The world at times may seem like an unforgiving place. I found myself thinking this on a random afternoon in 2021. Was it a nice day? I don't know. I couldn’t tell because my blackout curtains hadn’t been touched in days. The night before I stayed up until 4 am on Instagram scrolling into the void of nothingness, and this afternoon was no different. I woke at noon and immediately checked my phone to feel something good. When I looked up again it was 3 pm. At this point, It was time to get ready for work. I had done nothing. Was this going to be my life from here on out? Waking up doing nothing and then working? It had been this way for almost a year, It was hard to see any other alternatives.
At least that’s what it felt like. I didn’t know what to do. I had no sense of direction, and worst of all I felt alone. There was no desire to meet anyone, and I didn't want to go on dates. Was there anything or anyone out there that could help me? I needed a hand to help pull me out of this black hole. The world is full of experience, yet I would rather waste away and let my anxieties rule over me like some ancient emperor. Everything that I knew I didn’t want to do –I did. I became a slave to bad habits. I was their whipping boy.
Day after day of nothingness. Falling into the void. In the pit of despair. Was this the man in the mirror I wanted to be? Not at all, and I knew it. I had to break out of this. I had to figure out a way to change this life trajectory. However, I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. My situation and story weren’t that unique. There have to be others. So I set out to look for answers.
I isolated myself for two days; browsed the internet, and watched videos on YouTube. At first, I thought it was all bull crap, I can’t even lie. It seemed like rah-rah junk. Then I stumbled on some consistencies. Three simple habits were always mentioned if you want to become a better person. These habits were the key to turning things around. If you want to improve your life, to finally complete things, these three habits may help you start.
Habit #1 - Going to the gym/ working out
Yep, Captain Obvious here. Pretty simple right? One would think, but it’s anything but that. The reason is this:
Pain. Lots and lots of pain. You’re signing yourself up for a world of hurt. I know it sounds crazy. However, going to the gym regularly is one of the best habits you can develop to improve your physical health. Regular exercise has numerous benefits for your body, and going to the gym provides an environment to help you achieve your fitness goals. In this section, we'll explore how going to the gym can help you physically:
1. Strengthens Your Muscles:
Going to the gym regularly can help you build and maintain strong muscles. Strength training exercises such as weightlifting and resistance training help to increase muscle mass, tone your muscles, and improve your overall strength. Strong muscles not only make you look better, but they also help you perform everyday activities with ease.
2. Improves Your Cardiovascular Health:
Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, cycling, or using an elliptical machine, improves heart health. These exercises get your heart rate up, which strengthens your cardiovascular endurance. Regular cardiovascular exercise can also help to lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease, and improve your overall fitness level.
3. Helps You Maintain a Healthy Weight:
Going to the gym regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight, or lose weight. Exercise burns calories, which creates a calorie deficit and weight loss. Regular exercise also helps to increase your metabolism, This assists in burning more calories throughout the day.
4. Boosts Your Energy Levels:
Going to the gym regularly can increase your energy levels. Exercise helps release endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals that improve your mood and give you a sense of well-being. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better. This boosts your overall energy levels.
In conclusion, a consistent gym habit can help you improve your physical health in numerous ways. By strengthening your muscles, improving your cardiovascular health, helping you maintain a healthy weight, and boosting your energy levels, going to the gym can help you feel and look better.
On the mental side of things, I’ve found a few studies that linked exercise and mental health together. After scouring through some information, here is how exercise can help you mentally:
1. Less likely to suffer from depression:
I know this can be a little tricky depending on the person. Depression is still something that we are learning more and more about each day. However, exercise could help alleviate it.
Harvard Health Publishing states:
"The real value is in low-intensity exercise sustained over time. That activity spurs the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better. "In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," explains Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
2. Can help improve symptoms of anxiety and stress:
According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. So it was a no-brainer to research how exercise could help.
A common theme is Cannabis. but not the kind you're thinking about. During exercise, the brain releases endorphins which are triggered by pain. These chemicals are released when you push past your point of distress. In addition, exercise also increases the body's level of endocannabinoids. These are the same chemicals mimicked by cannabis. Overall this explains the term "runner's high" –even this kind of high leads to spurts of happiness.
Exercise also helps you set goals for yourself. This is important because goal-setting is linked to bursts of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical released when you accomplish things that meet your needs. So when you tell yourself "I'm going to exercise for at least fifteen minutes" and do so, you feel better. This is because you've placed exercise as an important need. You've taken a step toward a goal that is important to you. This can also boost self-esteem.
What I've noticed within myself is that these things are true. Before I made it a habit to go to the gym, I had little direction. I also wasn't proud of my body for whatever reason. I stayed indoors a lot because I didn't feel well. Exercise has helped some in this aspect. At first, it was hard to convince my mind and body that going to the gym was good. That was because of the pain. However, after staying consistent, I must say that my quality of life has improved
My mood has increased on a day-to-day basis. I can't explain how, but anxiety and fear levels have diminished a bit. This is still a work in progress. Despite that, I can safely say that I tend to worry less about things that used to destroy me. You gain more confidence. As I stated earlier, you start to trust yourself more. You can complete the tasks that you set your mind to. Also as you begin to see results, you like what you see in the mirror. Also, your sex drive increases. (Again it is tough to explain)You can be a part of a community, giving you a sense of self and belonging.
Again, these are my experiences with exercise. I gave it a shot and it has been helping me. Maybe it can help you too. Otherwise, what is the point of writing all of this? It sucks at first but once you make it a habit, it gets better.
