It’s a new year and a new decade – and with that comes the #newyearnewme bandwagon, where you find yourself signing up to a mass of resolutions you didn’t even know you wanted or needed. Do more exercise, eat healthier stuff, read more, study harder, see your friends more – just be more.  

But January is a busy time as a King’s student. Between exams, deadlines and London’s unforgivingly cold weather, you might not be feeling the whole #newyearnewme shabang, and you might just end up being super hard on yourself if you burn out and don’t achieve all you set out to do. Don’t worry though; you’re not alone: studies show only 8% of people achieve their new year’s resolutions – that’s less likely than winning a medal at the Olympics, ouch!

I find that often, when you look after yourself, everything seems to follow suit. If you’re feeling rubbish, you’re more likely to eat rubbish; if you’re feeling like a failure, you’re hardly going to want to get off the sofa and go for a run or hang out with your friends. After all, you’re only one person – and all these resolutions are calling for is for you to be more than you already are – but that’s not a great way to see yourself. So, let’s take a step back.

The best way to achieve your goals is to make little (and I mean little) but important changes to your lifestyle: and that starts with dropping the idea that you are going to entirely change yourself just because the earth has completed another orbit round the sun. If you want to eat healthier, swap out snacking on crisps for fruit – if you want to read more, bring a book around with you and read it on your commute. If you want to get fitter – and this one I strongly recommend – walk to places more. I cannot recommend this last one enough. Sometimes, because we are so used to living here, we take the beautiful variety of colours, architecture and life in London for granted.

Walking not only gives your heart rate and serotonin a little boost, but it helps you to clear your head in ways that being packed like sardines on a tube just isn’t going to. So, get off a stop early from uni and walk, or instead of taking the bus for 20 minutes, do that 30-minute walk. You’ll begin to appreciate things around you that you just didn’t notice before. Take it as a chance to slow down, breathe, and take time out from the stresses of deadlines and exams.

Still, if walking around in London in the heart of winter is not your cup of tea, KCLSU has got you covered with some heart-warming activities to help you Take Time Out for yourself. From taking a break out of your busy schedule to go cuddle with some doggos, to getting moving and meeting new people at salsa class and even some crafty pop-ups around campus – there’s something for everyone looking to Take Time Out this month!

These mood-boosting activities are a great way to look after your mental health during the hustle and bustle of January, and put you in the right headspace to make those little changes that’ll put you on the right track to feeling healthier inside and out … it’s all a slow-but-sure domino effect!

So, though January is always pitched as being the month of totally transforming yourself and working hard to achieve your newly found goals – remember to be kind to yourself and Take Time Out with us this month. You’ll thank yourself later.

You can see all of our Take Time Out events by searching ‘Take Time Out’ on our events page.