The year of 2020 has been a rollercoaster ride amidst the global health crisis, having to juggle the shifts made in work, school and our own personal lives. But despite the chaos, there’s always comfort in the familiar – the year-end rituals we partake in, year in and year out. As this tumultuous year comes to a close, let’s start to wind down and prepare ourselves to take on the semester ahead.
1. Digital Declutter
Our devices are amazing tools that have made our lives easier, be it to write down notes, make virtual calls or even to facilitate online learning (as we have experienced hands-on in this semester). However, we often fall prey to our own devices, using our technology to watch videos or scroll through Tik Tok for hours on end.
Source: Expert Photography
Take some time before the New Year begins to reset your digital spaces so that they are designed to make your life better, not worse. Clear out the applications that you don’t use, those files and pictures that you don’t need and maybe download some new applications that can make you more productive.
Then, go a step further and clear out your social media – remove content you don’t like, unfollow toxic accounts that don’t serve you, or even just delete social media altogether.
2. Clear The Admin
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Have you been meaning to clear your NUS Webmail, pay your school fees or plan out your modules for the next semester? Take a whole day if you have to and check those boxes that may have left undone in the previous semester.
You may not have realised it but once you get these tiny but nagging tasks out of the way, you are going to feel so much better mentally and emotionally.
3. Deep Clean
Same goes for your physical space. Wing it Marie-Kondo style: take everything off your shelves, throw out things that you don’t want and then re-organize your space. This way, you can see all of your items individually and consider if they are still fit for your lifestyle. And remember to clean out those nooks and crannies while you’re at it!
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But it doesn’t stop there. After you declutter, set some limits around what you buy and bring into your space. Otherwise, things will go straight back to the way it was.
Tip: Remember those Freshman Orientation camp packs or free welfare packs that NUS gives out? Do think about whether you will actually use these items before queuing up just to get something that will end up sitting at the back of your shelf for the rest of the year. Freebies aren’t really freebies if they are taking up unnecessary space in your home and your life.
4. Reflect, Plan and Take Action
Firstly, reflect on your previous semester. How did it go, what did you learn, and what could you do differently? With the release of results that were just gifted to us this Christmas, is there anything that you can do better next semester? Or are there things you need to let go, forgive and learn from?
Source: Great Results Team Building
Then, start planning. Note down the things you were struggling with and what you can do to make that struggle easier in the next semester. How do you want to feel and what steps can you take to start feeling that way? Write them down and put them somewhere that you can see clearly.
Perhaps you can’t help but zone out during an online lecture. How about dressing up to show up so you can stay more concentrated? Felt lonely during the online semester? Perhaps you can join more clubs and activities to get more involved next semester.
To wrap up this arduous year, consider keeping your goals short-term and achievable so you’ll stay motivated to achieve them. Even for the tips in this article, spread out these to-dos over the course of the next week as we move into the next year so you don’t feel like you have to do them all at once.
Nevertheless, congratulations on making it to the end of the year! To a great 2021 ahead and happy holidays from all of us at the Reslife team.
