New Habits for the New Year
December 12, 2024 by Paige Stanley
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed your Winter Break and are excited to be back on campus. Each January, many people choose to make New Year's resolutions to improve their quality of life. Whether this is picking up a new hobby, being more active or putting yourself out there more, all of these are great habits to pick up.
If you’re looking to pick up new habits in 2025, one tip we have is to make sure your goals meet the S.M.A.R.T criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely. This will improve your success rate of keeping these habits throughout the whole year and beyond! Here is a list of new S.M.A.R.T. habits to work into your routine at the UW.
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Keep a steady sleep schedule
Sleep has numerous benefits for your mental and physical health. It also is proven to be vital to support brain health when studying. In order to improve your study habits, start with your sleep schedule! A good rule of thumb is to strive for at least 8 hours of sleep each night and to try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. We know that college is often associated with late nights, so a good way to make this attainable is to try to keep a steady sleep schedule on weekdays and then work yourself up to the weekends too.
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Improve your spending habits
A very popular resolution is to spend less. But this is easier said than done. One attainable way to do this is through food costs. It can be tempting to go out for meals when you are in a rush or tired after a long day. We recommend trying meal prepping for the week ahead! Head to the District Market for groceries and make a fun activity out of it by cooking with your friends in your apartment or residence hall kitchen. When you are in a rush or tired, you’ll have premade meals ready for you!
Bonus: this is an easy way to eat healthier! Preparing healthy, balanced meals ahead of time reduces the urge to eat and quick meal, many of which lack nutritional value. If you need inspiration for balanced meals, check out HFS’ Balanced Plate and NetNutrition online menu tools.
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Be more active
A huge perk about being a UW student is having free access to recreational facilities and equipment at the Intramural Activities Building (IMA) or Fitness Center West (if you are a resident). If you need motivation to exercise, sign up for a workout class at one of the recreational facilities with your friends. Having others to exercise with helps with motivation and fun!
Another tip is to walk more! If you're someone who frequently drives or takes the bus, opt to walk every once in a while to get some fresh air and your heart rate up.
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Pick up a new hobby
It can be hard to find the time to have a hobby in college when you are so busy with studying, a job, friends, etc. However, the new year is a great time to work in a new hobby to your routine. You could join one of the hundreds of RSOs, head to a makerspace to get crafty, check out a book from the library and more.
Here’s a list of hobbies:
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Meet new people
It can be intimidating to put yourself out there to meet new people. Luckily, there are many ways to make connections at the UW, especially as an HFS resident! Attend the Residential Programming Board events to meet other residents and participate in fun activities! Some of the events they’ve hosted in the past include DIY Zen gardens, a haunted house, a fall drinks pop-up and going to a Mariners Game.
Remember, other students feel the same way. Knock on your neighbors’ doors and invite them to join you to study, explore Seattle or attend an event!
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Don’t procrastinate
Start off the quarter strong by staying on top of your assignments and keeping your to-dos organized! If you do not have one already, create a system with resources from Academic Support Programs to write down all of your assignments and due dates to make sure you don’t miss anything. If you need a new place to write notes, the District Market has school supplies to help with an organized fresh start.
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