Life Hacks

LIFE

HACKS

Written by Olivia Khyat Designed by Shannon Moore

Anew year doesn’t have to mean a new you! It shouldn’t be about changing yourself into someone completely different. If anything it should be about being the best possible version of yourself. It can mean a fresh start from all the things that didn’t go so well last year, and a way to learn from mistakes that are now history. We’ve all been a fool to the idea of new year’s resolutions by setting ourselves unrealistic goals which ultimately lead to disappointment from giving up after approximately two days.

However, I recommend keeping a few things in mind that might make this upcoming year a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.

Trying new things is something that we should all strive to do in 2020. Although you might be nervous for at first, but you might surprise yourself with the end result. Leaving your comfort zone and doing something you typically wouldn’t is beneficial in so many ways. Opening doors to opportunities you wouldn’t normally go for or meeting people outside your inner circle are just a few things you can gain from trying out things that aren’t in your regular routine. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but have been too afraid of doing, don’t hold back, you may as well try it. Not taking any risks is the biggest risk you can ever take. G E T O U T Y O U R COMFORT ZONE

They can be some of the easiest things but random acts of kindness can go a long way. As cringe as it may sound, a small gesture towards someone else can easily turn around their day. By going out of your way to help, you are not only putting a smile on someone’s face, you’re putting one on your own. Even if it’s just a simple smile to a stranger or checking on your mates to see how they’re doing, the little things can mean the most. ACTS OF KINDNESS

new year doesn’t have to mean new you!

STAY ON TOP OF THINGS HELP THE WORLD

Juggling the woes of uni and a social life is something that us students are probably all too familiar with. Cramming last minute revision and pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment is one thing we can all admit to doing at least once. This is the time to make a change, so there will be no more last-minute stressing.

Make a plan of everything you need to do and when you need to do it by. It’s so easy to get carried away with all the partying and having fun, but it’s important to make room for both! You’re here to enjoy yourself and have fun with what you’re doing but you’re also here to work hard too.

It’s so much more rewarding knowing you’ve handed a good piece of work in that hasn’t been rushed and at the end there’s no better way to celebrate. As well as helping others close to you, we should also consider the bigger picture. Unfortunately, our planet is in crisis from the drastic change in climate and the amount of pollution being created. It took just moments for the world to react when the Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames.

However, this same reaction hasn’t been met for the Amazon fires which have been burning for almost a year now as well as the 4.9 hectares and millions of wildlife that has been killed in the Australian bushfires. Our planet is in danger and enough hasn’t been done to help.

Even just making a small difference in your lifestyle could have such a huge positive impact on the planet. Walking or taking public transport instead of driving, cutting down on single-use plastic, recycling correctly and even changing your diet to cut down on red meats are just a few ways which can help the crisis occurring around us.

2020 is the year for enjoying yourself and making new exciting memories.

There’s no point in getting caught up with all the negative things that brought us down in 2019. Instead it should be about looking forward to all the positive future endeavours that we are about to encounter. Focus on yourself and others around you and enjoy the time ahead of yourselves whilst we’re young as these are the most important years of our lives. N