college student” are often both results of young people living on their own for the first time and learning how to fend for themselves on limited budgets. Although mac and cheese and Ramen noodles are cheap and easy to make, they may not be the best choice because they’re high in carbohydrates and sodium.

Buy fruits, veggies and meat to balance out those pasta diets and fill in the necessary nutrients that would be missing otherwise. Those ingredients tend to be a little more expensive and take longer to prepare, but the health benefits are worth it and there are plenty of recipes available for quick meals.

Get enough sleep.

One struggle college students face is finding time to sleep while balancing school, work and friends. A lack of sleep can cause problems with health and productivity, so getting enough sleep daily is key to maintaining a busy lifestyle.

Arrange a schedule that spreads out homework and daily chores so that everything doesn’t pile up all at once. Find time to spend with friends, but make getting enough sleep a priority. It’ll take a while to find the perfect mix of work and play, but stick with it and the habit will form.

Smile more.

The drudgery of daily life can take a toll on overall happiness and motivation. A smile here and a laugh there can improve the moods of everyone around, relieve stress and increase motivation and productivity.

Go to a comedy show, hang out with friends, find a little fun in life. Look up from the street occasionally and smile at passing people. A little joy can improve more than one person’s day.

These are just a few ideas to help start the new year in healthy, happy way. Try keeping resolutions manageable, but difficult enough to strive for. Start with small steps and work from there until the goal is reached. What’s most important is that goals have been made and change is desired. The time to start is now.

-miranda.lorenc@gmail.com

@miranda_lorenc