With the New Year rolling in, it can be hard to decide what resolutions to follow up on. New Year’s resolutions are meant to help people work on themselves. Resolutions are a form of inspiration to help with mental and physical health.

The most common resolution for Manitou Springs High School staff and students was to “be more motivated.” This resolution was so common because of the “COVID mindset”. Students have not had a normal high school experience in almost three years now.

Half of the last three years of high school have been online. With students being quarantined and staying at home consistently, it has been extremely difficult to stay on top of school work. Turning in assignments on time is hard to keep up with but with an increase of motivation, it can become easier.

According to statista.com, one of the most popular resolutions in the United States last year was to “lose weight.” With the body positivity movement going around, this resolution isn’t as popular at MSHS. Students here are changing this resolution to “eat healthier,” and “workout more.” Modifying this from a difference in weight to making the body healthier.

“My resolution is to get massively, massive at the gym,” Norah Jorstad (11) said. Working out can help a person gain motivation as well as self-confidence.

To help gain a positive mindset, a good resolution is “to not pick up other people’s stress,” said English teacher, Jessica Moen. It can be difficult when trying to be a supportive person and give good advice when stress is picked up easily. Working to accomplish a task like this resolution can seem impossible; however, if people begin to put themselves first a large majority of the time it can become achievable.

Taking time away from social media and using cell phones less is a good way to work on having a stronger mindset. Relaxing and enjoying free time is also an excellent way to relieve stress. Taking time throughout the day to sit down and take deep breaths can help improve mental stability.

Playing with pets or taking them on walks more often, not only helps a person feel better, but also can help your pet feel more fulfilled. Dedicating more time to pets, work or yourself are great strategies to help with feeling accomplished as well as being more motivated.

“I want to rededicate my time to learning how to play guitar again,” said Matt Rogge, English teacher. Re-engaging yourself in old hobbies and activities is a good resolution to follow when wanting to regain happiness.

Many people enjoy the feeling of having money. A common misperception is that wanting money is greedy. However, making money can improve mental health. This is why a good resolution is “start saving up”, or even “earn what you deserve,” Nicholas Marro (12) said.

It can be a challenge to save up your money; therefore with each paycheck if a person puts even just $10 aside, saving up becomes less difficult. Earning more can also be a great challenge, however with a good work ethic and giving yourself rewards for hard work, the chance of earning more money isn’t unreachable.

With the last few years of COVID-19 going around, it is common to lose positivity and motivation. By following resolutions for the new year, we can improve these unfortunate changes. Though it can be hard to follow up with resolutions, they are very helpful to improving one’s mentality.

MSHS students have come up with helpful resolutions that are useful for people in our community. Don’t let COVID-19 take over another year, instead take over this upcoming year for yourself.