As students, we can look at summer as our new year and develop "New Year's/Summer" resolutions. Without the stress of school work, clubs, and activities we find ourselves with more "me" time. Some people get internships, jobs, part-time jobs, or do summer school, but overall the stress and craziness is never even close to that of the school year. If you're like me, you've probably made a huge list of tangible goals. However, many of these goals seem to be extremely difficult to meet if you don't have good basic habits to back them up. We've all heard the idea that "it takes 21 days to make something into a habit," but some researchers have been saying that it's actually 66 days. This makes long breaks off of classes the perfect time to develop these habits! So, this summer, here are some habits to try and get into in order to accomplish your goals.

1. Go to sleep early and wake up early.

That whole "early to bed, early to rise" thing your momma probably talked your ear off with when you were "sleeping the day away" in your high school days? It's true and real. Whether you believe you are a "morning person" or not, several studies have shown that early risers succeed more often. Some researchers even argue that you will come out of it a better person and more organized. Figure out when you need to be awake and then count back eight to nine hours. For example, if you have to be to awake by 7 a.m. to get to your 9 a.m. job, go to bed around 10 or 11 p.m. For some people, this may seem like crazy early (I know I spend finals week staying up until 3 and 4 in the morning working on papers), but if you can make this into a habit, it will save your life, especially in the job world.

2. Drink water. A lot of water.

I once asked my doctor how much water I should be drinking, but I walked in assuming it would be the standard six to eight glasses. However, he told me to take my weight, divide it by two, and that was how many fluid ounces of water I needed to consume each day. I was surprised by how much that was! We are composed of 60 percent water, so it makes sense that we need to drink a lot, but even more so in the summer, since we spend so much time sweating it off! Be mindful not to get dehydrated! Drink water for the sake of your health, skin, and personal sanity.

3. Exercise.

If I had a dime for every time someone has told me to exercise instead of (insert annoying habit I have here, like eating, complaining, worrying), I could probably pay someone to work out for me. But alas, I am broke and need to work out on my own. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes a week, or roughly 22 minutes per day. Plus, two or more days of weight lifting and muscle building! That's crazy, right? Not if you make it a habit. Some people only watch TV two or three days of the week, and that probably seems crazy to a lot of us, because we're such binge-watchers and TV-hogs. I know I flip that screen on every minute for the news, weather, and then 90's TV show reruns before I go to work. It's all because we have prioritized certain habits, and for some of us, not exercising was one of those habits we need to change.

4. Talk to a friend or family member every day.

Not text -- talk. Have a good long positive conversation with someone close to you every day. Sometimes the rigamarole of small talk with strangers and co-workers or the obligatory "I need (X)" talk with a parent can be like a weight on your chest. If you only talk to people because you "have to" like it's common courtesy or you need money from your parents, not only will your social skills deplete but your good spirits will too! We are social creatures; our species would have survived so long without communication. We need those good, quality conversations to make our days great! Call up your mom or dad for a chat or maybe meet a friend for coffee.

5. Enjoy the moment.

Sometimes in the rush of internships, jobs, school, and parties we forget how beautifully breathtaking the world around us is. Whether you live at the beach and you're blown away by the sunset over the water or you live in the city and you saw a rainbow over the buildings on your way to work, taking a moment to appreciate the splendor of this earth will really give you a better outlook on your day! Sometimes, even if everything goes wrong (I trip embarrassingly, spill my coffee, put my foot in my mouth), I can think back to that moment I took in earlier in the day and it makes the little things seem just as they are: little.

6. Smile often and laugh easily.

This one should be a no-brainer unless you have given into the jaded cynicism of our society. There are so many studies about why smiling and laughing easily are good for you: mentally, emotionally, and spiritually! It lowers stress and anxiety levels and even strengthens your immune system! Regardless of what smile-less models may make you think, smiling makes you more attractive, as well, increasing your levels of personality, perceived empathy, and confidence! So show some teeth, laugh to lessen the tension, and give a world of frowns something to smile at too!

7. Spend at least 20 minutes a day of "me" time.

Whether you identify as an introvert or an extrovert (or even an ambivert!), alone time is a must for almost everyone. It's a bad sign if you don't know how to be alone: it may lead to stress, low self-confidence, and less personhood (meaning you are your own man or woman). Some studies say your creativity will blossom if you spend more time alone. Some say it will increase productivity, because you don't have as many distractions! Alone time can strengthen your social skills, give you a better outlook at who you are and what you want to do, give you new hobbies...the possibilities are endless! Spend some time with yourself: paint, write, listen to music, go to a movie alone, order a large pizza for yourself, or even go running every day alone! You'll be shocked at the difference alone time will make in your life!

8. Don't forget the big picture, but try and focus on the smaller frame.

It's easy to both get lost in the greater scheme of what we're doing, where we're going, and who we're going to be, and in the small, minute details of our every day life. For me, it's an issue of worrying about the future too much (is what I'm doing today going to effect my tomorrow). Don't get me wrong; it's healthy and sometimes vital to zoom out and look at the bigger picture of not just our own lives but the human species in general (such as looking at how we effect our environment), but doing this too often can make someone lose sight of the day in front of them. Remember what I said before: enjoy the moment. While having a plan is a good idea, remember that it's only a blue print. It shouldn't be a detailed minute-to-minute schedule, because we never know how our day will pan out. Be flexible and live like today's your last, i.e., make the best of it!