I think maintaining health and well-being differs in some ways from person to person, but there are some basic things that are important for everyone. So here are: My Three Keys for Mental and Physical Well Being.
Exercise
As I get older, exercise provides a lot of rejuvenation for me in my life. It helps me cope with mental and physical stress from work, while giving me a sense that even though I am aging, I am still capable of getting stronger. I am as strong and healthy as I was when I was twenty-one for the most part, which is pretty good for being forty-five now. I try to run or play a sport with a lot of cardio at least twice a week. I do yoga at home via YouTube videos with a yoga ball usually, twice a week at home and lift weights twice a week in my garage, or in the afternoon at Gold’s Gym. I like working out in the morning before work, it helps me get focused for the day, watch some motivational videos, do some stock trades, and clear out any negative energy from the previous day (This is very important when working with teenagers).
Diet
The Netflix documentary titled, What the Health, really altered my perception on my eating habits. Do you feel achy and lethargic a lot of the time, inflammation seems closely correlated to meat diets according to the documentary film. I have always struggled with my weight and just figured that it was genetic predisposition, but what I am have found in the last four months is that it is largely my over-consumption of meats, specifically red meats, that has been holding me back.
My girlfriend and I have both made the switch to meatless meals as much as possible, using meat substitutes, snacking on fruit and veggies instead of processed foods and we both have noticed a huge difference in our weight, sense of well being, and appetite. We seldom crave big greasy burgers and the like. I highly recommend this documentary if you are looking for some truth about diet and why we are being encouraged to eat so much meat (hint: it doesn’t have much do to with health).
Learning Every Day
Stagnation is a big threat to our well being. I am sure you know of people who no longer seek learning of any kind and seem quite miserable, that is because to fully self-actualize, we need to continue learning each and every day (See Article: How to Analyze if your Basic Needs are Being Met). Keeping our minds active remains critical whether we are three years old or ninety-five years old. When we stop learning, generally we stop growing and these gives way often times to apathy and disconnection.
Learning helps us connect with new people in meaningful ways as well as our environment, make social contributions, and build self-esteem. These are all vital to happiness and well being. If you are not familiar with the iconic, Eight-Stages of Development by Erik Erikson, renowned human development scholar, check out the video below or click on the link above for a detailed text based discussion. Adults who are not healthy have usually not navigated these milestones successfully. With conscious effort though, this is something that can be improved!
Wrapping It Up
In conclusion, I could go at greater length about this topic, but alas it is time to inspire young minds. Having a solid exercise regime, diet and continuing learning each day are really the keys to my well being. What are the keys for maintaining health and stability?
Check out some of my other articles below:
The Future: A Scary but Liberating Thought for a Middle Aged Man
How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Quality Sleep Right Now
Dinner with the Sultan of Swat…. The Greatest Baseball Player of All-Time
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What are your thoughts on this?