EPTThese articles are mainly targetted towards people who deal with much suffering(depression, sadness, lethargy, boredom, apathy, etc), but I am sure there is wisdom to be gotten from it for most others, as well. Even if you just deal with unhappiness occasionally, it is possible to change things so that you are happy pretty much all the time, and that is what this article is about.
This 2nd article deals with some of the physical factors that we can control in our lives, and explains what effect they have on our quality of life. The 3rd article, if you are unable to guess, will deal with mental factors.
I am going to talk about 7 factors, all of which have profound effects on how our body and mind feel. Each of these areas have a carry-over effect into the mental side of things, which is why I chose to deal with physical issues first. If you do not believe any of the things I say, feel free to tell me so and I may try to convince you. Or, even better, you could do some research on your own to confirm what I am talking about. I may seem like I am a little nuts sometimes but really I am not, I swear
.1.) Exercize
Our body has a direct link to our minds. I don't think anyone can argue that. If we are hurt we feel pain. If we are sick, we feel malaise. If we are hungry we feel hunger. So, it is important for us to take care of our body. A weak, distracting body generally means a weak distracted mind.
The effect exercize has on our well being comes in many forms. Firstly, it is hard to be happy if you are very physically weak. A total lack of exercise will lead to lethargy for all but the most focused of people. The reason is the cardiovascular system. Our lungs and heart do not exist just for body, but for our brain as well. We need a steady supply of blood, which requires a healthy heart and blood vessels to transport it. We also need a steady supply of oxygen, which requires healthy lungs to breathe it.
Secondly, our body needs to spend energy. If your muscles have energy but you do not spend it, they will distract you. Your brain is told that your muscles have energy they want to spend, and you will feel it. Even if you shrug it aside it will sit in your subconscious and make you feel a little bit worse. I am not making this up, it is the truth.
Thirdly, exercise releases endorphins into the brain. This is part of why weight lifters like lifting so much, or why runners like to push theirselves so hard. Endorphins are released and they feel good.
Fourthly, it is just practical to be in good shape. If you can't run a mile without stopping and gasping for air, what are you going to do if you get into a situation where you need to run a mile? If you can't help someone lift a heavy object what do you do if you come into a situation where someone needs help lifting a heavy object? The effect here is obvious, it opens up more options to you in life.
Fifthly, it increases mental discipline. Exercise generally requires effort, unless we are lucky enough that we love doing it and it comes naturally. Actually, if you exercise enough you will get to that point, but most of us are not at it already. Exercising increases discipline in a way that can carry over to other activities. You may discover that your focus increases, as well as your self control.
Finally is the topic of self image. This is something we will address largely in the third article, but we can mention it here as well. If you are in good shape you will feel more confident about yourself. Not just because of how you look (though that is likely to improve as well), but also because of a confidence that comes with knowing what you are capable of.
My recommendations for exercise:
Cardiovascular activity is a necessity. If you want to do more, that's fine. You don't have to lift weights or play soccer or row any of that if you do not want to. But really, it is important to get your lungs breathing and your heart pumping. It is not even required that you run, all that I believe a person really needs to do to get adequate exercise to feel good is go for a decently long walk, daily. This is the minimum. A half hour walk at a brisk pace can be a good time to get your mind right, and will make your body feel good as well. It also can help you go to sleep. For most people it is best to do it in the morning, as it will change how you feel for the rest of the day. But you should do it whatever time works for you.
2.) Diet
Our diet is a huge influencer of how our body and mind feels. Many of today's foods have chemicals and abnormal proteins that animals would not be eating in nature. Many of these have large effects on our mental state. Some of them are even made so that they will cause short-lasting chemical pleasure. These types of food delude your mind. They make you want more, and they make you unhappy when you come down from the unnatural high.
Many people eat too much meat, eat too much fat, eat too much sugar. This can have negative effects on your body. Diabeties, obesity, even just being a little chubby - none of it is something you want. And honestly, it is an easy problem to fix.
Most people are not willing to give up the pleasant feelings they get from some of the crappy food they eat. They are unable to admit that they are addicted. It really isn't as hard to give up bad food as most people think, you just have to make a committment and do it slowly.
My recommendations for diet:
I do not care if you eat meat. I don't care if you like sweets, or enjoy a diet a little higher in fat. What is important is how balanced your diet is, and if the foods are natural. To put it simply, stick to the foods that are on the outer edges of the grocery store. The processed foods are unnatural and will make you feel bad. Eating healthy(organic if you can) foods, forming a balanced diet, can have drastic effects on your mental state as well as how much energy and focus you have during the day. I recommend something along the lines of 20% fat, 30% protein, 50% carbs. Choose sources that are rich in nutrients. Examples of high nutrient foods are nuts, veggies, fruit, cheese/yogurt, whole grains, oils(olive oil is great), and lean meats.
