5 Simple Things You Can Do Today to Feel Good and Healthy
Are you busy today? How about tomorrow? How about the next day?
Yeah, see that's the issue! We're all so constantly busy and consumed with 'getting things done' that we put aside most of the simple things in life. The problem is that these simple things help get us through stressful situations.
Whether is the latest TPS report that your boss is demanding or you've just missed a mortgage payment, stress is all over the place. How we deal with these stresses will often dictate how our lives progress; we can either fold or we can play the hand we're dealt.
In the spirit of not folding, here are five simple things we all can do to see us through difficult times.
- Smile
Our bodies have an interesting feature that I like to think of as feedback loop functions that can spiral in either direction. If we mentally feel stressed or angry, our physiology reflects our mental state with tension and increased blood pressure. The more physically tense we become, the more irritated or stressed we may feel and so on it goes. This can gain momentum into a serious downward spiral.
While we may have little direct control over our mental states, we generally always can have control over our physiology. Smiling is as simple as making a fist. With smiling, you can take advantage of your body’s feedback loop. In the midst of stress at work or in traffic put a big smile on your face and hold it for 60 seconds. You will feel better. The physiology of happiness feeds back into our mental state. As your mental state relaxes your smile will begin to feel more natural, your body will relax and this will continue to feed back into your mental state.
- Meditate
The importance of taking 5 – 10 minutes each day to simply sit and do nothing should not be downplayed. Take the time to step out of your head for a few moments and reconnect with your body. Consciously scan your body for tension and let it go. Let your thoughts come and go as they please. Breathe in and breathe out. Enjoy the sensation of being alive. For a few moments physically, mentally and emotionally just let go.
- Breathe
The first thing we do when we are born is inhale. Breathing out will be the last thing you and I do before we die. Breathing is also the only physiological process that can be controlled both unconsciously and consciously. Breathing, just as with smiling, can be used to take advantage of the feedback loop feature of our body. Breath deep and slow and you will begin to feel calm and relaxed, both mentally and physically. Sit up straight and open your lungs up by throwing back your shoulders. Make sure you breathe deep into your belly and not with your chest.
- Exercise and Lift Weights
A recent study by James Blumenthal, professor of psychology at Duke University, compared exercise to a common antidepressant medication in a group of individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The conclusion was that exercise was as effective as the drug at alleviating symptoms of the disorder. Another study by UT Southwestern Medical Center shows a similar result. So...exercise!
- Help Others
This final tip may seem a little strange but it is really very simple. Do something as simple as holding a door open for someone and you may receive a smile and thanks. It’s amazing how much difference this enjoyable interaction with other human beings can make to our day. I always feel somehow lighter as a result and the feel good energy can really help you get through an otherwise difficult day.
Share your opinion of these easy things you can do today to feel good and stay healthy by leaving a comment. Let us know about other things that have really helped you.
Written on 11/13/2008 by Stephen Cox. Stephen learned the vital importance of good health the hard way having overcome open heart surgery at age 7, chronic fatigue at age 20 and debilitating migraines in between. Today Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing. Photo Credit:
Please! Don't Smile.
Our bodies have an interesting feature that I like to think of as feedback loop functions that can spiral in either direction. If we mentally feel stressed or angry, our physiology reflects our mental state with tension and increased blood pressure. The more physically tense we become, the more irritated or stressed we may feel and so on it goes. This can gain momentum into a serious downward spiral.
While we may have little direct control over our mental states, we generally always can have control over our physiology. Smiling is as simple as making a fist. With smiling, you can take advantage of your body’s feedback loop. In the midst of stress at work or in traffic put a big smile on your face and hold it for 60 seconds. You will feel better. The physiology of happiness feeds back into our mental state. As your mental state relaxes your smile will begin to feel more natural, your body will relax and this will continue to feed back into your mental state.
The importance of taking 5 – 10 minutes each day to simply sit and do nothing should not be downplayed. Take the time to step out of your head for a few moments and reconnect with your body. Consciously scan your body for tension and let it go. Let your thoughts come and go as they please. Breathe in and breathe out. Enjoy the sensation of being alive. For a few moments physically, mentally and emotionally just let go.
The first thing we do when we are born is inhale. Breathing out will be the last thing you and I do before we die. Breathing is also the only physiological process that can be controlled both unconsciously and consciously. Breathing, just as with smiling, can be used to take advantage of the feedback loop feature of our body. Breath deep and slow and you will begin to feel calm and relaxed, both mentally and physically. Sit up straight and open your lungs up by throwing back your shoulders. Make sure you breathe deep into your belly and not with your chest.
A recent study by James Blumenthal, professor of psychology at Duke University, compared exercise to a common antidepressant medication in a group of individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The conclusion was that exercise was as effective as the drug at alleviating symptoms of the disorder. Another study by UT Southwestern Medical Center shows a similar result. So...exercise!
This final tip may seem a little strange but it is really very simple. Do something as simple as holding a door open for someone and you may receive a smile and thanks. It’s amazing how much difference this enjoyable interaction with other human beings can make to our day. I always feel somehow lighter as a result and the feel good energy can really help you get through an otherwise difficult day.
| Please! Don't Smile. |
