In the spirit of the new year, many of us are looking back on our past year and looking ahead to the goals we wish to accomplish and the habits we plan to break. I feel that new years resolutions get a bad rep, simply because they are notorious for being broken within a couple of weeks. However, I think that it's never too late or too early to work on yourself and move towards the best version of you. Personally, my goals are to respect and nourish my mind, body, and soul; to become mentally and physically healthy. Here are a couple of things that I have been recently trying and enjoying:

1. Make time every single day to do something for yourself that will make you happy.

Between classes, work, chores, responsibilities, and a seemingly never-ending to-do list, it is quite easy to lose yourself and become stuck in stress. Activities such as reading, writing, even Netflix give me the opportunity for some voluntary me time. If it feels good at the time, do it!

2. Journal

I know that this isn't beneficial to everyone, but for me, I really enjoy sitting down every night before bed to review my day and clear my mind before I sleep. I write down any thoughts that seem to be stuck in my mind and reflect upon what I did during the day. I also make a to-do list for the following day that helps me be able to go to sleep with ease and wake up peacefully without having to worry about forgetting about something I needed to get done.

3. Personal Development

Personal development is a pretty wide category, as there are various ways to do this but I believe it is essential in creating healthy habits and expanding our minds/lives. I try to read one self-help book a month and take notes about my favorite topics and quotes. It's nice to see life and various topics through a different perspective and learn more about why we are they way that we are. There are also plenty of videos, blogs, and resources to browse through. From mindfulness, to happiness, to things such as eating healthy and budgeting your money, there is always room for improvement.

4. Affirmations

Affirmations are short little sayings that you repeat to yourself throughout the day to focus your mind on whatever it is you want to achieve or help yourself with. They are perfect for people that tend to get stuck in self-doubt and negativity towards themselves. They are thousands and thousands of examples on the interweb and Pinterest to help you get started. You can also create your own! I love affirmations because it gives me a small reminder throughout the day to hold me accountable and keep me on track.

5. Gratitude

If there's only one thing you do out of this entire list, this is the one! It is amazing how much power is held in gratitude. Every day before bed, think of three things you're grateful for, no matter what kind of day you had. For example, I had a really shitty day but I still managed to list the silliest little things that I was grateful for - coffee, my comfortable bed, and gum. It sounds ridiculous but it ensures that I go to sleep every night with a positive mindset and really helps me to focus on the good things that happened during the day.

6. Meditation

For me, meditation is simply sitting down with your mind and allowing yourself some time to just be. Noticing my thoughts and searching from within. I'm not at a point just yet that I can do it solo, so I use guided meditation videos on YouTube and apps such as Headspace to help coach me through it.

7. Moving

Many of us know that exercise is crucial to not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. However, I don't go to the gym and do a full workout every single day and I find that on my off days I tend to just sit around and go about my regular day. However, by simply doing some light yoga or some gentle stretching, it makes a world of a difference to my body and helps to create a more peaceful state of mind for the days that I can't go to the gym for an actual workout.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2017!