Trust me, if you just take it slow you can easily change your diet over the span of a few months. If you are anything like me you will notice the positive effect, and you will run with it. I don't even care very much about how my food tastes these days (though tasty food is certainly preferable). I mostly care about how healthy the food is that I am eating because I focus on the effect it will have for me rather than the immediate pleasure I get from it. Besides, I guarantee that if you genuinely try you will grow to appreciate the taste of healthier foods.
3.) Stress
This is as much mental as physical, but I think the 3rd article may end up being huge, so I chose to address it now. Stress is the result of getting wound up in shit that isn't nearly as important as you are making yourself think it is. There is really nothing in life worth getting stressed over. For one, everything is temporary so it's just a matter of time until what you are worrying about is no longer an issue. Secondly, getting stressed actually has a negative effect on your ability to accomplish whatever goal it is you have, so it is better to to just stay relaxed. If things go outside of your control, just go with the flow. Do not obsess over things you cannot change. Stress doesn't just have mental consequences, but as I said earlier there are physical aspects as well. Stress causes tight muscles - amusingly enough it can also be caused by them. Stress also speeds up the aging process. It will cause wrinkles, it makes you tired both physically and mentally, actually there are so many negative consequences of stress that I will stop here and if you want to you can just look it up.
My recommendations for stress
Do not get caught up in what is outside of your control. Try to always be relaxed, unless it is absolutely necessary to be tense(which is pretty rare). Be willing to adapt and go with the flow.
If you find yourself getting worked up or emotional, force yourself with everything you have to slow down. Take deep breaths. Focus on the breaths. Relax your muscles. Spend some time alone with your thoughts if you have to. Just do whatever it takes to relax your mind and body - it is impossible to think clearly while stressed - do everything you can to avoid it.
Stretching is great to help relieve stress. Tai-chi, meditation, yoga, all of it is great to relieve stress. But they are not necessary, all that is necessary is being mindful and relaxing when you find yourself getting worked up.
4.) Rest
Adequate rest is necessary for the body and mind to work. Sleep is a time when the subconscious deals with stuff in the back of your mind, alot of it you probably aren't even aware of. A lack of sleep can cloud your mind, lessen your cognitive abilities, make you uglier(to put it bluntly), make your body more tired, and increase the odds of you getting stressed over stupid stuff. Sleep also plays a very very important role in remembering new concepts.
My recommendations for sleep
The amount of sleep necessary varies from person to person. For most people, 6 hours a night is minimum. For people who work out alot, the body needs longer to rebuild muscle. On average, 8 hours is probably good. It is also important to get rest somewhere that is quiet so that you will not be interrupted.
5.) Posture
Our body has the muscles that it has for a reason. With the recent mass use of chairs in the world, posture has started to change, especially in the west. Most chairs do not support natural posture, especially for taller people, like myself. Posture is important because bad posture can constrict blood flow, put an unnatural load on the spine, make you look less atractive, and make proper respiration more difficult. Poor posture for long periods of time will also eventually lead to atrophy of various muscles.
My recommendations for posture
Do your best to sit up straight. Don't lean forward, don't droop your head down. Keep your back straight, centered over your hips, with your head centered over your back. If you have very, very poor posture(like I did a year ago), it can be difficult to do this. It can be tiring. It may require a lot of work, a lot of constantly reminding yourself to sit up straight. But I guarantee you will get there eventually, especially if you get regular exercise as well.
6.) Hygiene
This one is a personal choice. Some people genuinely don't care what others think about them. But most people do, even if they do not want to admit it. Most of us care what others think and if people say you smell bad or that your teeth are gross or you have horrible acne, it is going to make you feel bad. If it doesn't, you have probably surpassed most of what this article can teach you.
My recommendations for hygiene
Brush your teeth regularly. Try to look at least somewhat pleasant to others. Take showers so you do not smell bad. Wear deodorant if you need it. Clean your face or get treatment if you suffer from acne. Even if you believe these things to be trivial(which in reality they are), they are still practical because everyone else cares about it, and we should care about it too, just so we can have healthy relationships with others.
7.) Medicine
Some people don't like to get help, of any sort. They feel like they should be able to conquer any obstacle on their own, that they are weak if they do not. In reality, it is a weakness to not ask for help when you need it.
My recommendations for medicine
If you are sick or hurt, see a doctor. If your mind isn't right, do not be afraid to try therapy or neuro-pharmaceuticals. If you are confused and are having trouble figuring something out on your own, take a chance on someone else that you believe trustworthy and discuss it with them.
Well, the article certainly got less descriptive the farther it went. But I think I covered everything I wanted to cover here. Questions, comments, suggestions, please feel free to post.
Finally, if you do suffer, and you actually read all of this - please do not dismiss it. Please do not just think "I guess I could see how these things could help", but not actually put any of them into action.
Make a choice, right now. Make a commitment to changing the quality of your life. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Life can be great for anyone.
Oh, final word of advice. Do not attempt to change all of these aspects of your life at once. That is too much for anyone, and will lead to failure and possibly giving up altogether. Do them one at a time, and don't rush. The changes will most likely be subtle but combined they will add up to a huge difference.
