Life Detox

For a long time now I've been feeling lethargic - simply unable to get the motivation to do, well, anything. After spending a lot of time last week thinking about my life and why I was so unhappy with it, I realised that I needed a detox.

I've seen a lot of articles about life detoxes, with suggestions for how to change your life to make it perfect, but that's not what I'm aiming for.

I don't want to do a complete re-haul.

I want gradual change, easing myself into a lifestyle that will make me happier and healthier. That way, I feel as though I'll really stick to it (a problem I've always had with these kinds of things).

So I thought about the areas of my life that want change, and how to go about doing that.

Firstly, university.

This should be my first and foremost priority, and yet it seems to get swept back to make room for everything else. I simply haven't been spending enough time actually trying to understand my course material; rather, I've been doing the absolute bare minimum to ensure I pass.

This is easy enough to change. I just need to get up earlier and go into university a couple of hours before my lectures start. Probably the easiest change to make, and yet definitely the most important.

Secondly, health.

I'm not going to suddenly throw out microwave meals and go to the gym every day. (I hate the gym).

But if every time I go shopping, I can switch a few more of my items for healthier options, it won't be long before I've eased myself into a healthier diet with almost no effort.

Besides that, a little research into healthier options. My flatmate is vegan, and so I've asked her if she'll help me do a week of veganism. I'm not giving up meat! But a big part of being vegan is research and planning, so I think a week of that will really help.

Finally in this category, one exercise class a week for now doesn't seem scary at all. I went to Boxercise on Sunday and it was tough but really fun, and I felt the burn for two whole days. Again, to help motivation I've asked a flatmate to keep encouraging me to go.

I hope that this combination of things will help me a lot of other ways too, for instance clearing up my skin and making me less tired despite getting enough sleep (one thing I've never had a problem with!)

Finally, social.

I always felt as though this area of my life was balanced, and I suppose compared to the other two it is. However, I still find it far too easy to say "no" to things that should be fun, and "yes" to things that really aren't good for me. I'll turn down a meal with flatmates for a night out with other friends, when I know full well that I'll be making an absolute idiot of myself on the night out.

Speaking of which: less alcohol is a definite for this detox!

I also spend far, far too much time on social networking sites. I check them constantly and post on them almost as often. Definitely unhealthy.

There are a few other things I need to change too, but these are the three main areas that I want to improve. I don't want this to seem like a huge task I need to do, rather an easy transition.I want to turn motivation into habit.

So that was quite a lot of words.

Here's a list that I've written into my filofax to remind myself of the changes I'd like to make:

• Drink tea without sugar
• Go to an exercise class each week
• Make healthy lunch boxes
• Check facebook and twitter less often
• Have one day a week with no computer access at all
• Walk to and from university more often

I know that this won't happen immediately and sometimes I'll skip a class or I'll put three sugars in my tea or I'll get absolutely smashed and do something stupid, but if there's one thing I want to remind myself of it's that

It's okay to get things wrong.

I'm nineteen. If I can't make mistakes now, when can I?

I've got my whole life to get things right, but I'm hoping that this year is the year I start in that direction.