New Year...New You?

Happy New Years everyone. Welcome 2016! Whoop.

Every new year, people are jumping into resolutions, lifestyle changes, weight goals, and the list goes on. I used to do the same. After watching the ball drop on the TV, I would make a list of personal goals... they'd always be the same: feed my turtle regularly, run every day, sit straighter, be neater, stop procrastinating. Last year, I spiced it up with a "happy jar," which I maintained until beginning college. I hope to continue writing down positive memories in a mini-notebook, and I'd highly recommend it-- it's not only beneficial for optimistic thinking and memories keeping, but also motivates you to find memorable things to do. Though I think the new year can be a great time to start fresh and make positive changes, from past experience, the changes are often temporary; by the end of next year, I'd again be a hot mess with the same old list of goals.

However, I think I did pretty well this past 2015. I exercised consistently, ate much healthier, and created better study habits (the slouching is still a work in progress).  So I'd like to share some tips, and none have to do with "new years resolutions." 

Tip #1: Do not think a new year means you can shed your former self. The "man-made" year may have changed, but time is a continuum. You are a continuation, a mosaic of every decision, experience, and habit since your first breath. You may not be proud of every choice former you have made, but hopefully from the mistakes, you have learned something valuable. Therefore, change is also gradual. You cannot change into your ideal vision of yourself overnight. Change is possible, but it takes commitment. Be ready to commit.

Tip #2: Keep your expectations reasonable. It is good to have goals, but make sure they are realistic. Make sure you can keep the promises you make to yourself. Overly high expectations will cause unhappiness. Don't forget to be happy, even when there is little to be happy about. A change in expectations can make a world of a difference.

Tip #3: Make self improvement a way of living. If you really want to become a better version of yourself, make consistent improvements embedded into your life. Be open to new ideas and experiences, do not fear judgement or vulnerability or the unknown. The only way to improve is to embrace change...and sometimes that means stepping out of your comfort zone.

Tip #4: Enjoy the process. Trust me, the end result is not what makes your achievement worthwhile. It's the sweat and tears, the sacrifice and grit, that make you scream with joy when you realize how far you've come. So instead of dreaming about the future, live in the present, and appreciate where you are right now, because it is present you that has the power to create future you.

Hope these tips help you guys. Stay awesome, and have a fabulous, memorable, heart-throbbing 2016. 

How to Get Your Best Night's Sleep

We all know how important adequate sleep is, so I'm not going stress the need to sleep 8 hrs or describe the effects of sleep deprivation. Besides, some people can function on 7 hrs while others need a full 10 hrs to feel their best, so how much sleep you need varies. And when life is busy, it can come down to the fact that we just do not have time to sleep enough. So if your time is limited, but want to make the most out of the precious few hours of sleep you do have, read on my friend.

So first off, let's go over the two deciding factors for better sleep: sleeping faster and sleeping soundly.
These two factors go hand in hand and the tips I will provide can help you sleep faster and more soundly.

1) Cut down on your electronic usage 1-2 hrs before bed. The blue light from computers, television, phones, will make your brain think it's daytime. Daylight has more blue light while the evening has more orange, red light. When your body thinks it's daylight, it will suppress your melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone controlled by light exposure and more of it will induce sleepiness.

2) Exercise during the day. Exercising will make you tired, which in turn will make you more drowsy when it's time to sleep. I personally feel like I get better rest after exercising. Just make sure you don't exercise too close to your bedtime because that will increase your heart rate and have reverse effects.

3) Keep a nightly journal. If you're one of those people whose minds go haywire once laying on bed (I am guilty of this), writing down your thoughts will help. Once you end the non-stop thinking, you'll sleep so much faster.

4) Associate the bed with only sleep..and sex. So don't live on your bed all day everyday, doing your makeup, eating, watching tv, doing homework on it. Once you associate the bed with sleep, you'll psychology want to sleep.

5) If you still haven't fallen asleep, get up. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but it works in the long run. If you feel like it's been a while and you're still wide awake, do not force your body to still sleep. By training your mind to sleep in less than 10 minutes or not sleep at all, you can be sure to fall asleep quicker.

6) Eat a melatonin rich food before bed. Now this doesn't mean have a great big feast, no feasts or bad. But an empty stomach is also bad. Oh the conundrums of life. Having a light melatonin rich snack about 30 minutes before sleeping will help you feel sleepier. Melatonin rich foods include bananas, milk, oats, tomatoes, and pineapples.

I hope you guys have learned something from my few tips. If you have a method of getting better sleep that works, I'd love to know.

How to Be More Productive

With summer almost ending, our lives are going to be much more hectic. And busy. And full of work. And stressful. We need to get our lazy butts off the couch and actually do stuff...yay....Since we will all need some motivation and inspiration, here are some tips for being more productive. 

I'm no perfect human, and I still struggle with keeping up with a schedule and actually doing everything I plan to. So maybe this will help both of us hehe. 

Let's try to better ourselves, end procrastination, and reach our goals.

1) Be more organized. Organizing everything you need to do in a planner will subsequently organize your own thoughts and mind. 

2) Prioritize what's important. Is planning for that party really more important than studying for tomorrow's test? Is texting your crush more important than doing your homework? No sweetie, they aren't. So do what's most important first. You're brain's still fresh and it'll make you feel like a weight's lifted off your shoulders.

I should listen to my own advice hehe, since I'm currently writing this blog when I should be writing college essays...

So you're not alone. Many of us could use some improvement in our habits.  ^.^

3) Do NOT get distracted. Like many, I am a victim of wandering thoughts and daydreams. So I
understand how hard it is to concentrate on a boring task when your mind is buzzing with other things. You're thinking about what he said that morning, the test next week, what you'll wear to that dance, what you'll eat tomorrow...everything but the work you have in front of you. Concentrating will need a strong will. It's almost like giving up drugs if you're an addict (okay maybe not the best analogy).

But you can do it. I know you can. We'll work on it together.

4) Give yourself awards after completing something. For instance, you can allow yourself a break or a snack once you're done with studying. This will motivate you some more and allow a positive reflex in your mind. Kinda like giving a dog a treat after he does a trick. Yes I'm comparing us to dogs. I used to eat chocolate or something before working because it made me less stressed. Do not do that. Eat that chocolate after working :D

I hope these tips help! I know they're easier said than done. Changing bad habits and being more productive will require a lot of will.
I find that with most things in life, we're battling ourselves. They're often the hardest battles to win. But once you do, you'll feel uplifted and accomplish so much more.

So hang in there my friend. You can do it.

-InkSister