We all want to be happier and healthier. Unfortunately, though, there isn’t a magic pill that will take us there. Instead, it is a matter of daily habits and behaviors. Let us look at three of the most important ones.
Love and Pamper Yourself
Hollywood box office superstar and comedian extraordinaire Jim Carrey once said, “Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don’t let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.”
While this is undoubtedly inspiring, for many of us, it isn’t true. We put exorbitant amounts of time and effort into pleasing others and making them like us. And when they don’t, we are left disappointed, thinking that it is our fault and that something is wrong with us, something we need to change.
Of course, none of us are perfect, and evolving into better human beings is part of our journey through life on this earth. In addition, being selfish is never a quality or strength but rather a weakness within all of us, similar to arrogance and pride.
Still, accepting this doesn’t mean we cannot take the time to provide ourselves with some love and care. It doesn’t mean that we cannot indulge once in a while, go to a spa, put on some makeup, get our favorite hair styling brush, and look beautiful for a day if you are a lady. And if you are a guy, it doesn’t mean that you cannot take a day off from work, catch a few episodes of your favorite TV show, or hang out with the boys.
Self-love is about embracing who we are as individual people and realizing that we are what matters most.
Control What You Can
Up until the covid-19 global pandemic, people in 21st century developed societies across the globe did not have to deal with the plagues, viruses, and other diseases that human beings in previous centuries had to overcome, and ailments such as smallpox, rinderpest, poliomyelitis, dracunculiasis, hookworm, and malaria had been all but extinct.
Yet, men and women living in modern cities and countries are faced with a new global killer, one equally deadly, just as potent as the rest. And that is stress. We encounter moments of stress everywhere we go and in everything we do. There is pressure from work to succeed in hyper-competitive environments. There is pressure from home to provide for ourselves, our spouses, and our children. We are pressured by our relatives, friends, and colleagues to maintain social networks. And there is pressure from ourselves to be more knowledgeable, richer, and better looking.
As such, it comes as no surprise that lifestyle diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic migraines, and autoimmune disorders are becoming more prevalent each day, many of which will ultimately end up costing us our lives.
But what is there to do about it? While there are no easy answers to this question, it starts with putting a conscious effort into accepting that there are things we cannot control and focusing on the very few that we can.
Not All Rainbows and Roses
In parts one and two, we highlighted the importance of practicing self-appreciation and surrendering in those moments where we have no control. Both of them are valuable health and wellness tips that will improve our physical condition and help maintain a stable mindset. In the third and last part of this article, we will focus a bit on the opposite, namely on effort, discipline, and the building of proper fitness and nutritional habits.
If you are overweight, be it by a few pounds or a hundred, and want to lose that extra mass you are carrying on your body, you have to change the behaviors that led you to your current state. No matter how you look at it, there are no two ways around it. And if it took you years to gain that weight, it will most probably take you a long time to lose it as well. After all, nothing good or bad usually happens overnight, especially when it comes to your body.
But it is not impossible either. As always, the key is to decide to change your life. Once you do that, you will find the information and knowledge you need. Remember, the greatest source of motivation is self-motivation. Nothing in your life will be more important to someone else than it is to you.
If you want a healthier, happier life, find time to relax and enjoy life and let go of the things out of your control. But also put in the work. If you do so, significant changes will come.