Start a journal

Been saving bullet journal ideas to your a Pinterest board for months? Now is the perfect time to put those ideas to paper! Journaling is an amazing way to keep track of your habits, put your emotions into words, make to-do lists, and keep track of really anything in your life.

For an easy start, add bullet journal ideas into your planner — by the end of January, your creativity will be flowing!

Nourish your body

And not with cravings. While the occasional slice of pizza or bowl of mac-n-cheese can be great for the soul, your body needs a little more care for the day-to-day. Try to limit refined sugars, processed and prepackaged foods, and any intolerance you tend to ignore — if you're like me, you like to forget your lactose intolerance and gorge on a pint of Ben & Jerry's and feel the regret for a few days.

Focus on whole foods, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and satisfying portions. Your body will thank you, and you'll likely feel pretty good.

Find some positive affirmations for yourself

When we think negatively about ourselves it affects our emotional and physical health. Try to focus on positive things to tell yourself. For instance, when you make a mistake, instead of saying "How could I mess that up?" say "What can I learn from this?"

When you aren't feeling confident, instead of thinking about everything you dislike about yourself think about what you do like — or what others compliment you on.

Create a skin care routine

If you already have one, rock on! If you don't, find some products for your skin type and try and make time for them! It can be as simple as a gentle face wash twice a day or as complex as sleeping masks, infused waters, and deep moisturizers.

Ask your dermatologist if you're not sure what you should use for your skin type!

Create strong but sustainable goals for the new year

The new year is a great time to start working for the things we want — healthier bodies, more money and new hobbies. But most people don't know how to create a reachable goal, resulting in abandoning those goals by early February.

Instead of saying "I want to lose weight" or "I want to save more money," you need to use goals you can track like "I want to lose 5 pounds by Valentine's Day" or "I want to save $10 every week this year." By putting numbers to goals you're more likely to stick to them and work on the next goal!

Put the phone down

We all know that we spend too much time on our phones and 2019 is the year to change that! Put the phone in your bag during class, charge it outside of your bedroom at night and don't bring it into the bathroom with you. You'll feel better and be more productive, I promise.

Use your time wisely

Make time for yourself! Between classes and work and internships and everything else, it can be hard to just take time to do what we love, or even to just decompress. Schedule "me time" into your planner and spend some quality time with the person who knows you best.

Exercise your body and mind

Simple stretching, yoga, or meditation can greatly improve your mood and health. Daily walks are a simple but effective way to stay healthy and to get in your "me time" that we talked about above. Simple exercise can make you feel better each day.

Know who you are, and rock it

Simple steps like these will allow you to be more kind to yourself and others. You spend the most time with yourself, so take time to reflect on who you are and how you can use that to bring more joy into the world.

Make kindness your best weapon in 2019!