February can be one of the most exciting months of the year — with Valentine’s Day surprises, the beginning of new classes and

  1. Go! Go! H20! Start your day with a glass of water. Pour it before bed and keep it by your bedside. Your body gets extremely thirsty after eight hours of not drinking, so make it a habit to jumpstart your day and your metabolism by chugging it down first thing.
  1. Yada, yada, ‘exercise is important, do it everyday.’ We’ve all heard it. But if you haven’t found a form of exercise that you enjoy yet, don’t give up! You won’t have the energy to do anything big unless you start small.
Editor’s Tip: Try out an inverted yoga pose called Salamba Sirsasana against a wall. Claimed benefits from this pose are crazy endless. To name just a few: Tones legs and abs, allows blood flow to brain cells which improves memory and concentration, helps with insomnia, improves posture and helps with your sex drive — so uh, worth a shot, right?
  1. Daily dining swaps. When we’re busy, our diets can get super unhealthy, and at Elon, we’re all busy. Try to pick a day of the week (or two) to use as a reminder to treat your body nicely and make healthier choices: Meatless Monday, Super food Sunday (think spinach, pumpkin, salmon, soy, green tea, walnuts, Greek yogurt, kale) and Wheat-less Wednesday (a lot of the wheat products we eat are processed and have next to no nutritional value).
  1. Everything in moderation. Having trouble with portion control? Use smaller plates when you eat and snack. By filling up an entire plate, you’ll feel like you’re eating more and consequently feel fuller. It’s all psychology, baby.
  1. Write down a daily goal. Whether it's a physical goal or an emotional one, writing it down makes it real and motivates you to get it done. Grab a pen and jot down a reminder on your forearm or set a reminder in your phone — whatever you think will work for you. Remember, you can’t accomplish any goal until you set it, and baby steps are important, so take it one day at a time.
  1. Treat yourself. After a week of working your behind off, you deserve a reward. Try treating yourself to something at least once a week. Not only is this a great reward for all your hard work, but it will make the next week even better once you’re looking forward to your weekly treat. Whether it's a relaxing bath, a cupcake or a couple hours off. Treat yourself. You deserve it!
  1. Take time off of social media. Whether it's one hour a day or one day a week, it's important to unplug. Social media is a great resource, but more often than not it can misguide our thought process and result in feelings of jealousy, loneliness and FOMO. Plus, the blue glow from electronic devices can stop your brain’s pineal gland from producing its natural melatonin, which means less sleep for us. Not good!
  1. Socialize. Meet a friend for a walk in the park, call your grandparents or write a letter to a pen pal once a week. Talking to people is important for our mental health, so the next time you’re feeling down, try chatting it up with someone. Don’t have time for that? Write down your thoughts. Socialize with yourself.
  1. Look in the mirror daily and pick something out that you like. Struggling with body image or having a bad hair day? Look in the mirror. Focus on one part of your appearance that looks good that day. The more positive feedback you give yourself, the more routine it will become for you to not only say and do positive things for yourself, but to feel positive about yourself.
  1. Express yourself. Paint something, bake a cake, sign up for an open mic night or put together a cute outfit. Focus on expressing yourself through the things you love. In order to love ourselves, we need to show our true selves.