Every year, 12 a.m. on January 1 rolls around and friends and family make ridiculous unattainable resolutions that end up broken within a week. The idea of setting resolutions in the New Year has spurred a large amount of conversation and has been deemed a negative way to start off a new year.

January 1 brings a large amount of opportunity for change, growth and excitement, but starting off your year with a broken promise to yourself is hardly a strong start. Here are 18 small promises you can make to yourself to have a happier and healthier year.

1. Drink more water.

Insane diets come and go but the one thing that never changes is the opinion on the importance of drinking water. We are a chronically dehydrated nation and simply drinking more water can help with weight loss, improve the quality of your skin and reduce illness and headaches among countless other benefits.

2. Smile more.

It can be so easy to get caught up in everyday stressors and forget to something as small as smiling. Making an effort throughout your day to stop what you're doing and smile at someone can make all the difference in their happiness and even yours. Science has proved time and time again that something as simple as a smile can make all the difference in someone's day.

3. Do one kind thing every day.

Doing something kind for someone else is an act that time and time again if overlooked. Making an effort to help other people ultimately makes you happier in the long run. Hold the door for someone you don't know, pay it forward, donate to your favorite charity or volunteer at a local soup kitchen. Even if you have the worst day ever, you can admit that you accomplished something great in helping someone else.

4. Take a break from your phone.

Screen time takes away from the quality of your day. Stepping away from the stressors of social media, the constant demands of texts and e-mails, and repetitive game pings will so easily make your day feel fulfilled and clean.

5. Do one thing out of your comfort zone every week.

We are creatures of habit, whether we like to admit it or not, we make patterns in everything we do. Staying within your patterns can lead to you feeling incredibly bored all of the time. Make a conscious effort once a week to do something new each week. All of sudden your "boring" life starts to feel a little more exciting.

6. Make an effort to learn a new skill.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Approximately 5.5 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimers every year. The number one way to offset this horrible disease it by keeping your mind strong. Learning a new skill, whether that be an instrument, a game or set of information, you're not only getting smarter but you're prolonging your life as well.

7. Meditate.

People often consider mediation pointless but meditation can make all the difference in mental and physical health. Meditation reduces stress, increases health, reduces the risk for anxiety, and provides countless other benefits. Find the time in the day to quiet your mind. We bathe our bodies, why not bathe our minds.

8. Pick up a book.

Reading has become an almost solely electronic practice. Whether you read online or on a kindle, there is nothing like picking up a hardcover book. Reading allows you to escape from your world and enter into the world of your choosing. Make some tea, light a candle and read a book.

9. Eat at least one thing from the Earth in every meal.

Processed foods hurt out bodies and clouds our minds. Making an effort to eat foods that come directly from the earth makes all the difference in physical and mental health. Whether you decide to dive in and research a vegan diet or simply eat a vegetable or two a day, any progress makes for a healthier life.

10. Follow a cute dog -or cat, if you're into that- account on Instagram.

Social media can be incredibly taxing. Scrolling through photos of happy friends leads to decreased self-esteem and increased stress levels. Make a point to follow positive accounts that leave you feeling light and fulfilled rather than lonely.

11. Journal.

Writing down the best and worst parts of your day not only elicits closure but also makes for fun memories to look back on later. Whenever you feel like you've had the worst or even best day of all, write down the aspects of the day worth remembering, it'll be fun to look back on.

12. Take pictures of everything.

Looking back on the past year, there are so many moments I wish I had captured. We are all so frequently in a rush we forget to stop long enough to value the moment. In 50 years, the pointless picture of your friend group will mean more to you than anything else. Take the extra moment and capture a memory.

13. Write done one thing you're grateful for every single day.

Some days, this is harder than other but MAN is this effective. On the great days, this is easy but on the hard days, it can be tough to find something to be grateful about. Before you know it, finding gratitude within yourself allows you to calmly embrace every aspect of your day.

14. Talk to a stranger.

Think about all of the people we pass in one day. Of those people, think about how many of those people could make a difference in your life. Once again, we're creatures of habit. We interact with the same people every single day and ultimately back ourselves into a dead end. Branch out, pick one new people every week to speak to, who knows who you'll meet.

15. Watch TV/Netflix uninterrupted without multitasking.

Watching TV has quickly become background noise over entertainment. The actual act of watching a show without the distraction of a phone, laptop or homework is one of the most relaxing activities possible. Watch a show, interact with the characters and take a break from constant stimulation.

16. Go for a walk, alone.

When we stress, we complain, we cry, we do one thousand other things that end up making no difference in our overall mental health. When you're feeling stressed or even on a day you can spare a few extra moments, go for a walk. College students are blessed with the ability to live on some of the most beautiful campuses in the U.S. but four years pass and most students never took the time to appreciate the beauty.

17. Take a spontaneous trip.

Adding some spontaneity to your day can brighten up even the worst of weeks. Whether your trip consists of a flight across the country or a ten-minute journey to the beach, take the time to be spontaneous your brain will benefit more than you could ever realize.

18. Cut out the toxic people.

No matter how well you treat yourself, spending your time with toxic people sets you back to square one. Cut those people out of your life. Doing this is one of the best ways to take the weight off your shoulders. These people suck everything from your life and give nothing in return, do yourself a favor, free yourself.

Promising you'll be able to stick to all 18 of these resolutions for an entire year is not a light task. Americans are known across the globe as some of the most stressed out unhealthy people in the world. Maybe if we made a promise to ourselves to spend time focusing on our health and happiness, we'd have a better life.

This year, let's go about resolutions differently. Let's make small, easily attainable changes that ultimately lead us to be happier people.