Every year since sophomore year of college I compile a list of things I'd like to do better over the following twelve months. I then go on to print it and put it up on my wall as a form of guidelines reminding me how I'd like to improve. This year, I've come up with 5 easy resolutions for a healthier life. After all, we all need a little TLC post the debacle of year 2016 has been.

#1 Cook more for yourself

Don't worry, I'm not talking kale per se. Cooking and nutritional knowledge are essential for a healthy body. If you eat right, you never need to worry about diets or getting sick. (Ok, maybe you'll get sick once a year, but let's be real, those stats are pretty amazing). According to Forbes, cooking is pretty damn great in 4 ways. Apart from being better for the environment, it's cheaper. The broke post-grad in me could really use some savings, you feel me? Preparing your own food gives you a sense of fulfilment even if you're not the best chef out there, plus it's proven to keep you in a better shape and consuming less calories. Still not convinced? My trick to making cooking fun is to put my iTunes on shuffle and dance around. Try that.

#2 Find exercise that's fun and do it as much as you can

No gym required. I'm the biggest fan of working out you'll ever meet and I do it every day, yet I haven't set foot at a gym in seven months. The key is to find exercise that you enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore. My top choices are jumping rope at the beach, rollerblading and hiking. Exercising outdoors has the extra benefits of breathing clean air and exploring your area, so grab a bottle of water, choose your game plan and go for it.

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#3 Pick up yoga

I'm super guilty of starting and quitting yoga a dozen times in the span of a month. Every time I do yoga, I feel light and flexible as hell. My reason for not sticking it out is that I don't like to do it alone, and this year I'm determined to be faithful to my 3 times a week routine no matter what. It's really fascinating how yoga changes your body from the very start, so try doing it for a month and track your progress. There's no downside here.

#4 Give meditation a shot

Meditation has been on my resolutions list for two years now. Praised by world-famous entrepreneurs like Tim Ferriss, the effect it has on easing the mind and bringing awareness and focus are told to be unparalleled. Take it easy with meditation at the beginning. I like to set the mood for my practice by using a comfortable mat, lighting some candles and turning on my Himalayan salt lamp. I'm sure you've seen those around, but did you know that besides being a cool bedroom decoration they have a ton of health benefits? When the Himalayan salt crystal is heated by the bulb inside, it ionizes the room and neutralizes the electronic smog in the room.

#5 Change the way I party

This has been an ongoing struggle for me. Ever since college, partying has been directly associated with bar hopping followed by blurring night and morning together only to end up hungover for days to follow. Not that I haven't had some hilarious stories come out of drunken escapades over the years, but it's time to get creative and find ways to have fun that doesn't require a bottle of Advil and a call from my personal banker asking how it's humanly possible to use a credit card at 13 different spots all over town within four hours. If that sounds like you, try diversifying your social life by joining a couple of Meetup groups based on your hobbies, running with the Nike team in your city or going on a few day trips during the weekend.