Habit #2 - Reading Books
Ok, this one may scare some of you off. I understand. This isn't exactly the era of reading when everyone is buried in their phone. I, too, was very skeptical of this. That was until I researched the benefits and tested them out for myself. Here are three reasons why establishing a reading habit can benefit you and your brain:
1. It can reduce stress
In 2009 a study was done by the University of Sussex on stress. They found that reading can help reduce stress by up to 68%. They also found that it worked better than other methods, such as listening to music and walking.
2. Reading increases empathy.
When you read, you are exploring the minds and lives of others. You are put into the worlds of people you otherwise wouldn't meet. As you immerse yourself in a book, you have to be able to connect so that it can resonate. To do this you have to be able to understand the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of others. The term for this is called "Theory of Mind".
These skills are essential for building social relationships. As social beings, this is important because it can ease our anxiety. The feeling of being with others releases oxytocin. This happens when you have a bond with someone. This is crucial to our well-being because even a simple thing like a touch can release and increase your oxytocin levels. Low oxytocin levels have been linked to depression.
3. Reading Strengthens the Brain.
The brain is like a complex city. Within it are networks and signals. Reading helps these networks get stronger and more complex.
Specifically, the part of the brain that activates the most during this activity is called the Parietal Lobe. There have been a few studies that have shown how reading strengthens this area.
Essentially, this helps with comprehension in three areas:
Reading
Writing
Math
Overall the ability to comprehend information is heightened.
Reading and writing are essential skills for those who want to pursue something. Being able to comprehend things effectively will also help your communication skills.
As a result, just like the gym, you'll start to trust yourself more.
Establishing a reading habit has helped me. The biggest areas in which I saw improvements were with stress and social interactions. Sometimes my mind worries about things that aren't even real. It also has a knack for making up scenarios that don't make sense. This worrying and overthinking leads to a lot of stress. Especially when things are fine. If I pick up a book or open one on my phone, that part of my brain calms down. I immerse myself in whatever I am reading. As a result, those thoughts seem to drift away. I focus on reading and ignore the thoughts in my mind.
Socially, I feel more comfortable when talking to people. As stated earlier, it does somehow increase empathy. Also, it makes you more curious. I find myself asking more questions, and becoming more interested in people. Additionally, it opens you up to relationships with people from all walks of life. This leads to more learning opportunities. Those that prepare you for different interactions. Reading is a habit that is very hard to create initially. But when you break past the initial resistance, a new world awaits.
Habit #3 - Meditation
If reading didn't scare you off, this one probably will. The third and final habit is meditation. I know it sounds like mumbo jumbo, but hopefully, I can change your mind. If you were given a pill that could improve your focus, calm anxiety, and improve your memory, would you take it? The answer is you shouldn't. The reason is that you can get all of these benefits by establishing a meditation habit. Here is how meditation can help you:
Once again, it can reduce your stress levels.
Surprise, surprise. Guess who makes another appearance on this list. I cannot state how crucial it is to reduce your stress. The reason is that stress can be the root of many health problems that many people overlook. When someone is stressed day in and day out, cortisol increases. Elevated levels of cortisol can also trigger the release of cytokines. Some are pro-inflammatory chemicals. This is important because there is a link between pro-inflammatory cytokines and depression.
2. Can improve concentration and focus.
Before moving any further let's discuss what one does when meditating. Meditation is an exercise where you sit down and try to focus your attention on a specific sound object, or sensation. Most experts will tell you to focus your attention on your breath. That is because your breath is easy and natural to focus on. When your mind starts to wander you can bring your attention back to your breath. More specifically the sensation of your chest moving up and down.
What this does is that it shifts your thoughts to focus on the present instead of letting your mind get bombarded with thoughts. Usually ones of worry. Which can also help with anxiety. It calms you down when you think about things that don't even exist. This is one of the base points of anxiety.
This can be a hack especially when you are working. To work efficiently, you need to do so with limited distractions. You have to concentrate on what is in front of you. You'll know how to bring your attention and focus back to your work. As a result, flow is likely to happen. Flow helps you to complete the tasks and goals that you have set for yourself. We will talk about flow in another post.
3. May improve short-term memory.
When a person meditates, studies have shown that it can increase cerebral blood flow. Having a good supply of blood flow to the brain can improve memory.
As a result, it can help slow down memory loss diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
Increased memory can also help when trying to complete tasks. When memory is a struggle, you can get frustrated and ultimately stressed.
After meditating consistently for about a year now, I can safely say that this is the most important habit of the three. The reason is that it gave me the freedom to implement the other two without struggling. To complete things you need to be able to concentrate and focus. The villain of focus is distraction. When I am not focused– I am distracted. It's that simple. Now, it does take time to see the effects. Just like with anything else it takes practice. A lot of practice. I feel the best when I wake up and meditate.
That initial activity puts me in control for the day. I am telling myself what I want to do, Instead of being controlled by the old habits that I had. There is a feeling of liberation when this happens. When you set a goal or task and feel distracted, you now have a tool to bring that focus back and complete it. As a result, you'll live a life that is important to you.
Build Momentum
I hope this was able to help you. Getting started is never easy but once you start– keep going. Over time it adds up and then you'll find yourself doing these things without hesitation. That's how habits work. It's like brushing your teeth in the morning. There is no hesitation because you've built that over time. You know that brushing your teeth is important. The same can be applied to these habits as well. To learn more sign up for the email list and subscribe. There will be more content like this coming soon. You deserve a healthy life. As always stay true, its ok to be you.
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