Everyone has areas they need to improve upon. You may have bad habits that annoy your partner. However, there's a difference between expressing irritation and being outright critical. An overly critical, even mean, partner is a sign you're not in a good relationship.  Does your partner frequently put you down? Are you mocked for your intelligence, personality, or physical appearance? Do you feel like you can't do anything right? Your partner may, for example, say something like, "God, I knew you'd screw that up. You're so bad at these things" when you get directions wrong. You may hear these comments a lot throughout the day. In a healthy relationship, you should be able to feel like you can lean on the other person for emotional support. In an unhealthy relationship, however, the other person may be cold or uncaring to your needs. When you've had a bad day, think about who you would call.  You may feel comfortable going to your partner first. He or she may always know what to say or do to make you feel better. However, your first inclination may be to reach out to someone else. You may, for example, find yourself leaning more frequently on a friend or family member. Your partner may be dismissive of your problems, or treat you like a burden. If you're hesitant to ask your partner for emotional support, you may be in a bad relationship. Do you feel like you can trust your partner? If not, the relationship may be bad. Has your partner struggled in the past with something like infidelity? Did your partner cross other boundaries, like borrowing money and not returning it? If you don't feel like you can trust your partner, you may be in a bad relationship.  For example, you may not trust your partner to handle expenses. If they borrow money from you, you may distrust whether you'll ever get the money back. You may also not trust your partner's loyalty. You may be suspicious of whether or not they will be faithful. They may have had issues with fidelity in the past. In a healthy relationship, your partner will want you to have your own life and independent interests. In a bad relationship, your partner will constantly seek control. Be honest with yourself. Do you feel like your partner attempts to control you?  Control can come in many forms. Your partner may dictate how you dress and act or may try to control how you spend your time. Your partner may dislike it when you spend time engaging in hobbies or going out with friends. A controlling partner will want you all to themselves. If you spend an evening reading, for example, your partner may berate you later. He or she may say something like, "You know, you worked all day and then you just read all night. I'm not sure why you need to read when you could have spent some time with me." Do you feel like your partner is excited for your successes? Do they seem indifferent, or even hostile, when good things happen to you? In a negative relationship, your partner will be threatened by your success instead of happy for you. They will see your dreams, goals, and aspirations as competition for their attention.  Your partner may put down your attempts to grow and change. Instead of encouraging you, your partner has only negative things to say about you taking steps towards a more successful future. For example, say you're an aspiring writer. You join a book club to meet more writers in your area. Your partner says something like, "You know, it's really petty of you to try and impress other writers. You should rely on the quality of your work and not what important friends you have." . If you are in a bad relationship, then there may be some manipulation going on. This is when someone does things to try to get you to do what they want or vice versa. Some common manipulative behaviors include:  Giving you the silent treatment or pretending not to know what you are talking about. Trying to overwhelm you with facts and statistics. Yelling or screaming at you or talking over you. Pressuring you to make decisions without letting you think about them. Ridiculing you or belittling you. Judging you or criticizing you. Blaming you for their unhappiness or for other problems.

Summary: Think about how often you're criticized. Consider who you turn to for emotional support. Evaluate the level of trust. Be honest about whether you feel controlled. Recognize how much support you receive. Watch for manipulative behaviors


Planets are usually much brighter than stars. They are closer to earth so they begin to look more like a disk, rather than a tiny dot. Although some of the planets may be in their apparition period, they may be harder to see if they aren’t one of the brighter planets. Jupiter and Saturn will always be the easiest to see. Each planet reflects the light of the sun differently. Know what color you’re looking for in the night sky.  Mercury: this planet twinkles, flashing a bright yellow color. Venus: Venus is often mistaken for a UFO because it is large and silver. Mars: this planet is a reddish color. Jupiter: Jupiter glows white throughout the night. It is the second brightest point of light in the night sky.  Saturn: a smaller planet that is yellowish-white in color.

Summary: Distinguish stars from planets. Look for the bright planets. Know what color you’re looking for.


Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and quality sleep all contribute to a greater sense of overall wellbeing, increased resilience, and higher self-esteem. Adopt a healthy lifestyle to better cope with current adversity and inoculate yourself against future adversity. Always start new exercise routines gradually to prevent injury and speak with your doctor first. Regularly acknowledging all you have to be grateful for will promote an ongoing positive perspective. A positive attitude will help you tackle future problems and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Spend 10-15 minutes a day thinking about what you're grateful for. Having people to turn to in your times of adversity will provide comfort and support. Developing a support system before you are in need will make it easier to engage those resources when the time comes. Pay frequent attention to friends and family to keep those relationships healthy. Schedule regular phone calls and dates to maintain and strengthen connections.
Summary: Take care of your physical health. Start a gratitude journal. Nourish your support system.