When you are solely focused on improving yourself, you forget about giving back to those around you. So, clear space in your calendar to volunteer your time to a soup kitchen, animal shelter, or whatever it may be. Here are eight simple ways to give back:

1. Clean out your closet and donate clothes to the your local homeless shelter, Salvation Army or Goodwill.

This is important. We have too many things in our lives and do not use half of them. The best cure for this behavior is giving away items we barely use and making a difference in someone else's life.

2. Clean out your kitchen cabinets and donate non-perishable items to your local food pantry.

There are so many cheap items that one could donate to a food pantry. Canned vegetables and fruits to rice and pasta. There are items you probably have in your kitchen cabinet already, that you probably forgot about.

3. Hold the door for the people behind you, no matter how many people there are.

There have been many times when I've walked into a building on campus and a ton of people start coming out, so I hold the door, even though I'm feeling super impatient. Yet, I do it anyway because it lowers the amount of chaos created through an exiting and entering episode.

4. Pay the tab for someone behind you in the drive-thru.

This has never happened to me, but I would actually love to do it for someone else. It could also initiate a "pay-it-forward" way to give back.

5. Volunteer for a few hours a week for a non-profit organization.

This may require filling out an application and/or a background check. But this is my favorite way to give back, so I'd say that it is totally worth it.

6. Pick up litter from around your community.

Preferably in a local park or neighborhood where there isn't a lot of traffic. Create a playlist and put your headphones in. Get your friends involved.

7. Run errands for your grandparents, or other elders in your family.

Imagine how much time and danger you save them when you do the driving. I definitely encourage this. Treat them to a spa day instead, if they're into that sort of thing.

8. Clean your apartment or dorm for your roommates.

You know those times when you're washing your dishes and you see your roommate's dishes sitting in the sink beside yours and you get the urge to wash theirs too? No? Yeah? Well, just go ahead and wash them too, if you ever have those thoughts. Take out the trash if it's full. Sweep if it needs it. Be the roommate you would want to have.