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Happy and Healthy New Year to You from Happy and Healthy U!
How to Have a Happy and Healthy New Year

Welcome to 2016!  As we officially wind down the holiday season at the end of this weekend and get back to our regular schedules on Monday, January 4, let's reflect on how we ended 2015 and how we wish to begin and end 2016.

During this early stage of 2016, it is a fitting time to review the events in our lives in 2015, in order to assess where we are today and to determine where we wish to head this year. It is important that we do our retrospective in a way that enables us to feel empowered, motivated and mobilized toward accomplishing our goals for this year.

First of all, let's address the tough and difficult occurrences.  What were your biggest challenges of 2015? 

Tragedies:
If you experienced a tragedy or a loss, it is understandable that such an event significantly and negatively impacted your life.  While this article does not address the specificity or the range of such experiences, it is generally aimed to help persons build resilience and go on with their lives from this point, on. Therefore, as painful as such experiences may have been, it is now helpful to focus on what you still have and how, not all was lost. So, take care of yourself and utilize your resources and social support to recover and problem solve. Realize that you survived the experience and see how your will, inner strength and resources overcame the negative occurrence. This will help you regain your sense of personal empowerment and embrace ways to adapt and change. Therefore, you can triumph over the experience and feel hopeful about the future

Mistakes and Bad Decisions:
If you made a mistake or a bad decision that had negative or undesired consequences, it is common that such an experience may have shaken your self-confidence and resulted in disappointment in yourself.  The goal is to learn from the situation, so that you may prevent repeating the mistake.  First of all, honestly reflect on what happened, to see where you missed the mark and to understand what caused the error of judgment or problematic behavior.  Given what you know now, what would you do differently? Determine the ways you wish to make healthy changes. Do this with compassion toward yourself, instead of a punitive attitude. This will help you move ahead in a positive fashion and not get stuck or depressed. The goal is to learn, heal and grow.

How to utilize the positive events of 2015 to aim for a happy and successful 2016.

Recall and focus on your accomplishments, positive events and blessings during 2015. This will enable you to feel self-confident and optimistic about what lies ahead for 2016.  Identify and appreciate what your achievements reflect about you, in terms of your positive character qualities, personal strengths, intelligence and talents.  Also, recognize how your interpersonal resources and positive relationships provided support and encouragement. Determine to continue to surround yourself with others, who motivate and inspire you and nurture your positive growth.  When we remind ourselves about our accomplishments and focus on now, as opposed to the pain of the past or fear of the unknown future, we enjoy overall positive well-being, happiness and high self-esteem.
 

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