The Key to a Happy New Year

Kazi Falguni Eshita

Winter is approaching fast. The woolens are taking the places of cottons. The shopping malls are being loaded with special cosmetics to be used to fight cold. Dry lips and cracked heels can be seen everywhere. This scenario will continue for at least the next two months.

Winter in Bangladesh marks the end of the current year and the start of a new one. What if we try to make a plan to run the year smoothly? Not a bad idea, right? A proper plan will also help someone fight off extra pressure and prevent unwanted problems.
Make a proper study plan: Let’s face it. Studies definitely can be boring at times, and sometimes students feel like doing things which apparently seems more appealing to them. Of course, we do want good grades in the exams. So it is a good choice to make a well thought out study plan at the very beginning of the year. All the subjects require equal attention, but one has to make sure that he/she gets enough breaks between the study hours. It is not wise to study for three consecutive hours. In my opinion, one should focus on one subject for about forty-five minutes to an hour, and then take a ten minute break before going forward to the next subject. Thus, one can easily avoid monotony and grasp a clear idea of the subject studied. Too much information in a row would always give me headaches, so my school teacher gave me this seventy-minute strategy and it worked like magic for me.  Moreover, the ideal study time at home should be five to eight hours per day, not more than that.
All work and no play?:We should always manage some time to pamper ourselves. You may spend about an hour a month taking a spa of some sort in a beauty salon. Spend some time with your passions. It may be watching a good movie or reading a good book. I’m listening to a collection of duet Tagore songs now as I write. Spending time with yourself will help you forget all the negatives that happened throughout the day and make you re-energized.
Keep your body in shape: Exercise is a must to build up your inner stamina and keep all the antigens away from you. I’m not asking anyone to be members of expensive gyms or to buy expensive machines to be kept at home. Instead, just a short stroll in the local park three days a week or using a bicycle on the way to college might be a good option. Especially if you are trying to lose a few extra pounds, there’s nothing like the methods mentioned previously. Imagine how good you’ll feel if you get that desired perfect fitness.

Manage your money: Some people prefer to have a year-long budget and the amount they save is also a good one. On the other hand, spendthrifts always have financial problems at the end of the month. It is a good idea to make a list of expense priorities. Look properly into your closet before buying a new set of clothes and the like. Some women use retail therapy (too much shopping) as a method to relax. Beware of monetary problems, ladies! Avoid getting duplicates of things you already own, and don’t even look at extremely expensive stuff.
Be Social: If you are a service holder or even a student, socializing does not go in vain. Besides, relationships are like plants which need to be nurtured. Don’t take family outings lightly. They are opportunities to strengthen the bonds between cousins or other relatives. Instead of celebrating a joyous occasion alone only with your parents and siblings, try to make neighbors or colleagues and friends a part of it. Arrange a colleague’s day out, visit each other’s places or go on a picnic. You will get to know the people around you even better. This is important because communication with different types of people not only makes you understand how to behave with them, it will also help to increase your general knowledge and adaptability.
Working for social benefits is also a good choice if you want to spend your leisure time well. Just after the final exams, most students will get a long holiday.  Use it to teach underprivileged children, or take part in the local cleaning campaign. You can also set up blood donation camps. Another easy way of getting self- satisfaction is by donating warm clothes to the people in need.
Eat healthy, sleep well: Run away from all the junk foods, processed edibles or the contaminated roadside snacks. These may look tempting to anyone, but they will bring you nothing save sickness. Munching on nuts should be preferable over eating chocolate bars.
Last but not the least; everyone needs a good amount of shut-eye every day. Make sure you sleep for six to eight hours per day. There are many nocturnal birds amongst us who prefer to sleep at the crack of dawn and get up after two hours. This is not a good habit at all, because then you’ll surely feel drowsy for the whole day, and your working speed will be slower than usual.
Overall, it can be said that a disciplined lifestyle will keep you fit beyond your expectation. Happy new year!