Going with the flow seems to stand in contrast with reaching your goals. Whether you want to advance in your career, live healthier, or find stability, keeping to a schedule can help you move forward. However, some of life’s best experiences are completely unexpected. By going with the flow, you can open yourself up to a world of possibilities you may never have imagined like attending a Hare Krishna ceremony in Cali, Colombia.

I’m Michael Bjorn Huseby, and I’m excited to join the "Living a Blissful Life" blog at HealthyPlace. I understand that being comfortable in your own skin doesn’t always come naturally. While staying on the bright side of life can be challenging at times, creating healthy mental habits and practicing gratitude can make a world of difference. I hope to help people live a more blissful life with this blog.

Using personal boundaries to survive the holidays is a good idea. Let's face it, the holidays aren't always a blissful time for everyone. Grief, dysfunctional family relationships, and old resentments can rear their ugly heads this season. It can be especially difficult to manage painful feelings when the messages you see and hear all around you say this should be the happiest time of the year. One thing that can be especially helpful as you survive the holiday season is to practice using personal boundaries.

Perhaps you've heard the saying that an "attitude of gratitude" is good for you. Is it just an old wive's tale, or is there any truth to it? This season of thanks and giving seemed like a good time to check the research and find out. Here's what I learned about how practicing gratitude affects your brain.

Fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias. Even those who experience mild forms of public speaking anxiety can feel debilitated by their fear. I fall into this category, and a recent opportunity to be a keynote speaker for a large event forced me to face my fear of public speaking in a creative way. Read on to learn how you too can tackle your fear of public speaking.

When asking whether suicidal thoughts are normal, we must first define what normal means to us. I think many people use the word "normal" when they mean "common." Alternatively, we might use the word "normal" when questioning if something is problematic. This definition shifts the question. Are suicidal thoughts common? Are they always problematic? (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

How can we honor someone who has died by suicide? Since suicide is unfortunately common (it’s the second leading cause of death in the US for people aged 15 to 34), it’s likely we all know someone who has died by suicide. A death in that manner can be a sensitive topic. (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

Let's face it; most people feel uncomfortable when the word suicide comes up in conversation. No one wants to think about losing a loved one to suicide. It can be painful to hold space for someone struggling with suicidal thoughts. You might think, "I don't know what to say. What if I make it worse?" Luckily, providing support to a suicidal friend or loved one is more straightforward than it seems. (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

People who have strange dreams can worry that strange dreams and mental health are related, when in fact they may not be. Strange dreams happen for neurotypical people as well as those with mental illness, and these dreams often mean nothing at all. 

We all experience anxiety from time to time, and relieving anxiety can be tricky. Some commonly used methods to relieve anxiety actually make it worse. Other attempts at relief just ignore the underlying problem. To get lasting anxiety relief, we must understand which methods help and which ones perpetuate the problem.