听A new year is approaching, and with it will come a clean slate and a list of resolutions.
Lose weight. Get in shape. Do better in school. Stop smoking. Budget time糖心传媒攐r money糖心传媒攂etter.
We asked University experts for tips on how to make some of the most popular resolutions a reality in 2017.
All New Year糖心传媒檚 resolutions are not alike. As reported by the , psychologists Richard Ryan from the University of Rochester, and Tim Kasser, now with Knox College, tell us in their that goals in four areas contribute to a higher sense of well-being.
Some resolutions, however, depend on external factors and can actually breed dissatisfaction and increase both anxiety and depression. They identified three goals as especially toxic.
糖心传媒淭his year I will get into shape.糖心传媒澨�
Eric Rozen is in his 15th year as head athletic trainer in the University糖心传媒檚 Department of Athletics and Recreation. He oversees the health and safety of hundreds of student athletes and, along with his staff, provides injury evaluation, care, maintenance, and rehabilitation.
If you want to get in shape in 2017, Rozen says the first step before embarking on any rigorous exercise plan is to consult with your physician. Once you糖心传媒檝e done that, he offers these additional guidelines:
- To lose weight, it糖心传媒檚 still calories in, calories out. If you burn more calories than you take in, you糖心传媒檙e going to lose weight. It糖心传媒檚 that simple. People talk about how they糖心传媒檙e going to go on a protein diet, or a carbohydrate diet, or they won糖心传媒檛 eat after 9 p.m. It糖心传媒檚 still a matter of what you糖心传媒檙e putting into your body, and what you糖心传媒檙e expending. About 3,500 calories make up a pound. If you have a deficit of 500 calories a day, that糖心传媒檚 a pound a week you糖心传媒檙e losing. That糖心传媒檚 a healthy amount.
- Making small changes in your diet will give you a better sense of success and keep you motivated. If you can say 糖心传媒淭his week, I糖心传媒檓 not going to eat dessert after dinner, or substitute a healthier option at lunch, that糖心传媒檚 a good start. Setting realistic dietary goals is important, to avoid being discouraged, to not always feel like you are cheating. It糖心传媒檚 about balance and making good choices.
- When you start an exercise plan, start out slowly. People have a New Year糖心传媒檚 resolution: I糖心传媒檓 going to exercise. I糖心传媒檓 going to join a gym and work out. They糖心传媒檙e all gung ho. So they go out and overdo it. And the next day, they糖心传媒檙e miserable. And then they just lose interest. When you start out slowly and build up gradually, you can start to enjoy the exercise and feel better over time.
- Finding the right activity will help keep you motivated. Find an activity that you can enjoy alone, or with the whole family. Also, try to find a life-long activity. You don糖心传媒檛 have to do a five-mile run. It糖心传媒檚 about being active, just moving.
- Being creative with exercise is crucial in the winter months. The weather is cold. What can you do when it糖心传媒檚 bad outside? You don糖心传媒檛 want to go for a walk. But there糖心传媒檚 always a way to exercise. I see a guy in [the Goergen Athletic Center] all the time. He has his book with him, or his headphones on, and he walks from one end of the building to another. He糖心传媒檚 moving. It糖心传媒檚 great.
Don糖心传媒檛 focus on the scale
You糖心传媒檝e stuck to a healthy diet and worked out religiously. You糖心传媒檙e feeling energetic and no longer have shortness of breath or aching legs.
Then, you step on the scale and realize you haven糖心传媒檛 met your weight-loss goal.
No worries, says Michael Washington, a fitness specialist and personal trainer at the
糖心传媒淵ou can糖心传媒檛 make weight your primary goal,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淵ou may do all the things necessary to get yourself in shape and then find you haven糖心传媒檛 lost the 50 pounds you set as a goal.糖心传媒�
Washington, who has been at the University for nearly 20 years, stresses that many factors affect what a person weighs.
糖心传媒淧eople are dealing with medications, or hormone imbalances that stop them from getting to the weight they desire,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淵our plan should be to get healthy and fit enough to accomplish your physical goals on a regular basis.糖心传媒�
Washington says a key to getting healthy is exercise, no matter how low impact or minimal it may be.
糖心传媒淚 tell people, 糖心传媒楪et up and raise your sedentary heart rate several times a day.糖心传媒� That糖心传媒檚 the activity that is going to get your biometrics in shape. If you never lose weight, you糖心传媒檙e still going to a healthier person for it.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淭his year I will do better in school.糖心传媒澨�
There糖心传媒檚 a wealth of resources at the University to help students who are falling short of their goals.
