As the new year rolls around, many people create yearly goals or New Year’s resolutions. Plenty of people also create targets throughout the year; I personally set monthly objectives, which are broken down from my yearly goals. However, at times, goals can be harmful to mental health. What are the symptoms of unhealthy yearly goals?

Setting healthy boundaries is an essential element of relationships but navigating the implementation of boundaries can be intimidating. A therapist once said to me, "We teach people how to treat us." Those words stayed with me. Once I understood that I teach people how to treat me based on what I will and won't tolerate, I felt empowered and began setting healthy boundaries in my relationships.

Smartphones can affect our mental health in both negative and positive ways, but lessening screen time can help create more bliss. Our technology can be great for connecting with remote friends and family, keeping up with the news, learning, or convenient shopping. However, smartphones can also become a source of anxiety: we can fear we’re missing out, put ourselves into a downward spiral of social media and news negativity, or constantly work rather than taking much-needed rest. Screen time before bed can also make sleeping difficult and lack of sleep negatively impacts mental health.

Divide up tasks into smaller bits when your to-do list appears overwhelming or impossible. Breaking up large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks can help you actually get moving on those scary priorities you've been putting off. 

We all encounter struggles that can keep us from moving forward to bliss. Struggles can derail us from our goal of living a blissful life. But, if we keep moving forward towards bliss by taking care of ourselves despite our setbacks, we will eventually achieve bliss (10 Ways to Build Resilience).

Here's what I tell anybody and this is what I believe. The greatest gift we have is the gift of life. We understand that. That comes from our Creator. We're given a body. Now you may not like it, but you can maximize that body the best it can be maximized. ~ Mike Ditka Visualize the Body You Want Is exercise part of your daily life? What are your eating habits? Have you seen someone who has the body or fitness level you want? My sister Tiffany has been a fitness enthusiast for years. She is in excellent shape and looks fantastic. I have been in the gym with her when she is training and I can’t count the number times someone has come over to her and said: "I want a body like that” (motioning towards her). The wonderful thing about observing this over the years is that these people have been motivated by looking at her and have created a vision for what they want. What my sister has taught me and her clients is physicality is more than just an exercise regimen; physical fitness is manifested through healthy eating, an active lifestyle and fostering mental, spiritual and social well-being.

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. ~ Epictetus Motivation What causes you to take action? Do you have goals, whether it’s getting up early or exercising daily? Do you find yourself thinking negative thoughts? Are you doing what brings you joy and happiness? Motivation is the it I’m referring to. Motivation is simply your eagerness or desire to do something. Honestly, some days I don’t feel like springing out of bed to seize the day. Some days, I’m not fired up to take the hill of goals I or someone else set for me. Nor am I always inspired to take part in the political Merengue that permeates corporate culture. Though, on the other hand, I am not interested in lounging around the house or willing to spend the day as the song lyrics of Otis Redding goes:

I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success. ~ Joyce Meyer Are you waiting for your bliss breakthrough or are you willing your bliss breakthrough (What Does Living a Blissful Life Mean?)? Have you ever looked back and thought, “I was on the brink of my breakthrough, why did I give up?” For many of us, we never know how close we are to our bliss breakthrough because we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel shining on the path to our dream. But, if you did see the light, are you ready to make significant change in your life?

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well ~Virginia Woolf Food Choices. Yuck or Yum? Who decides what food you eat? Do you think of food as a ‘yuck’ or ‘yum’ decision? How does the food you eat affect your health? Food choices - when it comes to eating healthy, sometimes it feels like a battle between ‘yuck’ and ‘yum.’ Quite frankly, at times the idea of choosing healthy food seems quite boring and tasteless. We have all been there before, especially when we were kids. Remember your parents sitting a plate of peas, lima beans, and carrots in front of you? Did your taste buds say: ‘Yuck?' Mine did. Now, as an adult, my taste buds don’t find favor with peas, lima beans, and carrots. I choose not to eat them. Instead, I choose to eat spinach. My taste buds say: ‘Yum.’