You don’t have to.
Anything really. No matter what your friends say, what your family says, you’re not obligated to live your life in a way which is not comfortable for you. Or put yourself into situations you dislike just to please other’s expectations.
Do it your way. Do your best to be a good person of course (according to whichever moral standard you hold). But do it your way.
The word “No” is such a life-changer and it’s definitely something I learned to apply only recently. I grew up being told to be obedient. Parents demanded it and school enforced it. It made me into a people pleaser and it sucked having to do things that I did not enjoy simply because it was what was expected of me.
I’m still struggling with No but I’ve been trying everyday to keep saying No to things I don’t particularly like.
Drink water.
So many odd physical conditions ended up being the result of dehydration and went away once I started drinking water throughout my day. I was in my 30s when I learned that one.
Seemingly everything:
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Brain fog
• Depression & anxiety
• Increased heart rate
• Energy level
• Mood
Sooo… safe to say, a lot of things! And this isn’t including other things like organ heath, skin, teeth, sleep quality….
And for other people reading this threat - always have a water bottle standing next to you! For me it was a bit game changer to have water quickly accessible. I’ve also implemented a tradition of drinking a bottle every morning - that immensely helps in getting your body active.
Only downside is that you’ll go to the toilet often.
The idea of being a loser or winner in life, and that there is an objective consensus that could accurately rank your value as a person, is fake. People as a whole don’t take the time to come to agreement on what matters, they don’t understand each other, and you don’t have a ranking, even theoretically. It’s only in your imagination, so make an effort to cut some slack and imagine yourself in a kinder way.
Sometimes you just need a day or two where you don’t do a damned thing and there should be no shame in it. Self-care is often described as things one can do, active things, verbs. Sometimes the compulsion to always be doing something is the crux of the problem
Stay fit and maintain lean muscle mass. You don’t have to be a crazy fitness nutcase, just try to walk a few miles a day and do some kind of exercise to get your heart rate up 3 times a week or so. Try not to eat total crap, but honestly this matters a lot less than the first part. Be thankful that diminishing returns kick in really early here.
I’m in my mid-50s now. My friends and I are all getting old. Each year the chasm of difference in lifestyles between my fit friends and my unfit friends grows larger. At my age it’s starting to feel bleak and grim. The older you get the more your fitness is going to affect your quality of life and happiness. In your 60s it’s going to determine whether or not you are even mobile without assistance. Aging ain’t fun for anyone, but it’s fucking brutal and painful if you’re out of shape and/or overweight.
The older you are, the harder it is get in shape. But it doesn’t really get any harder to stay in shape once you’re there. Don’t put it off. If you don’t move you’re building towards a future where you can’t.
It’s easy to get your steps in living in a city. I average 8k-10k steps on a typical day just by existing. But the moment you leave the city and go anywhere car centric, it’s nearly impossible to get even 5k :(
There’s a lot of things you can do though. Big ass Walmart parking lot? Park in the very back. Office on the 4th floor? Take the stairs. Shit I’ve started practicing taking the 30 flights of stairs up to my office personally.
There’s a lot of little things you can do that add up.