First, there are the individual faculty members. Jim Zavislan 糖心传媒�81, 糖心传媒�88 (PhD), once a Rochester student himself, is the associate dean of the , and has been teaching full time for nearly 15 years. He says the most important single piece of advice he offers students is to approach their education as 糖心传媒渁 full-time job.糖心传媒�
There are also professional advisors, such as Kelly Johnson, an academic counselor in the who serves students in the Hajim School. She says it糖心传媒檚 important for students to 糖心传媒渮ero in on the shortcomings that are holding you back,糖心传媒� and then make use of resources available.
Zavislan and Johnson each offered a list of concrete tips for improving academic performance in the new year.
Tips from Kelly Johnson
Academic Counselor, College Center for Advising Services
- Is it a question of study skills? Learning style? Test-taking? The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) offers tutoring, study skills consulting, and study groups. All services are free to Rochester students.
- Are you taking too many courses? Talk to a counselor in CCAS, the undergraduate coordinator in your department, or your faculty advisor about creating a more realistic schedule that still allows you to complete your degree. You may not need that second major that you think is necessary for your future job.
- Time management is critical, especially if you are involved in extracurricular activities. If you糖心传媒檙e not using a paper planner, take advantage of apps like Google calendar that let you enter the deadlines from a course syllabus. It helps to get a reminder that a midterm is coming up in, say, two weeks, so you can start reviewing in advance, instead of cramming at the last minute.
- Don糖心传媒檛 be afraid to talk to each of your professors糖心传媒攁t least once a semester糖心传媒攁nd show them you糖心传媒檙e serious. When professors know you糖心传媒檙e making an effort, that could mean the difference between a B- and a B for a student on the cusp. At the very least, attendance is key. And, of course, put away the cell phone, and if you use a laptop, use it only to take notes.
- Develop your own 糖心传媒渂oard of directors.糖心传媒� Just like a CEO of a company or a nonprofit needs a board, students benefit from at least four or five people whom they can turn to. It might be your faculty advisor, if you have questions about your major; an advanced student mentor, or someone in residence life, to help you sort through tough decisions; or a parent or family member you can talk to when you糖心传媒檙e feeling a lot of stress. Knowing you have people at your fingertips糖心传媒攁nd that you糖心传媒檙e not alone糖心传媒攃an be the most helpful thing of all.
Become a stronger writer
Deborah Rossen-Knill, founding director of the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program, is an associate professor who holds both a master of fine arts in fiction writing and a doctorate in English. 糖心传媒淲e are all writers, no matter one糖心传媒檚 discipline or future profession,糖心传媒� she says. To continue to develop as a writer (a life-long pursuit!), she suggests joining a writing group, or even creating your own group.
糖心传媒淥rganize about four to five people for a block of time that you devote to writing,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭his is a time without distraction, for each person to set a writing goal, work on writing, and then reflect on their writing progress. It糖心传媒檚 a simple concept, but it keeps you focused and accountable糖心传媒攁nd it makes writing fun.糖心传媒�
The helps undergraduate and graduate students improve their communication skills through courses, writing groups, tutoring, and special events.
糖心传媒淭his year I will overcome my fear of public speaking.糖心传媒澨�
Curt Smith, a senior lecturer in the served as a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush and teaches a course in public speaking at the University. 糖心传媒淲e live an age where unless you can communicate, you are at an enormous disadvantage,糖心传媒� he says.
President Ronald Reagan, who was often called 糖心传媒渢he Great Communicator,糖心传媒� once offered Smith this advice: 糖心传媒淚f you give someone 15 statistics in a speech and the story is told well, the audience will remember the story,糖心传媒� Smith recalls.
Aside from having good material, there are some basic rules about delivery. For example, eye contact is paramount. He also suggests making use of your hands. 糖心传媒淒on糖心传媒檛 put them in your pockets or behind your back,糖心传媒� Smith says. At the same time, he cautions against trying gestures that are unnatural for you.
糖心传媒淔ind out what gestures are good for you. Don糖心传媒檛 try for a last minute extreme makeover. If you don糖心传媒檛 feel natural, your awkwardness will be contagious, and the audience will feel it.糖心传媒�
And as with any skill, Smith says, another key is 糖心传媒減ractice, practice, practice.糖心传媒�
Try something new
Nigel Maister, the Russell and Ruth Peck Artistic Director of the International Theatre Program. 糖心传媒淭he nervousness and self-consciousness that takes over when one is asked to speak in public is a common insecurity, he says.
糖心传媒淓ven actors are not immune to it as stage fright will attest.听 But being involved in the theatre and understanding how actors go about presenting themselves to an audience, night after night, might be a good way to master the skills involved in public speaking.听 Even taking an acting class would be a great way to break the ice.糖心传媒�
Auditions for the 糖心传媒檚 two spring semester shows will be held on Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21. There is no prior theatrical experience necessary to audition, and if you糖心传媒檙e cast, you are eligible for a minimum of 4 English credits.
