How to start a new life at any age?
Table of content:
- Forget about diets
- Start moving more
- Make friends with Morpheus
- Find a reason for joy and fun
- Take time to communicate with loved ones
- Do a good deed
- Show thoughts-bullies who’s the boss
- Start the upward spiral
Self-love is the key to a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. All positive changes grow out of the desire to take care of one’s well-being. Give up strict self-criticism, listen to your own needs and preferences, start giving yourself moments of joy. Only in this way you will improve your health, establish relationships with others, find inner harmony and fill everyday life with meaning.
We tell you how it works and what you can do right now — out of love for yourself.
Forget about diets
If you are used to exhausting diets, immediately stop mocking yourself. You have every right to enjoy a piece of cake, a plate of fried potatoes and even a portion of chips.
Would you take a drug that has been proven useless 95% of the time? This is the percentage of inefficiency of most traditional diets. In addition, they often lead to stress, anxiety, depression, food anxiety and problems with the perception of their appearance.
Much better on a daily basis to afford to eat a moderate (!) the number of your favorite dessert, consciously getting pleasure from it than continue to poison their life to strict restrictions, and then suddenly be broken and to suffer pangs of conscience.
Free yourself. Start caring not about the number on the scales or the presence of cubes on the stomach, but about your health, including psychological. Stop constantly criticizing your own body, instead accept and love it.
From now on, choose the food you like. It is possible that some products will lose all their appeal when you stop avoiding them.
Start moving more
Our bodies are made to move. Training makes us healthier, stronger and happier. They energize, cheer up, clear the mind and help to resist stress. Some studies show that the treatment of depression exercises are no less effective than yoga.
If you, like most people today, spend most of your day sitting down, you need to find ways to move more. It does not need through the power of the trail to the gym and tiring yourself up a sweat. Any kind of physical activity that brings you joy and makes your heart beat faster will do.
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn how to play tennis, dance flamenco or ride a bike. Time to start!
Even if you are a very busy person, during the day you can always find time to do a couple of exercises, a little jump to your favorite music or just walk.
Choose the right targets. The hatred of their own body and the desire to change the appearance of bad motivators. Self-love and taking care of your well-being are good. Training should not become a punishment; its only purpose is to help you enjoy life more.
Make friends with Morpheus
Healthy sleep is vital. We understand that, but we still sacrifice a night’s rest to finish the day’s work, watch the series or socialize. Is it worth it? Regular lack of sleep leads to emotional instability, deterioration of productivity, weakening of mental abilities, decrease in stress resistance and hormonal failures. Not the best way fatigue affects the appearance.
Think about what is more important for you: a few extra hours in the day (whatever you spend them) or health, clear mind and good mood? During sleep, the body does not just rest, but is updated at all levels. Muscles and tissues are strengthened. The necessary hormones are produced. The brain filters the day’s experience and weeds out the psychological garbage.
Make it a rule to spend at least eight or nine hours in the arms of Morpheus. It’s in your best interest! Scientists have found that we sleep in cycles, with periods of 90-120 minutes. To fully recover, most people need to go through five such cycles per night.
If you have problems with falling asleep, start evening rituals that will help you relax and tune in to rest. An hour before bedtime, turn off all gadgets. Do something calm and pleasant. For example, take a walk with your dog, take an aromatic bath, listen to music, meditate or read a book.
Find a reason for joy and fun
Under the weight of everyday worries, we become too serious and gloomy. But the ability to enjoy life is no less important than sleep or exercise. When the voltage becomes excessive, switch to some fun activity. Try to react to what is happening with humor, notice funny moments, look for reasons to laugh.
Laughter is a very effective tool for raising the spirit and mood. It gives energy, reduces stress, stimulates creative thinking, calms and helps to cope with anxiety. Have fun more often, and you will form a positive Outlook on life. Your General condition will improve, and the problems will no longer seem so significant and intractable.
Take breaks in your schedule to pamper yourself. Think about what activities give you pleasure, make you smile and lift your spirits. Schedule them in your diary. Do not spare time for small pleasures. Thanks to them, you not only become happier in the present, but also provide yourself with pleasant memories in the future.
Of course, not everything can be planned. Be attentive to unexpected opportunities, do not miss the chance to experience something new. If you are going to do cleaning, and you are suddenly invited to a concert or other interesting event, feel free to change your schedule and accept the invitation!
Take time to communicate with loved ones
According to scientists, lack of communication causes more harm to health than obesity, blood pressure and Smoking. Strong close relationships are one of the secrets of a full, healthy, happy life.
Family and friends support us in difficult moments, add confidence, charge with joy, fill everyday life with meaning and help to cope with any challenges. So often get out of your shell and meet with those who are dear to you.
Give the people you care about as much love as you can. Give them time, call, show interest in their lives, plan joint activities, arrange pleasant surprises. Enjoy the joy of every moment spent in the company of family and friends.
Do a good deed
There are many studies that confirm that the act of kindness brings joy primarily to the one from whom it comes. When we show compassion, love and care for someone, we experience even more pleasure than when we do something for ourselves. Check for yourself!
Engage in any volunteer activity, participate in a charity event, feed a stray dog, buy geraniums from my grandmother in the market, become a donor… come Up with any good deed and do it right now.
By supporting others, we find meaning in life, become better, and become aware of our humanity. This is the highest manifestation of self-love.
Show thoughts-bullies who’s the boss
Everyone at least once faced with them. They do not reflect reality, do not help to make the right decisions and do not lead to anything good. Their goals are quite different — to incline to counterproductive actions, to prevent positive changes and to make us lose confidence in ourselves. The real bullies! Here are the three most dangerous among them:
- A Ruthless Perfectionist. This type loves to make everything perfect: “You’re doing bad. You’ll never reach your goal. All your efforts are pointless. Your figure is far from perfect. Look how disgusting you are at this task. How come you haven’t been fired for this crap?” Don’t believe him, he’s just humiliating and intimidating you by coming up with unattainable standards.
- Stupid Rebel. This guy hates discipline and control. He, as a rule, declares itself when you are tired of confusion in the life and are ready to bring in it a rational note. While you are trying hard to change for the better, the evil Rebel oppresses his: “Come on, what a nonsense! Stop messing around! Who came up with all these rules? Skip practice. Buy a cake and eat it whole. Fuck your regime!” Do not listen to him, because you are doing good not for anyone, but for yourself.
- Whimsical child. He’s always whining and yelling, “I don’t want to.” The best way to end his tantrum is to continue doing business as if nothing had happened. No need to indulge him. Children do not have developed rational thinking, but you are an adult who is able to manage their emotions. Meanwhile, what you want a Capricious Child, and what you really need, choose the latter.
Start the upward spiral
The upward spiral is a chain of decisions that one after another provide the body with an influx of energy, reveal opportunities, bring joy and inspire.
Happiness arises through the gradual “cultivation” of positive emotions. They are layered on each other and enhance the beneficial effect.
The beauty of a growing spiral is that it doesn’t take long to start. Start with any positive decision (like going to bed on time or running in the morning). Then add another small change to your life. And more. You will notice that each new step is easier and brings more joy.
Don’t forget: your goal is to take care of your psychological and physical health, not to punish yourself for imperfection. Acceptance and love will be much more effective helpers on the way to a better life than self-criticism.
